Posthumanism and Plant Studies

Abstract

Foucault famously argued that there exists a tension between humanism and the Enlightenment project. Whereas humanism is understood as the philosophical attempt to define the essence of the human being, the Enlightenment project continuously seeks to transgress the boundaries of the human. If we agree with Foucault, then posthumanism is inscribed within this project of Enlightenment. But what is the relation between posthumanism and plant studies? The following chapter discusses the way in which the recent "plant turn" in science and philosophy has further challenged our understanding of what it means to be human. It asks what plant studies has brought to current posthumanist debates and how it has perhaps reoriented these debates. KeywordsThis is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution. References• Agamben, G. ( 2004). The open: Man and animal. Stanford University Press.