French Literature Reviews - 2026
B. Goetz, La Dislocation. Architecture et philosophie (pref. J.L. Nancy, repr.)
Philosophy, Anthropology and Ideas
Benoît Goetz
La Dislocation
Architecture et philosophie
Verdier/poche
Preface by Jean-Luc Nancy. Published by Éditions de la Passion (2001)
336 p.
11.50 €
ISBN: 978-2-86432-976-3
Published: April 2018
Dislocation is the event affecting contemporary space. Yet one might equally argue that this event was immemorially contained within space itself, which is by definition a power of distancing and dispersion. However, mythologies of place and representations of the world long prevented this event from coming to light.
This emergence of dislocation is by no means catastrophic in itself. It simply means that spaces henceforth float freely—detached, incapable of being superimposed upon any worldview whatsoever, unmoored from any cosmic system or orienting cross. Neither places nor non-places, spaces—'esplaces'—are born and die through complex processes: construction, architectures, developments that carry away urbanity, alongside the gestures and attitudes of inhabitants and passers-by. The description of these spaces thus pertains both to a poetics of architecture and to a revisiting of the question concerning the meaning of dwelling in the world.
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An article on this work can be read on en-attendant-nadeau.fr:
The volume addresses the changing nature of contemporary space through the concept of dislocation, examining how modern environments appear unmoored from traditional cosmic systems and overarching worldviews. Rather than treating this condition as a catastrophe, the study reflects on how environments emerge and shift through construction, urban developments, and the everyday actions of inhabitants and passers-by. Readers interested in contemporary approaches to spatial philosophy and the intersections between architectural theory and philosophy may find this work relevant.