Moments of worth: towards an ethics of non-normative critique

Non-normative critique offers an approach to social analysis that is focused on the practice of critique while embracing criticisms of critical social theory that arise from post-structural epistemologies. In this paper, we use assemblage theory to propose a novel approach to non-normative critique. Specifically, we use assemblage theory to build on the work of Luc Boltanski and Laurent Thévenot on ‘orders of worth’, and propose an approach to non-normative critique focused on resisting the totalizing tendencies of moral narratives understood as assemblages that constitute everyday ethical experience. We synthesize our analysis into four contentions that illustrate the value of the concept of ‘moments of worth’ as a conceptual tool of critique. We conclude with reflections on the consequences of our proposed approach related to the flourishing of multiple worlds.