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12
ROUTLEDGE CRITICAL THINKERS essential guides for literary studies G AYAT R I Series Editor: Robert Eaglestone, Royal Holloway, University C H A K R /kV J R T ‘i” of London S P I v K Roucledge Critical Thinkers is a series of accessible introductions to key figures in contemporary Critical thought. With a unique focus on historical and intellectual Contexts, each volume examines a key theorist’s: significance motivation key ideas and their sources impact on other thinkers Concluding with extensively annotated guides to further reading, Routledge Critical Thinkers are the literature student’s passport to today’s most exciting critical thought. Stephen Morton Already available: Roland Barthes by Graham Allen Jean Baudrillard by Richard j. Lane Simone de Beauvoir by Ursula Tidd Maurice Blanchot by Ullrich Haasc and William Large Judith Butler by Sara Salih Gilles Deleuze by Claire Colebrook Jacques Derrida by Nicholas Royle Michel Foucault by Sara Mills Sigmund Freud by Pamela Thurschwell Stuart Hall by James Procter Martin Heideg,qer by Timothy Clark FredricJameson by Adam Roberts Julia Kristeva by Noëlle McAfee Jean-Fran çois Lyotard by Simon Malpas Paul de Man by Martin McQuillan Friedrich Nietzsche by Lee Spinks Paul Ricoeur by Karl Simms Edward Said by Bill Ashcroft and Pal Ahluwalia Jacques Lacan by Sean Homer Routledge Slavoj Zi’tek by Tony Myers Taylor&Francis Group For further details on this series, see www.literature.routledge.com/rct LONDON AND NEWYORK
Transcript
Page 1: ‘i” Morton K I thought.files.adulteducation.at/uploads/vater_uni/deconstruction... · 2011. 3. 22. · Gayatri Spivak because they:provide a theoretical vocabulary and conceptual

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Page 2: ‘i” Morton K I thought.files.adulteducation.at/uploads/vater_uni/deconstruction... · 2011. 3. 22. · Gayatri Spivak because they:provide a theoretical vocabulary and conceptual

24K

EY

IDE

AS

2

SE

TT

ING

DE

CO

NS

TR

UC

TIO

NT

OW

OR

K

As

sugg

este

din

the

prev

ious

chap

ter,

one

ofth

em

ost

impo

rtan

tco

nce

ptua

lso

urce

sfo

rth

ede

velo

pmen

tof

Spiv

ak’s

idea

sis

the

wor

kof

the

Alg

eria

n-bo

rnFr

ench

philo

soph

er,

Jacq

ues

Der

rida

(193

0—).

From

the

outs

et,e

rrid

aha

squ

estio

ned

the

trut

hcl

aim

sof

wes

tern

philo

soph

yby

emph

asis

ing

how

the

cohe

renc

ean

dst

abili

tyof

trad

ition

alph

iloso

phic

alco

ncep

tssu

chas

cons

ciou

snes

s,be

ing

orkn

owin

gde

pend

ona

syst

emof

diff

eren

ces

orbi

nary

oppo

sitio

ns.

The

seop

posi

tions

mig

htin

clud

epr

esen

ce/a

bsen

ce,

spee

ch/w

riti

ng,

orse

lf/o

ther

,fo

rex

ampl

e.T

his

chap

ter

will

look

quite

clos

ely

atSp

ivak

’sre

adin

gsof

Der

rida

and

will

also

touc

hup

onot

her

criti

cs’

resp

onse

sto

his

wor

kin

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eSp

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’sre

adin

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ace

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nin

telle

ctua

lan

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ntex

t.T

his

emph

asis

shou

ldno

tin

any

way

sugg

est

that

Spiv

akis

only

impo

rtan

tas

a‘r

eade

rof

Der

rida

’.H

erw

ork

onD

erri

da—

notl

east

her

tran

slat

ion

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dpr

efac

eto

his

OfG

ram

mat

olog

y—

has

cert

ainl

ypl

ayed

avi

tal

role

inpr

esen

ting

his

thou

ght

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Eng

lish-

spea

king

audi

ence

.H

owev

er,

wha

tis

mos

tim

port

ant

inth

isch

apte

r,an

dth

roug

hout

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rest

ofth

ebo

ok,

isth

eor

igin

alw

ayin

whi

chSp

ivak

expa

nds

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rida

’sde

cons

truc

tive

thin

king

beyo

ndth

efr

amew

ork

ofw

este

rnph

iloso

phy,

and

sets

itto

wor

kin

dive

rse

field

sra

ngin

gfr

om‘T

hird

Wor

ld’

wom

en’s

polit

ical

mov

emen

tsto

post

colo

nial

liter

ary

stud

ies

and

deve

lopm

ent

stud

ies.

