Teresa Brennan's "The Transmission of Affect" (Book Note)

 

Teresa Brennan's Book, "The Transmission of Affect," aims to redefine the relationship between the body and signification through her unique concept of affect. She addresses the growing interest in affect within the humanities, viewing it as a way to complement poststructuralism's emphasis on language and discourse. Brennan seeks to provide a systematic framework for understanding affect, countering the risk of it becoming an ambiguous term. Her book offers a precise and rigorous definition of affect, leading to a novel theory of language. She does not seek to privilege language above other forms of expression but advocates for an alternative form of communication she terms "language of the flesh."

 

While well-versed in deconstruction, poststructuralism, and Lacanian psychoanalysis, Brennan finds them individually inadequate, as they fail to fully embrace their own conclusions. She argues that a decentered subject does not necessitate a complete absence of meaning. Meaning, according to Brennan, is pervasive and can be found in the interconnected systems that constitute what she reluctantly refers to as the "life drive." This term, while somewhat homogenizing, signifies the interdependent logical chains that sustain the life of a subject's kind, existing independently of any individual subject. The life drive, in Brennan's view, transcends individuality and consistently prioritizes the collective over the individual, contrary to the ego's stance. Throughout her work, she frequently equates the life drive with energy, reflecting her broader focus on an "energetics" theory that explores the energetic and affective connections between individuals, others, and their environment.

In Chapter One, Brennan intricately defines affect and its relationship with fantasy. She then delves into various social, physiological, and intellectual environments to explore the transmission of affect. In Chapter Two, she critiques psychoanalysis, asserting that it often neglects the concept of transmission, emphasizing the self-contained individual. Brennan highlights Wilfred Bion and Jean Laplanche's theories as departures from this dominant trend. Chapter Three examines affect transmission within crowds, drawing on recent endocrinological research on hormonal interaction and olfactory entrainment. In Chapter Four, Brennan discusses affect transmission between mother and fetus, advocating for an active view of the mother's role in fetal development.

 

Chapter Five explores the connection between affect and pre-modern religious concepts of demons and deadly sins. Viewing affects as anthropomorphic descriptions of affect transmission, Brennan seeks to combat their potentially detrimental effects. Brennan's aim is not solely diagnostic; she seeks to inspire change by challenging the thoughtless nature of affect. The final chapters propose the "education of the senses" as a means of transformation. Brennan advocates for a refined understanding of language, encompassing bodily systems. This hinges on aligning experience with language through discernment, a process akin to thinking.

 

Brennan suggests that language, whether corporeal or linguistic, transcends individual usage, and the individual can transform it through learning, attention, and reasoning. She underscores the importance of integrating corporeal and linguistic languages, drawing on our experience of constriction and release. Brennan contends that senses like smell and taste are attuned to a larger living logic, but their information is often misinterpreted by the individual. She advocates for a harmonious interpretation that acknowledges this living logic.

 

While Brennan's work spans multiple disciplines, making it challenging for a wide audience, its ambition and innovation remain compelling. The book serves as a meditation on the intricate relationship between living beings and representation. Brennan's audacious theorization is both exhilarating and challenging, founded on a series of moral oppositions. The book prompts critical reflection on how traditional language relates to the potential metaphorical languages of the body. Although Brennan's untimely passing is deeply felt, her work invites us to continue this inquiry collectively, emphasizing that truth is spoken from one's place in a system, not merely as an individual. In this way, "The Transmission of Affect" becomes an integral part of the broader, attentive project it so persuasively advocates.