The politics and affects of doubt

Name of applicant

Tris Hedges

Title

Researcher

Institution

Freie Universität Berlin

Amount

DKK 2,452,349

Year

2025

Type of grant

Internationalisation Fellowships

What?

Synthesising insights from across philosophy of emotion and phenomenology, this project offers the first systematic investigation into the place of doubt in our political and affective lives. By distinguishing between the different affective and political dynamics of doubt, it helps make sense of the importance of doubt for contemporary forms of marginalisation, polarisation, and self-alienation.

Why?

Today, the political landscape is characterised by distinctly affective forms of polarisation and marginalisation. Minoritised groups and ideological opponents constantly have the appropriateness or even presence of certain affects doubted, leading many to suffer from debilitating feelings of (self-)doubt. Despite this, these affective and political aspects of doubt remain as-of-yet unexplored.

How?

Part One of the project answers the following question: How does doubt feel and how can feelings themselves be doubted? To answer, I draw on phenomenology and philosophy of emotion to study these two sides of doubt at mutually interacting levels: structural, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. Part Two then applies the theoretical findings to: (1) moral outrage, (2) sexuality, and (3) eco-emotions.

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