The Greek Daimon

This double image in the window made me think of masks, of ghosts, until it led me to the figure of the Greek daimon. The daimon, a concept woven throughout Greek (ancient) thought, was seen as a presence hovering over one’s shoulder, visible only to those observing.

It’s as if the woman in this photo, whenever she tries to look at her reflection, can’t quite catch it because, as she moves, her reflection moves along with her.

*I’m grateful to Rafael Knabben, an insightful reader of Hannah Arendt, for introducing me to the concept of the daimon in one of our lengthy philosophical discussions.

It’s as if the woman in this photo, whenever she tries to look at her reflection, can’t quite catch it because, as she moves, her reflection moves along with her.

Hannah Arendt uses the daimon to explore “who” we are. For Arendt, our “who” resides in the daimon—this Other/Self that we are yet can’t fully grasp. So, a person’s “who” wouldn’t be accessible through introspection, as it doesn’t lie within a biological, substantial subject nor the subjectivity of the Self, but rather in our relationship with the external world. It exists in the actions and words we share in society. Our “who” is not in our minds but is created and revealed through living and communicating with others.

This idea critiques the modern concept of interiority, which weakens our belief in the value of action in public life by isolating the Self in a private, inward space. Today’s society places too much value on the Self (and its mental attributes), and we see the consequences of this thinking everywhere. Here, I also draw on Foucault to argue that discussions on subjectivity can shift to focus on processes of subjectivation. In this view, “who we are” is no longer the starting point for acting in the world, as ultimately, no Subject exists prior to relations.

#Street Photography