ABSTRACT
Chapter 3 engages with the second instance of representation, that is, (social) construction, by considering Judith Butler’s theory of performativity. Focusing on the anti-metaphysical aspect of her proposition, the chapter explores ethical and political limits of performative action. Denaturalizing representation, thus radically questioning the dualistic ontology of being and appearance, Butler however maintains representation as immanent. The chapter argues that de-essentialization engenders an ethical menace of anchoring our existence in social construction, thereby enclosing upon it and limiting alternative politics of desire. In keeping with Elizabeth Grosz’s critique, I account for the need to radicalize Butler’s theory of performativity by reopening the question of nature.
