Grand Unified Theory...

I hope to one day find a ‘grand unifying theory’ of power capable of explaining the reasons why certain discourses become prioritized over others in structuring of politics. It seems like there should be a way to describe why certain subjectifying experiences become dominant over others in the way people internalize their identity and notions of self. Obviously, this should consider the marginal nature of any description of the world: how any description or theory of human action originates in a particular social experience, and contains residual elements of a ‘will to power.’ Still, the notion of a ‘will to power’ overemphasizes the role of language and individual will in shaping people’s outlook on life. Both of these things seem interchangeable to me. The recent election demonstrates the relative unimportance of individual people in determining the structure of power, and our subjectivity as citizens. There are more powerful forces at work, shaping political constructs such as the ‘War on Terror’ and ‘The Senate.’ Similarly, with language, the fact that language can be deconstructed, and often is, suggests that forces beyond language determine reality. Often politics concerns competition over how to interpret particular terms, suggesting that interests and ‘reality’ lies beyond language. The question remains as to where and what beyond language and people drives politics.

Duncan