Making Sense of Minor Jurisprudence

Abstract

This essay attempts to understand ‘Minor Jurisprudence’, to articulate some of its senses and resonances. It does so, first, by looking into the emergence of ‘Minor Jurisprudence’ out of the ‘Law As…’ symposia, particularly Christopher Tomlins’ reflections thereon. It does so, second, by looking into ‘Minor Jurisprudence’ as a modification of the ‘minor literature’ Deleuze and Guattari coin or borrow from Kafka in their reading of him. There are underexplored resonances between some of the language and thinking tied to the emergence of ‘Minor Jurisprudence’ out of the ‘Law As…’ symposia and the language and thinking of Deleuze and Guattari. Indeed, when one looks into Deleuze and Guattari’s ‘minor literature’, one even finds a ‘minor jurisprudence’, one that merits attention as ‘Law As…’ grows up into ‘Minor Jurisprudence’.