On Social Vortexes: Contributions to a metaphorology of Georges Bataille's social ontology

This article explores Georges Bataille’s social ontology by examining underexplored aspects of his work through a historical–conceptual lens, particularly drawing on Hans Blumenberg’s metaphorology. I argue that Bataille adopts vortexes from biological and astrophysical texts as a metaphor to represent society, thereby presenting an organicist perspective. This thesis will be demonstrated in three steps: first, I define the conceptual coordinates of the debate between mechanicism, vitalism and the emerging organicism during the early 20th century; second, I analyse the biological and astrophysical texts read and cited by Bataille where whirlwinds play a significant role; and third, I demonstrate how Bataille employs vortexes as a figure in his conceptualisation of society.