The Theory Mess: Deconstruction in Eclipse by Herman Rapaport
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Rapaport draws us a line from Derrida’s deconstruction as received in the United States to the foundation of critical theory. He is quick to show us how various misreadings all compound one another and contribute to the condition of loose readings and theory used for the purposes of exporting political ideology in the name of objectivity.
Rapaport is less interested in providing an analysis of the ideas involved on their own merits than with showing us how misreadings slide from a specific use of deconstruction as a philosophical movement founded on transcendental phenomenology as a basis for propelling us out of routine layers of traditional thought to the projection of social changing ideology about our roles as subjectivities. It’s useful to not misread others, but this of course does not detract from the very real condition inherent in followers of critical theory. We end up repeating routine gestures mis-attributed to thinkers like Derrida and Lacan in the name of progress. We end up constructing a new, if shortly lived tradition of post-colonialism and post-modern subjectivity in which we parrot one another with our own political teleological apparatuses.
Rapaport does however, still see deconstruction as being necessary to help bring critical theory to awareness of its own follies of structured identities and strict dualistic thinking. In a very real way, Rapaport is correct. Only a close, honest reading of the flaws of a given worldview will allow us to step beyond the constraints of our own horizons. This isn’t a promise of a new worldview, this is simply a promise of freedom, the same pursuit of freedom of thought that Derrida sought in introducing deconstruction so long ago.
Comments (0)