Diverse relations to alterity: collective individuation and subject groups in Simondon, Guattari, and chemical ecology

Timothy P. Jackson

If the individual is an ephemeral phase in being and the subject is always in relation with something more than “its self”, then who or what pre-exists “a social contract” and is capable of entering into it? By the same token, if the subject is always in relation with an occult alterity within, to what extent is a stable notion of the “common good” achievable amongst subjects who are always at odds with themselves? In this talk we’ll undertake a whirlwind tour of the processes of individuation and subjectivation detailed in the philosophies of Gilbert Simondon and Félix Guattari, alongside a consideration of what the science of ecology – specifically of the chemical kind – might have to tell us about the nature of autonomy and subjectivity.

Dr Timothy Jackson is an evolutionary toxinologist specializing in reptile venom systems, particularly those of Australian elapid snakes. He holds a PhD from the University of Queensland, has published extensively (28 peer-reviewed papers and 26 book chapters), and is passionate about the role of venom evolution in improving snakebite treatment. His expertise spans evolutionary biology, venomics, bioinformatics, toxin structure-function, and the philosophy of science. Since 2017, Dr Jackson has led the Venoms and Antivenoms Reference Laboratory at AVRU, focusing on characterizing snake venoms and evaluating antivenom efficacy.