The Risk of Existing: Jean-Luc Nancy’s Prepositional Existence, Knocks Included

In this essay, I seek to expound on Jean-Luc Nancy’s notions of “being-with,” “being-to,” or “being-in-common,” which I will also call prepositional existence. While Nancy has put such existence in terms of “the risk of existing,” I point out how he is rather resistant to expose this existence to knocks. Knocks are in fact inevitable, however, if prepositional existence is also to be a true opening or even “dis-enclosure” of Being, as Nancy would want it; and I argue that prepositional existence with knocks included can furthermore be a way to counteract contemporary biopolitics.