foucault/derrida

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oh, but they have a wonderful history...

derrida enthusiastically attended lectures given by foucault about =
madness around the time that 'folie et deraison' appeared. but within a =
couple of years, derrida delivered a lecture on foucault and madness in =
which he criticized the 'totalizing' aspects of foucault's work on =
madness (and foucault happened to be in the audience--doh!). the =
lectures were eventually collected in derrida's 'writing and difference' =
under the chapter "cogito and the history of madness." foucault =
reserved his indignance and fury for nearly ten years but eventually =
published his scintillating reply as "my body, this paper, this fire" =
in 1971. (you gotta love the title.) i think that he wrote this piece =
right after hearing derrida and withheld it from publication until =
later. most of the scintillating tidbits about their conflict can be =
found in deidre eribon's biography of foucault (pages 119-21). =
foucault's response was included in the 1972 french edition of 'folie' =
and the english translation can be found in volume 2 of "the essential =
works of foucault," the new press. finally, derrida most recently =
revisited this conflict with foucault in 1991 and this essay "'to do =
justice to freud': the history of madness in the age of psychoanalysis" =
can be found in "foucault and his interlocutors," arnold davidson, ed, =
university of chicago press. =20

for the most part derrida is always complimentary of his former teacher. =
i don't think that foucault thought much of derrida as he often =
contrasted his methods from deconstruction in interviews. perhaps, =
foucault's "what is an author?" can be read in contrast to =
deconstruction. and maybe one could also contrast foucault's insistence =
on anonymity (as in the interview "the masked philosopher" where he =
conducted an interview anonymously) with derrida today as a celebrity =
icon in american literary circles. certainly, one can argue that =
derrida has become that "universal intellectual" that foucault so =
despised in sartre. and we should also note that foucault always =
refused the labels of "postmodernism" and "poststructuralism."


hope this helps,

tom.

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<DIV>oh, but they have a wonderful history...</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>derrida enthusiastically attended lectures given by foucault about =
madness=20
around the time that 'folie et deraison' appeared.&nbsp; but within a =
couple of=20
years, derrida delivered a lecture on foucault and madness in which he=20
criticized the 'totalizing' aspects of foucault's work on madness (and =
foucault=20
happened to be in the audience--doh!).&nbsp; the lectures were =
eventually=20
collected in derrida's 'writing and difference' under the chapter =
"cogito and=20
the history of madness."&nbsp; foucault reserved his indignance and fury =
for=20
nearly ten years but eventually published his scintillating reply as =
"my&nbsp;=20
body, this paper, this fire" in 1971.&nbsp; (you gotta love the =
title.)&nbsp; i=20
think that he wrote this piece right after hearing derrida and withheld =
it from=20
publication until later.&nbsp; most of the scintillating tidbits about =
their=20
conflict can be found in deidre eribon's biography of foucault (pages=20
119-21).&nbsp; foucault's response was included in the 1972 french =
edition of=20
'folie' and the english translation can be found in volume 2 of "the =
essential=20
works of foucault," the new press.&nbsp; finally, derrida most recently=20
revisited this conflict with foucault in 1991 and this essay "'to do =
justice to=20
freud': the history of madness in the age of psychoanalysis" can be =
found in=20
"foucault and his interlocutors," arnold davidson, ed, university of =
chicago=20
press.&nbsp; </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>for the most part derrida is always complimentary of his former=20
teacher.&nbsp; i don't think that foucault thought much of derrida as he =
often=20
contrasted his methods from deconstruction in interviews.&nbsp; perhaps, =

foucault's "what is an author?" can be read in contrast to =
deconstruction.&nbsp;=20
and maybe one could also contrast foucault's insistence on anonymity (as =
in the=20
interview "the masked philosopher" where he conducted an interview =
anonymously)=20
with derrida today as a celebrity icon in american literary =
circles.&nbsp;=20
certainly, one can argue that derrida has become that "universal =
intellectual"=20
that foucault so despised in sartre.&nbsp; and we should also note that =
foucault=20
always refused the labels of "postmodernism" and =
"poststructuralism."</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>hope this helps,</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>tom.</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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