Bef

ore

turn

ing

toSp

ivak

’sde

ploy

men

tof

deco

nstr

ucti

on,

itis

impo

rtan

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exam

ine

the

‘bas

ics’

ofD

erri

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deco

nstr

uctiv

est

rate

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SU

MM

AR

Y

The

frag

men

tary

and

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isio

nal

styl

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can

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arh

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oyed

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ght

the

lim

itat

ions

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ific

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epo

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ates

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and

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cal

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rdW

orld

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edi

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ngly

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esth

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cult’

styl

eor

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cont

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rary

lite

rary

theo

ry‘o

bscu

res

the

soci

alre

alit

ies

that

[...]

enco

ura

ge

asc

hola

rshi

pof

“mod

esof

exce

llen

ce”

very

far

from

daily

life’

(Sai

d19

83:

4).

By

cont

rast

,S

piva

ksu

gg

ests

that

the

styl

eof

theo

reti

cal

com

posi

tion

shou

ldbe

com

plex

and

flex

ible

enou

ghto

reve

alth

eco

mpl

ex,

cont

radi

ctor

yan

dsh

ifti

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atu

sof

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rela

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styl

em

ight

also

bere

gard

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asi

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line

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asa

theo

rist

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occu

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para

doxi

cal

posi

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cham

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voic

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dst

rug

gle

sof

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Page 3: ‘i” Morton K I thought.files.adulteducation.at/uploads/vater_uni/deconstruction... · 2011. 3. 22. · Gayatri Spivak because they:provide a theoretical vocabulary and conceptual

26K

EY

IDE

AS

DE

RR

IDA

AN

DD

EC

ON

ST

RU

CT

ION

Dec

onst

ruct

ion

isa

stra

tegy

ofcr

itica

lan

alys

isde

velo

ped

byth

eFr

ench

phil

osop

her

Jacq

ues

Der

rida

indi

alog

uew

ithth

ehi

stor

yof

wes

tern

ph

ilos

ophy

.T

ypic

ally

,co

mm

enta

tors

have

stru

ggle

dto

defi

nede

cons

truc

tion

beca

use

itca

nnot

bere

duce

dto

am

etho

d,or

defi

ned

asa

theo

ryw

itha

clea

rse

tof

obje

ctiv

es.

Thi

spo

int

isre

iter

ated

inD

erri

da’s

Let

ter

toa

Japa

nese

Frie

nd’:

‘Dec

onst

ruct

ion

isno

ta

met

hod

and

cann

otbe

tran

sfor

med

into

one’

(Der

rida

1991

:4).

Nev

erth

eles

s,th

ere

are

key

poin

tsan

dm

omen

tsth

roug

hout

Der

rida

’sw

ork

whe

reth

ecr

itica

lst

rate

gies

ofde

cons

truc

tion

can

betr

aced

.O

neof

the

firs

tin

stan

ces

ofde

cons

trij

ctio

nis

seen

inD

erri

da’s

essa

y‘D

iffé

ranc

e’(1

967)

.Fo

llow

ing

the

wor

kof

the

Swis

sli

ngui

stF

erdi

nand

deS

auss

ure

(185

7—19

13),

Der

rida

argu

esin

this

essa

yth

atth

epr

oces

sof

mak

ing

mea

nin

g(s

igni

fica

tion

)is

stru

ctur

edin

term

sof

how

sign

sdi

ffer

from

othe

rsi

gns:

ath

ing

isde

fine

din

rela

tion

tow

hat

itis

not.

So,

for

exam

ple,

pres

ence

isde

fine

dby

itsdi

ffer

ence

from

non-

pres

ence

;‘m

e’is

defi

ned

byits

diff

eren

cefr

om‘y

ou’;

‘her

e’is

defi

ned

byits

diff

eren

cefr

om‘t

here

’;‘c

ivili

sed’

isde

fine

dby

itsdi

ffer

ence

from

‘sav

age’

;an

d‘W

est’

isde

fine

dby

itsdi

ffer

ence

from

‘Eas

t’.T

akin

gS

auss

ure’

sar

gum

ent

ast

epfu

rthe

r,ho

wev

er,

Der

rida

emp

ha

sise

dth

atm

eani

ngis

alw

ays

perp

etua

lly

defe

rred

acro

ssa

spat

ial

and

tem

pora

lax

is,

soth

ata

fina

lpo

int

ofst

able

mea

ning

and

know

ledg

eis

neve

rre

ache

din

any

sign

ifyi

ngsy

stem

.D

erri

da’s

cont

enti

onth

atm

eani

ngis

rad

ical

lyun

stab

leis

dem

onst

rate

din

the

very

title

wor

dof

his

essa

y‘D

iffé

ranc

e’:

for

the

Fren

chve

rbdi

ffer

erm

eans

both

todi

ffer

and

tode

fer.

