Agamben and the (Im)potentiality of Music
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59391/ypx6ae56Keywords:
Agamben, potentiality (dynamis), energeia (actuality), music, improvisationAbstract
In this essay I think through the aesthetic ramifications of a conjunction of philosophy and music with respect to Agamben’s discussions on potentiality. While Agamben does reference artistic creation as a way of contextualizing his thoughts on potentiality, he does not consider links to music in particular. Meanwhile, when he does discuss music, there is scant reference to potentiality. I wish to thread these concerns together and pursue music as an apt heuristic for Agamben’s preoccupation with potentiality.. In doing so, I will first look at some of the key theoretical signposts for Agamben when it comes to thinking potentiality—particularly in reference to the work of Aristotle and Deleuze, but with the addition of Nietzsche, perhaps the most “untimely” mediator in this regard. We will then turn to thinking potentiality through music, and ultimately, improvisation—alas, using one of Agamben’s own provocative writings on music as a sounding-board for this discussion.
References
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Colebrook, Claire. “Agamben: aesthetics, potentiality, and life.” South Atlantic Quarterly 107, no. 1 (2008): 107-120. https://doi.org/10.1215/00382876-2007-058.
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Kotsko, Adam. “Agamben and Schoenberg.” Accessed 17 May 2025. https://itself.blog/2012/01/04/agamben-and-schoenberg/.
Nietzsche, Friedrich. Beyond Good and Evil. Translated by R.J. Hollingdale. London and New York: Penguin, 1990.
Schoenberg, Arnold. Theory of Harmony. Translated by Roy E. Carter. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2010.
Waltham-Smith, Naomi. “A music worthy of the name: or, Agamben’s museicology.” The New Centennial Review 18, no. 2 (Fall 2018): 179-202.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Michael Szekely
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