A Missed Encounter : Mario Perniola and Jean-Luc Nancy on Sex, Body, Writing

This essay explores the intricate interplay of sex, body, and writing in the philosophical frameworks of Mario Perniola and Jean-Luc Nancy. It examines the ‘sex appeal of the inorganic’ as a practice of rewriting the significance of sexual relationships and the body. Within Nancy's ontology, we introduce the concept of a "phrasing body", which articulates the emergence of sense in existence. This leads us to propose a "sexual staging ontology", where sex is coextensive with the occurrence of sexual relations, manifesting as a singular plurality of occasions. This framework resonates with Perniola's notion of infinite division, highlighting how the complexities of desire are refracted through the interplay of sex, body, and writing. This analysis reveals a previously unexamined connection between Perniola and Nancy, suggesting new avenues for understanding sexuality in contemporary thought.