Ano

ther

wor

dfo

r‘d

iffé

ranc

e’is

supp

lem

ent.

InD

erri

da’s

view

,lin

guis

tic(a

ndno

n-li

ngui

stic

)si

gns

are

neve

r ful

lyid

enti

cal

with

the

thin

gsth

eyre

fer

to;

inde

ed,

sign

sar

est

ruct

ural

lyin

com

plet

efr

omth

ebe

ginn

ing,

and

thus

requ

ire

addi

tion

alor

supp

lem

enta

ryte

rms

toco

mpl

ete

them

,T

hene

edfo

rsu

pple

men

tati

onto

com

pens

ate

for

the

lack

ofor

igin

alse

lf-i

dent

ity

thus

reve

als

how

all

ling

uist

icor

non-

ling

uist

icsi

gns

are

byde

fini

tion

inco

mpl

ete

and

lack

ing

inid

entit

yor

self

-pre

senc

e,In

this

way

,D

erri

da’s

thou

ght

rad

ical

lyu

nd

ern

irie

sth

eau

thor

ity

and

cent

rali

tyof

the

wes

tern

hum

anis

tsu

bje

ct,

epit

omis

edin

Ren

éD

esca

rtes

’st

atem

ent

that

‘Ith

ink

ther

efor

eI a

m’.

Der

rida

furt

her

emph

asis

esth

atth

ere

pres

sion

,ex

clus

ion

and

eras

ure

ofim

poss

ible

’co

ncep

tssu

chas

diff

érao

cean

dth

esu

pple

men

tfr

omth

ehi

stor

yof

wes

tern

philo

soph

yar

eal

soth

eve

ryco

ndit

ions

ofpo

ssib

ility

whi

chgr

ound

and

cons

titu

teph

ilos

ophi

cal

mea

ning

and

trut

h.A

clea

r

exam

ple

ofth

isis

seen

inD

erri

da’s

disc

ussi

onof

the

expe

rien

ceof

deat

hin

Apo

rias

(199

3)In

this

book

Der

rida

trac

esth

eim

poss

ibili

tyof

repr

esen

ting

the

part

icul

arex

peri

ence

ofde

ath

inth

epo

sitiv

ete

rms

ofla

ngua

gean

d

phil

osop

hica

lco

ncep

tual

ity.

InD

erri

da’s

term

s,th

esi

ngul

arex

peri

ence

of

deat

han

ddy

ing

isan

apor

ia,

ora

doub

lebi

ndw

hich

cann

otbe

pres

ente

d

inth

elo

gica

lte

rms

ofw

este

rnph

iloso

phy.

Yet

atth

esa

me

time,

itis

prec

isel

yth

esi

ngul

arex

peri

ence

ofde

ath

that

defi

nes

the

cont

ours

of

bein

g,ex

iste

nce

and

cons

ciou

snes

s.In

deed

,de

ath

ispr

ecis

ely

that

whi

ch

rem

ains

unth

ough

tin

the

wes

tern

phil

osop

hica

lte

rms

ofbe

ing

and

self

-

pres

ence

.In

othe

rw

ords

,de

ath

can

bere

gard

edas

aco

nsti

tuti

veap

oria

,

beca

use

itpr

ovid

esth

eun

repr

esen

tabl

egr

ound

agai

nstw

hich

bein

g,ex

ist

ence

and

self

-pre

senc

ear

ede

fine

dan

dth

ereb

yco

nsti

tute

d.

