Date: Sun, 16 Nov 1997 14:49:33 +0000
Subject: Re: Query


hugh bone wrote:
> 
> Arturo Cherbowski wrote:
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> Well, Arturo and Beth, and Jon and whoever tunes in:
> 
> "Who We Are" was not written as poetry, was offered as thoughts,
> which were, in part, stimulated by reading "Le Differend".
> 
> The cult of the "great author", what was said, what was meant, which has
> produced millions of volumes on Shakespeare, is not for me; but it is
> essential for the specialization of scholars, and they sometimes produce
> profound works that are both readable and enjoyable.
> 
> Arturo, can you tell us more about Lyotard, the person?
> 
> Thanks,
> Hugh


I quite agree that there is no reason think any of these people are
important simply because they have attracted a cult of followers. Some
of their stuff - certainly some of Derrida's - simply isn't very
interesting to read. I must admit, though, that since I heard Derrida
lecture a few years ago I have had second thoughts about some of his
stuff that I had dismissed as rambling. He gave a mesmerising
performance of a text that I would never have thought much of if I had
seen it in print.

Anyway, Lyotard's Differend is a very important book. The principle,
briefly, is that there is always a gap between what is and what can be
said withing the social and textual rules of discourse. Thus there are
some complaints that, while perhaps perfectly legitimate, simply cannot
be voiced in a way that makes them acceptable given the logic of the
discourse that they would have to be entered into. One of the examples
that Lyotard gives is that of the publisher who, faced with a criticism
of the publishing industry, asks his critic to point our one masterpiece
of literature that was rejected by all publishers. Obviously no one can
point to such a work, so the criticism becomes simply nonsensical. This
logical situation is what Lyotard calls "the differend". His big example
of the way this works has to do with the holocaust and is very
inightfully analysed, but you'll have to look for yourself.

I hope no one was too upset about my latest, and somewhat rude, posts. I
did not really mean them badly. If someone feels like flaming me for
them I will try to take that in good sport. Best wishes and keep the
discussion going, everyone.

Jón