When D+G write that long-term memory '(family, race, society, or civilization [TP, 16])' is an arborescent tracing-over of the rhizome of short-term memory relations, and suggest that we 'forget' these 'artificial, imaginary, or symbolic territorialities' (AO, 34), I find myself wondering whether this rhizomic, 'subversive' forgetfulness is a reformulation of 'the death of history.' (For what it's worth, I also find myself wondering this when D+G call for Nomadology, 'the opposite of history' [TP, 23].) There have been a lot of heart-boners on the blog for the 'life-affirming' message or 'so

When reading Benhabib's chapter on postmodernity and feminism(s), I was very intrigued by her analysis of the male gaze, and it's relevance to subversive feminist art.

I found Benhabib's attack on the tranquilizing effect of the 'end of history' thesis pretty unconvincing. The crux of her argument is that "the thesis occludes the epistemological interest in history and in historical narrative which accompany the aspirations of all struggling historical actors" (23). This seems to me empirically false.

3NT, I wrote your [human] name in the margins of Benhabib when she began demanding //das ganz Andere// as a precondition for 'not only morality but also radical transformation' (30). I'm wondering whether what Benhabib is describing is analogous to the 'radical otherness' that you keep expressing a kind of tentative hope for in class. If so, do you endorse Benhabib's election of Lyotard as the sort of poster-antagonist to this kind of otherness?

On the Q. of agency, I'm not sure that I follow Benhabib's characterization of the cross-purposes (initially mistyped 'cross-porpoises') at which she locates postmodern and feminist theory. Or, to put it another way, I'm not sure that I buy into her account of postmodern nonagency, which seems - to me, anyway- at least a little reductive.

Let me start of by saying that the name Benhabib is by the far the most fun last name to say in your head. Now on to more relevant endeavors.

Morefuntocompute and I are presenting on Monday, and we were hoping to start an online discussion about these readings that can be carried over to class. It may very well fail. (Read more.)