Der

rida

’sde

cons

truc

tive

stra

tegi

esha

vebe

enpa

rtic

ular

lyge

nera

tive

for

post

colo

nial

inte

llect

uals

such

asH

omi

Bha

bha,

Rob

ert

You

ngan

dG

ayat

riSp

ivak

beca

use

they

:pro

vide

ath

eore

tica

lvo

cabu

lary

and

conc

eptu

alfr

amew

ork

toqu

estio

nth

eve

ryph

iloso

phic

altr

aditi

onth

atha

sal

soex

plai

ned

and

just

ifie

dth

esu

bjec

tion,

disp

osse

ssio

n,an

dex

ploi

tatio

nof

non-

wes

tern

soci

etie

s.Sp

ivak

has

care

fully

follo

wed

the

traj

ecto

ryof

Jacq

ues

Der

rida

’sth

ough

tfro

mhi

sea

rly

deco

nstr

ucti

onof

wes

tern

philo

soph

yto

mor

ere

cent

disc

ussi

ons

ofet

hics

,ju

stic

e,po

st-

Mar

xist

idea

sof

inte

rnat

iona

lism

,fr

iend

ship

and

hosp

italit

y.In

doin

gso

,Sp

ivak

has

stre

ssed

the

pote

ntia

lus

eful

ness

ofD

erri

da’s

thou

ght

for

mak

ing

effe

ctiv

ecr

itica

lin

terv

entio

nsin

the

disc

ours

eof

colo

nial

ism

,th

eco

ntem

pora

rygl

obal

econ

omy,

and

the

inte

rnat

iona

ldi

visi

onof

labo

urbe

twee

nth

e‘F

irst

Wor

ld’

and

the

‘Thi

rdW

orld

’.

TH

E‘T

RA

NS

LA

TO

R’S

PR

EF

AC

E’

TOO

FG

RA

MM

AT

OL

OG

Y

Spiv

ak’s

‘Tra

nsla

tor’

sPr

efac

e’to

OfG

ram

mat

olog

y(1

976)

was

wri

tten

ata

time

whe

nJa

cque

sD

erri

da’s

wor

kw

asno

tw

idel

ykn

own,

oru

nd

erst

ood,

inth

eE

nglis

h-sp

eaki

ngw

orld

ofph

iloso

phy

and

liter

ary

criti

cism

.In

the

pref

ace,

Spiv

akof

fers

aco

mpr

ehen

sive

acco

unt

ofth

eke

yph

ilo

soph

ical

deba

tes

that

infl

uenc

edD

en-i

da’s

earl

yw

ork,

asw

ell

aspro

vidi

ngan

inte

llect

ual

cont

ext

for

Den

-ida

’sde

cons

truc

tive

philo

soph

y.Sp

ivak

offe

rsre

leva

ntan

dill

umin

atin

gco

mm

enta

ries

onke

yni

nete

enth

-

SE

TT

ING

DE

CO

NS

TR

UC

TIO

NT

OW

OR

K27

Page 4: ‘i” Morton K I thought.files.adulteducation.at/uploads/vater_uni/deconstruction... · 2011. 3. 22. · Gayatri Spivak because they:provide a theoretical vocabulary and conceptual

28K

EY

IDE

AS

and

twen

tiet

h-ce

ntur

ycr

itica

lin

terv

enti

ons:

Frie

dric

hN

ietz

sche

’scr

itiq

ueof

trut

h,Si

gmun

dFr

eud’

sth

eory

ofm

emor

yan

dth

eun

cons

ciou

s,E

dmun

dH

usse

rl’s

phen

omen

olog

y,M

artin

Hei

degg

er’s

enga

gem

ent

wit

hth

equ

estio

nof

bein

g,an

dE

mm

anue

lL

evin

as’s

reth

inki

ngof

ethi

cs,

asw

ell

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est

ruct

ural

lingu

istic

sof

Ferd

inan

dde

Saus

sure

,R

olan

dB

arth

esan

dC

laud

eL

vi

Stra

uss,

the

psyc

hoan

alys

isof

lacq

ues

Lac

anan

dth

edi

scou

rse

anal

ysis

ofM

iche

lFo

ucau

lt.B

ydo

ing

so,

Spiv

akch

alle

nges

the

conv

entio

nsan

dex

pect

atio

nsof

a‘T

rans

lato

r’s

Pref

ace’

topr

oduc

ea

scho

larl

yan

dcr

itica

lin

trod

ucti

onto

Der

ricl

a’s

deco

nstr

uctiv

ephil

osop

hyth

atis

equa

lto

man

yof

the

subs

eque

ntph

iloso

phic

alco

mm

enta

ries

that

have

been

publ

ishe

dab

out

Der

rida

’sth

ough

t.C

erta

inly

,Sp

ivak

’s‘T

rans

lato

r’s

Pref

ace’

toO

f Gra

inm

atol

ogy

anti

cipa

tes

som

eof

the

ques

tions

and

deba

tes

addr

esse

din

the

criti

cal

scho

lars

hip

abou

tD

erri

da,

inth

ew

ork

ofcu

rren

tcr

itics

and

thin

kers

,su

chas

,fo

rex

ampl

e,G

eoff

rey

Ben

ning

ton,

Sim

onC

ritc

hley

,R

odol

phe

Gas

ché,

Mar

ian

Hob

son

and

Chr

isto

pher

Nor

ris.

