When we left our last class the question up for discussion was about what will happen next with theory with our center no longer being the center. Having an hour and a half drive on my hands, I had some time to think about this.
I thought about this in terms of classroom management (go figure). What happens when the students misbehave, or perform acts that are against the rules? We enforce those rules, and, if necessary, take things away -- hall privileges, time from passing period, etc. If the behavior continues, then we continue to take.
Much like theory as we read this week. If Post-Structuralists can take away the center, other theorists will feel the need to take away another of the most central conventions of other beliefs. In our reading, the idea of geneaology came into play with Foucault. The basic premesis of geneaology is to use it as an "attempt to emancipate historical knowledges from that subjection, to render them capable of opposition..." (132). Take away history from the Marxists -- might as well take away recess from a third grader.
So in an answer to the question we had in class -- the result of the presenting a theory without a center will allow other theorists to take away the NEW centers that will be presented throughout contemporary theory.
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I've gotta be honest - I'd like to read this and comment, but the white text on black is making me blind!
ReplyDeleteDave, you are so funny! I think because of your humor, I must agree with you. Takinging away sometimes works, but sometimes creates more of a mess than what you anticipated as the result. How much can we take before it all becomes useless and ineffective?
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. It seems like the Post Structuralist are attempting to yank the rug out from everyone else in an effort to leave Post Structuralism as the only viable theory. I appreciated the Post Modernist approach to things in Jameson since Jameson doesn't pretend their is art without artists and writing without authors.
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