La tua domanda è troppo grande”. Come lasciare l’elefante nella stanza e non entrare in loop durante il dottorato

Abstract

This contribution asks whether it is possible to imagine a research project without falling back into the loop that seems to characterize it in essence. Firstly, I present an analysis of the concept of "project" and show why that profoundly marks the research in general. In particular, I refer to an essay by Cacciari (1981) and one by Heidegger (1966). Subsequently, I reveal how, during my PhD, I did direct experience of what the two authors discuss about. Therefore, a possible strategy is suggested for not being enslaved by the project's aporias at the scale of a doctoral research. Following the example of some feminist scholars, one can indeed resort to "figuring". Such a method consists of offering a vision starting from a becoming. Thus, it entails for the PhD project to be placed on the being-able-to-be ground. Namely, not to be structured as a hypothesis about an object. Rather, the research project should propose in itself and start from a hypothetical object to be continuously confronted with social practice.