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The grammar of action in the critical zone

Research output: Contribution in Book/Report/Proceedings - With ISBN/ISSN › Chapter

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The grammar of action in the critical zone. / Szerszynski, Bronislaw.
Critical Zones: The Science and Politics of Landing on Earth. ed. / Bruno Latour; Peter Weibel. Cambridge, MA, USA: MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass., 2020. p. 344-349.

Research output: Contribution in Book/Report/Proceedings - With ISBN/ISSN › Chapter

Harvard

Szerszynski, B 2020, The grammar of action in the critical zone. in B Latour & P Weibel (eds), Critical Zones: The Science and Politics of Landing on Earth. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass., Cambridge, MA, USA, pp. 344-349. <https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/critical-zones>

APA

Szerszynski, B. (2020). The grammar of action in the critical zone. In B. Latour, & P. Weibel (Eds.), Critical Zones: The Science and Politics of Landing on Earth (pp. 344-349). MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass.. https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/critical-zones

Vancouver

Szerszynski B. The grammar of action in the critical zone. In Latour B, Weibel P, editors, Critical Zones: The Science and Politics of Landing on Earth. Cambridge, MA, USA: MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass. 2020. p. 344-349

Author

Szerszynski, Bronislaw. / The grammar of action in the critical zone. Critical Zones: The Science and Politics of Landing on Earth. editor / Bruno Latour ; Peter Weibel. Cambridge, MA, USA : MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass., 2020. pp. 344-349

Bibtex

@inbook{604765e43271444b84a22f61460cd442,
title = "The grammar of action in the critical zone",
abstract = "In this paper I argue that we can use some distinctive features of language to help reveal the {\textquoteleft}grammar{\textquoteright} of action, of being and becoming, in the densely folded critical zone around the Earth{\textquoteright}s surface. I first explore how the evolution of our words for agency have effected a misleading division between initiating and carrying out. I then discuss the imperfective aspect that we naturally use to describe energeia, forms of ongoing action with no natural finish in which potentiality and actuality coexist, and about how plants can be said to {\textquoteleft}embody{\textquoteright} this mode of existence more fully. I finally talk about the middle voice, in which the subject is neither active nor passive, suggesting that this form of speech can help illuminate the important earthly processes of {\textquoteleft}drift{\textquoteright} that are practiced within the animal, vegetal and mineral realms alike. I suggest that such an exercise can help us better discern and express the texture of action amongst humans and non-humans in the critical zone. ",
keywords = "environmental humanities, critical zone, action, language, grammar, philosophy",
author = "Bronislaw Szerszynski",
year = "2020",
month = oct,
day = "31",
language = "English",
isbn = "9780262044455",
pages = "344--349",
editor = "Bruno Latour and Peter Weibel",
booktitle = "Critical Zones",
publisher = "MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass.",

}

RIS

TY - CHAP

T1 - The grammar of action in the critical zone

AU - Szerszynski, Bronislaw

PY - 2020/10/31

Y1 - 2020/10/31

N2 - In this paper I argue that we can use some distinctive features of language to help reveal the ‘grammar’ of action, of being and becoming, in the densely folded critical zone around the Earth’s surface. I first explore how the evolution of our words for agency have effected a misleading division between initiating and carrying out. I then discuss the imperfective aspect that we naturally use to describe energeia, forms of ongoing action with no natural finish in which potentiality and actuality coexist, and about how plants can be said to ‘embody’ this mode of existence more fully. I finally talk about the middle voice, in which the subject is neither active nor passive, suggesting that this form of speech can help illuminate the important earthly processes of ‘drift’ that are practiced within the animal, vegetal and mineral realms alike. I suggest that such an exercise can help us better discern and express the texture of action amongst humans and non-humans in the critical zone.

AB - In this paper I argue that we can use some distinctive features of language to help reveal the ‘grammar’ of action, of being and becoming, in the densely folded critical zone around the Earth’s surface. I first explore how the evolution of our words for agency have effected a misleading division between initiating and carrying out. I then discuss the imperfective aspect that we naturally use to describe energeia, forms of ongoing action with no natural finish in which potentiality and actuality coexist, and about how plants can be said to ‘embody’ this mode of existence more fully. I finally talk about the middle voice, in which the subject is neither active nor passive, suggesting that this form of speech can help illuminate the important earthly processes of ‘drift’ that are practiced within the animal, vegetal and mineral realms alike. I suggest that such an exercise can help us better discern and express the texture of action amongst humans and non-humans in the critical zone.

KW - environmental humanities

KW - critical zone

KW - action

KW - language

KW - grammar

KW - philosophy

M3 - Chapter

SN - 9780262044455

SP - 344

EP - 349

BT - Critical Zones

A2 - Latour, Bruno

A2 - Weibel, Peter

PB - MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass.

CY - Cambridge, MA, USA

ER -