I agree with Jeremiah. More should be done to impliment the theories which
are too often only expounded within the closed framework of lists such as
this. At least for myself I feel that I am not doing enough to effect the
world within which I exist. Too much time is spent debating the best path or
action. Jeremiah's post reminds me of the line from Yeats' poem "The best
lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity". But
the real question is how to effect the changes we seek.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeremiah Luna" <jeremiah.luna@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Foucault" <foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2000 7:20 AM
Subject: what about us
> I have this to say, It seems to me that our current debate between Lynne
> Cheney's views and Foucault4s theory are fruitful to a certain degree.
> Between Cheney, Nussbaum, the Nation and Butler we as Foucaultian or
> intellectuals of some sort naturally withdrawn into our own click, our
> faction of leftist-intellecutal force. But the debate between the "post
> structuralist left" represented by Foucault and the Nation is maybe
> important for a minute or too, but in the larger scope world political
> events it is beside the point, since the "left" as a whole with all of its
> factions composes an extreme minority with almost no influence over the
> events of our day. And it seems to me to keep defining ourselves "against"
> this or that is a typical gesture of group identification and
> construction,
> which in the end produces yet another "sub culture" pushing for it
> particular view as opposed to 100 of others while missing the bigger
> challenges faces our era and generation.
>
> therefore I ask the question what about us "pspseudo-intellectuals" -just
> in for the hype- possessing no the academic skills to be professionals
> within the context of the university as a highly competitive capitalist
> "knowledge institutions". Where does our reading and education
> influence our daily life as citizens with our larger society? We all have
> the tendency to identify with the opinions and positions put forward by
Butler
> and Spivak as alternative to the Nation and god forbid Cheney or
> NutTree, but when I stop to think about what we really have for "real
> intellectual community" in Tuebingen or at Berkeley I can't exactly say
> that I am very happy. I mean sure I can go to lectures, buy books, sit in
> cafes trying to spark up some theory discussion here and there which
> often result in failure. I don't know do you guys see what I am getting
> at.
> Maybe what I am trying to say is this, that theory needs to be taken out
> of the university context. What about our own projects? Why are their not
> more artist colonies? why can't we situate our reading in a context
> outside of our professional academic career aspirations? Why are there so
> few reading groups advocating "postmodern vertigo"? its easy for Marxists
to
> complain about anarchists or post modernists to complain about modernists
> and and, but in the end we are responsible for our " theory subculture" to
> see that it more than just the idealization of a few big names on some
> unversities some where. Maybe I would be more interest in a discussion of
> our situation as "hum drum theory people" just getting by working odds
> jobs here and there, or at least entertaining the question how are we
> going to integrate our theory back round into a non academic corporate
> work environment? In my circles I have seen allot of really motivated and
> energetic people just . . stop talking theory, or reading, kinda loosing
> their critical perspective on things, and I think it is part due of the
fact
> that when one is finished with school at there is not the community there
> to drive you to it and maybe a whole host of other reasons.
>
> with kind regards
>
> Jeremiah
>
>
>
are too often only expounded within the closed framework of lists such as
this. At least for myself I feel that I am not doing enough to effect the
world within which I exist. Too much time is spent debating the best path or
action. Jeremiah's post reminds me of the line from Yeats' poem "The best
lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity". But
the real question is how to effect the changes we seek.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeremiah Luna" <jeremiah.luna@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Foucault" <foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2000 7:20 AM
Subject: what about us
> I have this to say, It seems to me that our current debate between Lynne
> Cheney's views and Foucault4s theory are fruitful to a certain degree.
> Between Cheney, Nussbaum, the Nation and Butler we as Foucaultian or
> intellectuals of some sort naturally withdrawn into our own click, our
> faction of leftist-intellecutal force. But the debate between the "post
> structuralist left" represented by Foucault and the Nation is maybe
> important for a minute or too, but in the larger scope world political
> events it is beside the point, since the "left" as a whole with all of its
> factions composes an extreme minority with almost no influence over the
> events of our day. And it seems to me to keep defining ourselves "against"
> this or that is a typical gesture of group identification and
> construction,
> which in the end produces yet another "sub culture" pushing for it
> particular view as opposed to 100 of others while missing the bigger
> challenges faces our era and generation.
>
> therefore I ask the question what about us "pspseudo-intellectuals" -just
> in for the hype- possessing no the academic skills to be professionals
> within the context of the university as a highly competitive capitalist
> "knowledge institutions". Where does our reading and education
> influence our daily life as citizens with our larger society? We all have
> the tendency to identify with the opinions and positions put forward by
Butler
> and Spivak as alternative to the Nation and god forbid Cheney or
> NutTree, but when I stop to think about what we really have for "real
> intellectual community" in Tuebingen or at Berkeley I can't exactly say
> that I am very happy. I mean sure I can go to lectures, buy books, sit in
> cafes trying to spark up some theory discussion here and there which
> often result in failure. I don't know do you guys see what I am getting
> at.
> Maybe what I am trying to say is this, that theory needs to be taken out
> of the university context. What about our own projects? Why are their not
> more artist colonies? why can't we situate our reading in a context
> outside of our professional academic career aspirations? Why are there so
> few reading groups advocating "postmodern vertigo"? its easy for Marxists
to
> complain about anarchists or post modernists to complain about modernists
> and and, but in the end we are responsible for our " theory subculture" to
> see that it more than just the idealization of a few big names on some
> unversities some where. Maybe I would be more interest in a discussion of
> our situation as "hum drum theory people" just getting by working odds
> jobs here and there, or at least entertaining the question how are we
> going to integrate our theory back round into a non academic corporate
> work environment? In my circles I have seen allot of really motivated and
> energetic people just . . stop talking theory, or reading, kinda loosing
> their critical perspective on things, and I think it is part due of the
fact
> that when one is finished with school at there is not the community there
> to drive you to it and maybe a whole host of other reasons.
>
> with kind regards
>
> Jeremiah
>
>
>