Afterlives of post-colonialism: reflections on theory post-9/11

The world of Antiquity and Middle Ages was replete with monsters and satyrs. Modernity and civilisation is shadowed by monstrous figures that constitute ‘the abject’ and ‘discontent’. This paper examines the question of representation and the manner in which the figure of the monster reappears after the events of 9/11. It discusses the way production about the other has been disciplined and policed and offers some reflections on theory in order to consider how a post-colonial ethical stance might offer a better way to engage in the production of non-coercive knowledge.