Yet

,th

etr

ajec

tory

ofSp

ivak

’ssu

bseq

uent

criti

cal

enga

gem

ent

with

Der

rida

’sth

ough

tdi

ffer

ssi

gnif

ican

tlyfr

omth

em

ore

orth

odox

philo

soph

ical

read

ings

ofD

erri

da,

exem

plif

ied

inth

ew

ork

ofth

ese

thin

kers

.A

sI

goon

tosu

gges

t bel

ow,

Spiv

akha

sm

obili

sed

Den

-ida

’sde

cons

truc

tion

ofw

este

rnph

iloso

phy

toex

pand

and

deve

lop

deba

tes

amon

g‘T

hird

Wor

ld’

inte

llect

uals

abou

tth

ecu

ltura

lle

gacy

ofco

loni

alis

m;

the

abili

tyof

wes

tern

Mar

xism

tode

scri

beth

eco

ntin

ued

expl

oita

tion

of‘T

hird

Wor

ld’

wor

kers

by‘F

irst

Wor

ld’

mul

tinat

iona

lco

rpor

atio

ns;

and

the

ques

tion

ofw

heth

erw

este

rnfe

min

ism

isap

prop

riat

eto

desc

ribe

the

hist

orie

s,liv

esan

dst

rugg

les

ofw

omen

inth

e‘T

hird

Wor

ld’.

DE

CO

NS

TR

UC

TIO

NA

ND

TH

EP

OS

TC

OL

ON

IAL

CO

NT

EX

T

Inan

inte

rvie

ww

ith

Eliz

abet

hG

rosz

,Sp

ivak

situ

ates

her

polit

ical

inte

rest

inD

erri

da’s

thou

ght

inre

latio

nto

her

earl

ier

expe

rien

ceof

the

Bri

tish

colo

nial

educ

atio

nsy

stem

inIn

dia.

Spiv

akw

rite

s:

Whe

reI w

asbro

ught

up—

whe

nfi

rst

read

Der

rida

didn

’tkn

oww

hohe

was

,I w

asve

ryin

tere

sted

tose

eth

athe

was

actu

ally

dis

man

tlin

gth

eph

ilos

ophi

cal

trad

itio

nfr

omin

side

rath

erth

anou

tsid

e,b

ecau

seof

cours

ew

ew

ere

bro

ught

upin

aned

uca

tion

syst

emin

Indi

aw

her

eth

ena

me

ofth

ehe

roof

that

ph

ilo

sop

hic

alsy

stem

was

the

univ

ersa

lhu

man

bein

g,an

dw

ew

ere

taught

that

ifw

eco

uld

begi

nto

appro

ach

anin

tern

alis

atio

nof

that

hum

anbe

ing,

then

we

wou

ldbe

hum

an.

Whe

nI

saw

inF

ranc

eso

meo

new

asac

tual

lytr

ying

tod

ism

antl

eth

e

trad

itio

nw

hich

had

told

usw

hat

wou

ldm

ake

ushu

man

,th

atse

emed

inte

r-

esti

ng

too.

(Spi

vak

1990

:7)

Spiv

ak’s

inte

rest

inD

en-i

da’s

inte

llect

ual

proj

ect

isno

tm

erel

yph

ilo

soph

ical

,bu

tis

also

part

lym

otiv

ated

bya

desi

reto

‘dis

man

tle’

the

very

trad

ition

ofw

este

rnth

ough

tth

atha

dpr

ovid

edth

eju

stif

icat

ion

for

Eur

opea

nco

loni

alis

m.

Inde

ed,

asSp

ivak

sugg

ests

,D

en-i

da’s

deco

nst

ruct

ion

ofth

ew

este

rnhu

man

ist

subj

ect

can

also

bepr

oduc

tivel

yem

ploy

edin

the

cont

ext

ofpo

stco

loni

alth

ough

t.Su

chan

argu

men

tis

echo

edin

Rob

ert

You

ng’s

Whi

teM

ytho

logi

es.

