Perspectives in Continental Philosophy: Corpus II

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In this remarkable collection, philosopher Jean-Luc Nancy explores themes of community, embodiment, and the essence of being-with, emphasizing our nature as sexual beings. In "The 'There Is' of the Sexual Relation," he challenges Lacan's assertion that "there is no sexual relation," arguing for its fundamental role in our existence together. "The Birth of Breasts" offers a poetic reflection on human anatomy, drawing from literary sources ranging from Sappho to Beckett. "Strange Foreign Bodies" revisits the relationship between mind and body, highlighting the familiar yet inherently strange nature of our physical forms. In "The Body of Pleasure," Nancy examines the body as a site of finite pleasure, acknowledging that while it reaches limits where it loses form, this very end connects us to the outside world and its joys. Lastly, "The Sexual Relation—and Then" extends the discussion of sexual relations by exploring their generative potential, reminding us that our very existence arises from these connections. Building on his earlier work in Corpus, Nancy's Corpus II ventures into new territories, continually affirming that human bodies are intrinsically sexed and sexual.