Foraging Amid Perplexity

Queer Pragmatism, Neuropragmatism, and the Erotic Arts

Abstract

I address Shusterman’s challenge to develop a more inclusive and progressive ars erotica by relating it to Malabou’s challenge to recognize the bodily effects practicing philosophy has on identity. I frame these challenges in neuropragmatic terms, specifically its evolutionary conceptions of experience, inquiry, and intelligence. Through this framing, both somaesthetics and neuropragmatism are faced with perplexities from Malabou’s invitation to queer thinking itself. I draw on queer pragmatism to propose some initial responses that deliberately resist resolution.