Seon: Ontological Planarization and the Politics of Equality

KJC Korea
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pISSN : 2092-6081 / eISSN : 2383-9899

http://journal.kci.go.kr/eih

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Seon: Ontological Planarization and the Politics of Equality

¹서울과학기술대학교

ABSTRACT
열림/닫힘 버튼

In this article, I attempt to interpret the Chan/Seon/Zen doctrine of non-discrimination of good and evil from the perspective of the politics of equality. To break away from distinction is to detach oneself from one’s own measure for distinguishing between ‘good and evil’ and ‘liking and disliking.’ To distinguish based on measure is to exercise “the power of measure” (Deleuze/Guattari), and to break away from it is to jump off all Grund (foundation/ground) and plunge into the Abgrund (abyss, no ground). Through this act of departure, it becomes possible to arrive at the ‘ontological plane’ that binds together as an ensemble (tenir ensemble) such binaries as music and non-music, dance and non-dance, and so forth. This type of equality is in accordance with Rancière’s concept of politics in that it suggests equality between the qualified and the unqualified. Seon Buddhism thus implicates a radical ‘politics of equality’ that has gained an ontological status.
KEYWORDS
열림/닫힘 버튼

禪, Chan/Seon/Zen, ontology, equality, politics, virtuality, actuality, 空, sunyata

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