Khōra: An Inquiry Into Polytopian Philosophy and Cosmopolitan Governance

Abstract

This article conducts an inquiry into polytopian philosophy, which is contrasted with classical utopia. It contends that classical utopia, in its exclusionary reliance on a single vision of a perfect society, faces the risk of becoming dystopian. The article conceives of polytopian philosophy as a discursive medium that remains open to the reception of diverse utopian impulses without restricting itself to a single vision. The article connects polytopia to Kristeva’s discussion of Plato’s khōra, which is interpreted as a rhythmic receptacle that receives subliminal desires and transforms them in a signifying process that both subverts and produces a symbolic order that gives meaning. The article concludes that polytopian khōra is a cosmopolitan social medium for inclusion of the uncanny “strange.” Polytopian khōra points the way to a more inclusive public administration that can serve as a catalyst in the transformative process of reception and co-creation.