Places, non-places, and the abandoned individual: an augian interpretation of the Terminal and Babel

Abstract

This study examines the French Philosopher, Marc Augé’s concept of ‘non-places’ and if it can be extended beyond the classification provided by Augé. Since the conception of the theory of the non-place, a lot has been said and written about what makes a space a non-place but there’s still very little emphasis and research on a place becoming a non-place and vice-versa. This study will indicate that places and non-places have the potential of colliding and merging into the other. In order to achieve the desiring result, the example of border has been explored as a space that can be transformed into a place when in theory it’s a non-place. Additionally in the latter part of the study, non-places and the individuals trapped in these spaces are treated as ‘homo sacers’, a concept provided by Giorgio Agamben, where the individuals are abandoned in a sort of no-man’s land, legally and otherwise, and have to fend for themselves. This study will also focus on the areas that Marc Augé didn’t take into consideration while conceptualizing non-places. However, despite all this, Marc Augé’s concept can still be a prominent tool in the analysis of supermodernity and capitalism.