InY

oung

’svi

ew,

the

deve

lopm

ent

ofm

any

Fren

chpo

stst

ruct

ural

ist

theo

ries

was

info

rmed

and

infl

uenc

edby

the

Alg

eria

nw

arof

inde

pend

ence

(195

4—62

)(Y

oung

1990

:1)

.Fo

rm

any

Fren

chin

telle

ctua

ls,

incl

udin

gJa

cque

sD

en-i

da,

the

Alg

eria

nw

arof

inde

pend

ence

was

anim

port

antr

emin

der

ofho

wth

efr

eedo

m,

orso

vere

ignt

y,of

the

hum

ansu

bjec

tin

wes

tern

liber

alde

moc

raci

essu

chas

Fran

cew

asse

cure

dth

roug

hco

loni

alex

ploi

tatio

nan

dca

pita

list

expa

nsio

nin

othe

rpa

rts

ofth

ew

orld

.In

shor

t,th

efr

eedo

man

dso

vere

ignt

yof

the

hum

ansu

bjec

tin

the

‘Fir

stW

orld

’w

aspr

edic

ated

onth

eop

pres

sion

and

expl

oita

tion

ofco

loni

alsu

bjec

tsin

the

‘Thi

rdW

orld

’.A

sa

cons

eque

nce,

the

poss

ibili

tyof

univ

ersa

lhu

man

righ

ts,

free

dom

and

equa

lity

asa

polit

ical

goal

,as

wel

las

aph

iloso

phic

alfo

unda

tion,

was

radi

cally

thro

wn

into

ques

tion.

Like

Spiv

ak,

You

ngco

nvin

cing

lyde

mon

stra

tes

how

Den

-ida

’sde

cons

truc

tion

ofw

este

rnth

ough

tcan

bere

late

dto

the

rece

nthi

stor

yof

deco

loni

satio

nan

dan

ti-co

loni

alre

sist

ance

.A

ttim

es,

how

ever

,Y

oung

exag

gera

tes

the

sign

ific

ance

ofD

en-i

da’s

biog

raph

y,as

aFr

anco

-Mag

hreb

ian

Jew

,w

how

asbo

rnin

Alg

eria

,in

orde

rto

stre

ngth

enhi

sar

gum

entt

hat

deco

nstr

ucti

onis

anes

sent

ial

part

ofpo

st-

colo

nial

inte

llect

ual

hist

ory.

Yet

asSp

ivak

emph

asis

es,

the

deta

ilsof

Den

-ida

’sea

rly

life

inA

lger

iaar

eno

t“p

ostc

olon

ial”

inan

ypr

ecis

ese

nse’

(Spi

vak

1999

:43

1).

Inth

epo

stco

loni

alth

eory

ofH

omi

Bha

bha,

Jacq

ues

Den

-ida

’sdis

cuss

ion

ofdf

fran

ceha

spr

ovid

eda

radi

calc

once

ptua

lres

ourc

eto

deco

nst

ruct

the

rhet

oric

ofco

loni

aldi

scou

rse.

Inre

spon

seto

Der

rida

’sdi

scus

sion

ofth

edi

ffer

ing—

defe

rral

ofsi

gns

alon

gan

infi

nite

spac

e—tim

eax

is,

Hom

iB

habh

aha

ssu

gges

ted

that

the

‘str

uctu

re’

ofco

loni

al

SE

TT

ING

DE

CO

NS

TR

UC

TIO

NT

OW

OR

K29

Page 5: ‘i” Morton K I thought.files.adulteducation.at/uploads/vater_uni/deconstruction... · 2011. 3. 22. · Gayatri Spivak because they:provide a theoretical vocabulary and conceptual

disc

ours

eta

kes

plac

eal

ong

apa

ralle

lax

isof

enun

ciat

ion

(the

cont

ext

ofut

tera

nce)

and

addr

ess

(the

cont

ext o

flis

teni

ng).

In‘S

lyC

ivili

ty’

(199

4),

Bha

bha

exam

ines

asp

eech

deliv

ered

byth

eB

ritis

hth

inke

rJo

hnSt

uart

Mill

(180

6—73

)to

ase

lect

com

mit

tee

ofth

eE

nglis

hH

ouse

ofL

ords

in18

52ab

out

the

Bri

tish

colo

nial

gove

rnm

ent

inIn

dia.

