Time and Subjectivity in World Politics1. Issue 4 (5th July 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Solomon, Ty
• Is Part Of: International studies quarterly. Volume 58:Issue 4(2014:Dec.)
• Page Start: 671
• Page End: 681
• Publication Date: 2013-07-05
• Subjects: International relations -- Periodicals; World politics -- Periodicals; 303.482
• DOI: 10.1111/isqu.12091
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0020-8833

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="isqu12091-abs-0001"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>Critically inclined International Relations (IR) scholars have recently turned to examining the issue of time and its implications for world politics. However, there has yet to be a thorough account of how a focus on temporality deepens our understanding of one of the field's core concepts: subjectivity. Drawing upon insights from psychoanalytic theory, this paper argues that the discursive decentering of subjectivity (long a focus in poststructuralist IR) is bound to the subject's temporal decentering. Moreover, conceptualizing these together helps to account for the underexplored role of desire in subject formation. The paper thus draws together insights regarding discourse, desire, and identity to offer a more comprehensive theory of the subject in IR and a richer account of the social construction process in general. The empirical import of these ideas is illustrated with regard to the function of temporality and desire in the politics of the US‐led war on terror.</p> </abstract>