A The transcendence of representation in more-than-human geography

Abstract

Experiments arising from animal, plant and elemental geography are well known and linked to the first half of the 20th century. In the beginning of the second half of the 20th century, intellectual movements gradually began to consolidate assumptions that were opposed to the traditional methods of scientific research, with notorious repercussions for geography. Gradually, the basis of more-than-human thinking was formed, as the label in question is predominantly associated with relational approaches supported by post-structuralism, Actor-Network Theory and, more recently, Non-Representational Theories. This change in approach meant a displacement of taken-for-granted concepts, of collective categories, towards the approach of identity affection. Thus, more-than-human research has been based on the notions of affection and assemblages as instruments for reading heterogeneous multispecies and elemental relationships. The trasncendence of representation means opening a broad epistemological horizon for geography, as well as presenting itself as an invitation to interdisciplinary dialogue involving different areas of the humanities and beyond. The article in question focuses on presenting how the transcendence of representation becomes very important in relational approaches: representations are understood as elements that interfere, but do not define, affection and multispecies agency entangled in networks. In another way, representations are also the product of affective relationships.