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Affect Theory's Alternative Genealogies - Review Symposium on Leys's The Ascent of Affect

Pedwell, Carolyn (2020) Affect Theory's Alternative Genealogies - Review Symposium on Leys's The Ascent of Affect. Review of: The Ascent of Affect: Geneaology and Critique by Ruth Leys by Leys, Ruth. History of the Human Sciences, . pp. 1-9. ISSN 0952-6951. (doi:10.1177/0952695119888990) (KAR id:73020)

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Abstract

Despite what its title, blurb and editorial endorsements might suggest, Ruth Leys’ The Ascent of Affect: Genealogy and Critique is not a genealogy of the ‘turn to affect’ or a critical account of the emergence of affect theory across the humanities, social sciences and life sciences. It is, rather, a post-war history of the ‘science of emotion’ focusing on mainstream, American, largely male, psychologists and philosophers investigating the relationship between feelings and facial expressions in human and non-human animals. In its pursuit of the latter, it is rigorous, incisive and illuminating. In its claim to the former, it is partial, dismissive and, at times, misguided - though not without critical food for thought for interdisciplinary affect and emotion studies. In what follows, I summarise Leys’ important arguments and insights before offering a more detailed consideration of her critique of affect theory.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1177/0952695119888990
Uncontrolled keywords: Affect, the emotion sciences, Ruth Leys, genealogy, Brian Massumi, Eve Sedgwick
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Divisions: Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research
Depositing User: Carolyn Pedwell
Date Deposited: 15 Mar 2019 13:39 UTC
Last Modified: 09 Dec 2022 00:59 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/73020 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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