From “Vessel” to “Foam”: Sloterdijk's Spherology as the Foundation for a New Paradigm of Corporeality
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Keywords

Corporeality Spherology Peter Sloterdijk Microsphere Macrosphere Foam Body as a Vessel No‑object Relationality Individualism

How to Cite

Markov, A., & Sosnovskaya, A. (2026). From “Vessel” to “Foam”: Sloterdijk’s Spherology as the Foundation for a New Paradigm of Corporeality. Corpus Mundi, 7(1), 64-81. https://doi.org/10.46539/cmj.v7i1.124

Abstract

Contemporary philosophy and the humanities are dominated by reductionist paradigms of corporeality that interpret the body either as a mechanistic object (the Cartesian-biomedical tradition) or as a passive surface text for the inscription of power (post-structuralism). Despite their differences, both approaches view the body as an isolated object, ignoring its constitutive relational nature. This leads to a theoretical impasse in the face of modern crises of identity, alienation, and the loss of connection, exacerbated by the dynamics of globalized and digital culture, which give rise to the phenomenon of the “capsular human”. This study aims to propose and substantiate an alternative, non-reductionist model of “spherical corporeality” based on Peter Sloterdijk's philosophy of spheres, capable of filling the existing research gap. The research results include a systematic reconstruction of the evolution of corporeality in the “Spheres” trilogy. As a result, a holistic theoretical model was developed, demonstrating the transformation of the body from a “hybrid vessel” in the microsphere, through a “target of media” in the macrosphere, to an “isolated capsule” in the foam of postmodernity. The model proves that the body is fundamentally a relational phenomenon, constituted within shared spaces of being.

The findings and the proposed model provide the academic community with a new conceptual apparatus to overcome the limitations of individualistic paradigms. They allow for describing the unity of intimate experience and global processes within a single evolutionary framework, creating a foundation for interdisciplinary research in philosophy, sociology, and cultural studies. The article is intended for specialists in these fields.

https://doi.org/10.46539/cmj.v7i1.124
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