Inth

issp

eech

,M

illst

ates

that

the

mai

nten

ance

ofco

loni

algo

vern

men

tta

kes

plac

ein

and

thro

ugh

wri

ting

,or

the

lett

ers,

docu

men

ts,

reco

rds

and

polic

ies

that

are

exch

ange

dbe

twee

nth

eB

ritis

hgo

vern

men

tin

Lon

don

and

the

colo

nial

adm

inis

trat

ion

inIn

dia

Aga

inst

the

colo

nial

auth

ority

impl

icit

inM

ill’s

spee

ch,

Bha

bha

argu

esth

atth

e‘s

pace

betw

een

enun

ciat

ion

and

addr

ess’

—be

twee

nL

ondo

nan

dIn

dia

—‘o

pens

upa

spac

eof

inte

rpre

tati

onan

dm

isap

prop

riat

ion

that

insc

ribe

san

ambi

vale

nce

atth

eve

ryor

igin

sof

colo

nial

auth

ority

’(B

habh

a19

94:

95).

By

doin

gso

,B

habh

aem

phas

ises

that

the

very

stru

ctur

eof

colo

nial

addr

ess

prov

ides

arh

etor

ical

spac

efo

rpo

tent

ially

subv

ertin

gth

eau

thor

ity

ofco

loni

alru

lein

wri

ting.

Bha

bha’

sin

vent

ive

use

ofD

en-i

da’s

disc

ussi

onof

d!ff

ranc

ein

the

cont

ext

ofni

nete

enth

-cen

tury

Bri

tish

colo

nial

disc

ours

eis

para

llele

dby

his

empl

oym

ent

ofth

ede

cons

truc

tive

conc

ept

ofth

esu

pple

men

tto

rew

rite

the

fixe

dna

rrat

ives

ofco

ntem

pora

ryw

este

rnna

tion

stat

essu

chas

Bri

tain

and

Fran

cefr

omth

epe

rspe

ctiv

eof

post

colo

nial

mig

rant

s.In

‘Dis

sem

iNat

ion’

,B

habh

aus

esD

erri

da’s

‘wit

and

wis

dom

’(1

994:

139)

toch

alle

nge

the

conv

entio

nal

Eur

ocen

tric

narr

ativ

eof

the

wes

tern

natio

n.In

voki

ngH

ands

wor

thSo

ngs,

afil

mm

ade

byth

eB

lack

Aud

ioan

dFi

lmC

olle

ctiv

edu

ring

the

upri

sing

sof

1985

inth

eH

ands

wor

thar

eaof

Bir

min

gham

,E

ngla

nd,

Bha

bha

trac

esa

split

inth

efi

lm’s

narr

ativ

ebe

twee

nth

era

cist

disc

ours

esof

Bri

tish

stat

ein

stitu

tions

inst

atis

tics,

docu

men

tsan

dne

wsp

aper

s,an

d‘t

hepe

rple

xed

livin

g’of

post

colo

nial

mig

rant

sdw

ellin

gin

Bri

tain

whi

chis

expr

esse

din

‘Han

dsw

orth

song

s’(B

habh

a19

94:

156)

.Fo

rB

habh

a,fil

ms

such

asH

ands

wor

thSo

ngs

illu

str

ate

how

the

cohe

rent

,lin

ear

narr

ativ

eof

the

mod

ern

wes

tern

natio

nst

ate

isin

terr

upte

dby

itsow

nco

loni

alhi

stor

y,w

hich

ittr

ies

des

per

atel

yto

disa

vow

and

forg

et.

As

Bha

bha

asse

rts:

The

lim

inal

ity

ofth

ew

este

rnna

tion

isth

esh

adow

ofits

own

fini

tude

:th

eco

lo

nial

spac

epl

ayed

out

inth

eim

agin

ativ

egeo

gra

phy

ofth

em

etro

poli

tan

spac

e;

the

repe

titi

onor

retu

rnof

the

post

colo

nial

mig

rant

toal

ien

ate

the

holi

smof

hist

ory.

The

post

colo

nial

spac

eis

now

supple

men

tary

’to

the

met

ropo

lita

nce

ntr

e;it

stan

ds

ina

subal

tern

,ad

junct

rela

tion

that

does

n’t

aggra

ndiz

eth

e

pres

ence

ofth

eW

est

but

redr

aws

itsfr

onti

ers

inth

em

enac

ing,

agon

isti

c

boun

dary

ofcu

ltur

aldi

ffer

ence

that

neve

rqu

ite

adds

up[.

