Representation makes the absent present through a fundamental paradox
Evidence
The idea of representation underlying agency is rooted in a paradox: that who or what is represented is both absent and present at the same time (re-presented). Theatrical representation, where the actor’s body makes present someone who is absent, exemplifies in a different way the same paradox. — Talal Asad, Formations of the Secular, 362
Categorization
Category: Definitional Content
- SEED: Could anchor an essay on how all forms of representation — political, theatrical, legal — ride the same absent/present paradox and what that means for legitimacy.