Between Degeneration and Degeneracy: Towards a De-generated Aesthetic (Based on a Song by Pedro Suárez Vértiz and a Poem by Luis Cernuda)

Trejo J.T.S. · Letras (Peru) (2026) · DOI: 10.30920/letras.97.145.15

Resumen

The aim of this essay is to introduce the notion of degeneracy in order to understand human desire as a complex adaptive system (CAS). The first part analyzes Bénédict Augustine Morel’s (1809-1873) theory of degeneration in relation to Michel Foucault’s (1926-1984) analysis of it. The second part introduces the notion of degeneracy, which allows us to understand the robustness, complexity, and evolvability of both biological and symbolic CAS. Finally, two texts that address the dynamics of de(-)generated desire are analyzed: “Degeneración actual” (1999) by Pedro Suárez Vértiz and “Diré cómo nacisteis placeres prohibidos” (1931) by Luis Cernuda. The analysis will show the usefulness of degeneracy as a hermeneutic tool for understanding the complex dynamics of human desire.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos