What Should We Do with Plasticity? An Interview with Catherine Malabou

Abstract

This interview with the contemporary French philosopher Catherine Malabou explores Malabou's central concept of ‘plasticity’ across the interdisciplinary contexts through which it is elaborated, including continental philosophy, neuroscience, genetics and literature, among other domains. In particular, the interview maps how the concept of plasticity has developed most recently in response to new innovations in technology, informatics and artificial intelligence; how the concept proposes a methodology to other researchers and practitioners seeking to explore the transformability and mutability of their own areas; the emotional and affective terrain of self-exploration proposed by a philosophy of plasticity; and avenues for engagements with the concept in practical, clinical settings. Navigating a concept as mutable as it is multiple, the interview is guided by the central question: what should we do with plasticity?