POLITICAL BOUNDEDNESS AND THE ROLE OF CARTOGRAPHY Cover Image

POLITICAL BOUNDEDNESS AND THE ROLE OF CARTOGRAPHY
POLITICAL BOUNDEDNESS AND THE ROLE OF CARTOGRAPHY

Author(s): Anne-Christine Habbard
Subject(s): Identity of Collectives
Published by: Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai
Keywords: Boundaries; space; nation; state; cartography; line;

Summary/Abstract: I will question the legitimacy of borders via its underlying premise: the supposedly natural boundedness of communities. Two avenues are usually used to show the legitimacy and necessity of borders: either as a way to protect and preserve the conception of the good and the values of an already existing bounded community; or as a way to create a democratic polity, the limits of which are required to uphold the rights of citizens. Either way, what is presupposed is that communities are and/or should be bounded. I will argue that the arguments in favour of political boundedness do not hold up to scrutiny, least of all in the form of territorial borders. This will lead me to a discussion on the precedence of the graphic gesture of drawing the line, and hence on the violence of boundary-making.

  • Issue Year: 65/2020
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 5-22
  • Page Count: 18
  • Language: English
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