Erin Manning (theorist)

Erin Manning is a Canadian philosopher and theorist known for her work on relationism, affect, and the sensory-motor fabric of experience. Her scholarship significantly contributes to fields such as philosophy, performance studies, and new media studies. She is particularly renowned for challenging traditional notions of subjectivity, agency, and the boundaries between the human and non-human.

Key Concepts and Themes

Manning's work centers on the concept of ''sensuous thought'', which emphasizes the embodied and relational nature of thinking. She argues against a Cartesian dualism that separates mind and body, instead proposing a dynamic interplay between the two. Her research explores how thinking emerges from movement, encounter, and the relationality of bodies within environments. This approach is deeply intertwined with her exploration of:

• Relationality: Manning emphasizes the importance of understanding existence not in terms of isolated entities but through the continuous processes of connection and interaction. She challenges the notion of individual agency, instead focusing on the collaborative and emergent nature of action.
• Affect: Manning’s work on affect goes beyond simple emotional responses, focusing on the pre-personal and pre-cognitive intensities that shape our experience and relationality. This concept connects to her analysis of movement, embodiment, and the ways in which we are affected by and affect our surroundings.
• Movement: The concept of movement plays a crucial role in Manning's philosophy, as she emphasizes the continuous flow of becoming and the dynamic interactions that constitute experience. Movement is not simply physical displacement, but a process of ongoing transformation and becoming.
• The Sensory-Motor Fabric: This concept highlights the interconnectedness of sensation, movement, and thought, proposing that experience is not primarily a cognitive process but a fundamentally sensory-motor one.

Major Publications

Manning has authored several influential books including, but not limited to: The Minor Gesture, Always More Than One: Individuation's Dance, and Relationscapes: Movement, Art, Philosophy. Her work has been widely translated and cited within various academic disciplines.

Influences

Manning's thought draws upon a range of influences, including Gilles Deleuze, Félix Guattari, and Michel Serres. Her work also engages with feminist theory, phenomenology, and post-structuralism.

Further Research

To gain a deeper understanding of Manning's work, it is recommended to consult her publications directly and explore the scholarly articles and commentaries that engage with her theories. Her work often appears in conjunction with discussions of process philosophy, new materialism, and posthumanism.