Queer Temporality and Living Ethically Within Discontinuity and Change
In today's world, where the concept of time has been deeply intertwined with modernity and industrialization, it can be difficult to imagine life without fixed temporalities or linear narratives.
Queer theory offers an alternative approach that challenges these dominant understandings of time and invites us to reconsider how we relate to time and discontinuity in our lives. By questioning normative conceptions of temporality, queer theory opens up new ways of being in the world that resist the constraints of chronological time and instead embrace the fluidity and multiplicity of time as experienced through lived bodies. This essay will explore the implications of this queer temporality for living ethically within discontinuity and change, drawing on the work of philosopher Elizabeth Grosz and others to argue that embracing nonlinear temporalities can help us to navigate the unpredictable and uncertain nature of contemporary life while also cultivating deeper forms of relationality and care.
Queer temporality is characterized by its refusal of strict categorizations based on binaries such as past/present/future, public/private, and masculine/feminine. Instead, it celebrates the complexity and ambiguity of time as experienced through the body and emphasizes the importance of non-linear modes of thinking that challenge traditional notions of progress and progression. For Grosz, "queer" refers not only to sexual identity but also to a broader mode of being that resists fixity and embraces instability. In her words, "the queer mode of being is constituted by its very refusal of any stable identity." This refusal is rooted in an understanding of the self as multiple and polyvalent rather than singular or fixed, and it encourages us to think about time as something that is always in flux and constantly changing.
The implications of this approach are significant for our understandings of ethical living. If we accept that there is no single path forward, nor even a clear destination, then we must learn to live with uncertainty and discomfort.
This does not mean that we should simply give up on trying to make sense of the world around us or finding ways to create meaningful connections with others. On the contrary, it suggests that we need to develop new strategies for navigating change and discontinuity that are responsive to the contingencies of lived experience. As Grosz argues, "it is precisely because we cannot anticipate what will come next that we have to invent, generate, produce ourselves in the present moment."
This requires cultivating forms of relationality and care that go beyond simple binary categories like "me" versus "you" or "self" versus "other". Instead, we must seek out ways of connecting that are open-ended and non-linear, recognizing that relationships are always in flux and subject to constant transformation. This can be challenging, particularly when faced with difficult situations such as illness, trauma, or loss. But embracing queer temporality can help us to recognize that these experiences are part of life's continuous transformations, and that we can learn from them and grow through them without being defined by them.
Embracing queer temporality offers a way of thinking about time that challenges dominant narratives and invites us to engage with the complexity of human existence. It teaches us to embrace fluidity and multiplicity rather than seeking fixed identities or linear progress, and it encourages us to approach ethical living in ways that are responsive to the needs of our bodies and the people around us. By refusing to reduce time to a series of moments or events, we can instead begin to understand it as an ongoing process of becoming that is shaped by our interactions with others and the world around us.
What does queer temporality teach us about living ethically within discontinuity and change?
Queer temporality is a concept that emphasizes the importance of fluidity and nonlinearity in time, rejecting traditional notions of linear progress and the idea that there are distinct stages in life. This approach suggests that we should embrace change and discontinuity as part of our lived experience rather than trying to impose order on it.