ABSTRACT
Various diagnoses of modernity predicted the decline of singularity, of the qualitative, of heterogeneity. One of the main surprises of the contemporary world is not only that this decline does not happen, but that the process of singularization is becoming a central feature of society. The chapter analyses a set of transformations – normally designated by different and apparently unconnected terms – that converge in the formation of a new type of society and new social questions around singularity. Five major social transformations are discussed (production, consumption, work; digital revolution; institutions and sociability; social representations; identities and existences). These processes show that singularity is no longer a mere sign of genius or excellence, but an ordinary, plural and structural manifestation of social experience. Based on this diagnosis, the chapter examines certain current normative debates and the specific challenges that singularity poses in living together.
