Making Waves: Fanon, Phenomenology, and the Sonic
Abstract
Frantz Fanon’s Black Skin, White Masks opens with a discussion of language in the colonial setting. I argue that this is at least in part due to Fanon’s background in phenomenology, and the crucial role that intersubjectivity plays in the phenomenological account of the subject. I begin by demonstrating the phenomenological underpinnings of Fanon’s chapter on language. I then further develop the background phenomenological account of the subject, showing how this informs Fanon’s project. I then develop a sonic account of the subject, arguing that metaphors of sound best represent the phenomenological account of the subject. Finally, I build on this sonic account to draw out the implications for our thinking about communication and liberation in Fanon’s work and beyond.
Publication Title
Philosophies
Recommended Citation
Monahan, M. (2024). Making Waves: Fanon, Phenomenology, and the Sonic. Philosophies, 9 (5) https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies9050145
