From inoperativity in Agamben to Cézanne's Doubt in Merleau-Ponty

Abstract

This article aims to work on the concept of inoperativity developed by Agamben by articulating it with the painter Cézanne from the essay by Merleau-Ponty entitled The doubt of Cézanne (1960). Throughout the article, we will also address the concept of form-of-life in Agamben, as both concepts are interrelated. We will also see, according to Merleau-Ponty, that Cézanne's art comes to break with the paradigms of the time and, in this way, we will maintain that the artist has in his way of life the contemplation of a power from which ineffectiveness gives rise to a form-of-life, breaking with the biopolitical control devices.

Keywords: Inoperativity. Form-of-life. Agamben. Cézanne. Merleau-Ponty.