. (Bh

abh

a19

94:

168)

Inth

ela

stse

nten

ceof

this

quot

edpa

ssag

e,B

habh

aus

esth

ecr

itica

lst

rate

gies

ofde

cons

truc

tion

toem

phas

ise

the

stru

ctur

alin

com

plet

enes

sof

whi

teB

ritis

hna

tiona

lcu

lture

from

the

posi

tion

ofne

wim

mig

rant

popu

latio

nsfr

omA

fric

a,th

eC

arib

bean

and

Sout

hA

sia.

Just

asJa

cque

sD

en-i

da’s

supp

lem

ent h

ighl

ight

sth

eor

igin

alin

com

plet

enes

sof

wes

tern

philo

soph

y,ii

soth

epo

stco

loni

alm

igra

ntfo

regr

ound

san

dch

alle

nges

the

inco

mpl

ete

cultu

ral

iden

tity

ofB

ritis

hna

tionh

ood

from

avu

lner

able

posi

tion

onth

em

arg

ins.

fth

enat

ion

(Bha

bha

1994

:16

8).

Bha

bha’

sde

cons

truc

tion

ofth

edi

scou

rse

ofth

ew

este

rnna

tion

stat

efr

omth

epe

rspe

ctiv

eof

new

imm

igra

nts

has

prov

ided

apo

wer

ful

mod

elfo

rre

thin

king

the

cultu

ral

iden

tity

ofw

este

rnna

tion

stat

essu

chas

Bri

tain

.Y

etB

habh

a’s

gene

ralis

atio

nsab

out

the

expe

rien

ces

ofpo

st-

colo

nial

mig

rant

sof

ten

fail

tota

kein

toac

coun

tth

eim

port

ant

eco

nom

ic,

polit

ical

and

clas

sdi

ffer

ence

sbe

twee

nth

ese

post

colo

nial

mig

rant

s.A

sa

cons

eque

nce,

Bha

bha

ofte

nim

plie

sth

athi

sow

npo

sitio

nas

apr

ivile

ged

post

colo

nial

inte

llect

ual,

who

emig

rate

dfr

omIn

dia

toliv

ein

Bri

tain

and

then

the

USA

,is

inte

rcha

ngea

ble

with

the

mat

eria

lco

nditi

ons

ofot

her

imm

igra

nts,

such

asT

urki

shla

bour

ers

livin

gin

Ger

man

y,or

the

Afr

ican

-Car

ibbe

anco

mm

unity

depi

cted

inH

ands

wor

thSo

ngs.

Inco

ntra

stto

Bha

bha,

Spiv

akac

know

ledg

esth

epr

ivile

ged

mid

dle-

clas

spo

sitio

nth

atsh

eoc

cupi

esas

apo

stco

loni

alin

telle

ctua

lin

the

wes

tern

acad

emy,

but

also

emph

asis

esth

atth

issp

ace

ispr

oduc

edby

wes

tern

high

ered

ucat

iona

lin

stitu

tions

fund

edby

mul

tinat

iona

lca

pita

lism

.

DE

CO

NS

TR

UC

TIO

NA

ND

OT

HE

RW

OR

LD

S

The

artic

ulat

ion

ofde

cons

truc

tion

and

post

colo

nial

theo

ryin

the

wor

kof

You

ngan

dB

habh

ais

pref

igur

edin

Spiv

ak’s

1976

‘Tra

nsla

tor’

sPr

efac

e’to

Of G

ram

mat

olog

y.In

this

pref

ace,

Spiv

akem

phas

ises

that

the

conc

eptu

alor

gani

satio

nof

Den

-ida

’sbo

okha

sa

‘geo

grap

hica

lpa

ttern

’(D

en-i

da19

76:

lxxx

ii),

whe

rein

the

deco

nstr

ucti

onof

wes

tern

phil

oso

phy

(in

the

firs

tpa

rtof

the

book

)is

indi

rect

lyre

late

dto

the

criti

que

ofw

este

rnan

thro

polo

gy(i

nth

ese

cond

part

).T

his

rela

tions

hip

beco

mes

mor

eex

plic

itin

the

seco

ndse

ctio

nof

Den

-ida

’sbo

ok,

entit

led

‘The

30K

EY

IDE

AS

SE

TT

ING

DE

CO

NS

TR

UC

TIO

NT

OW

OR

K31

Page 6: ‘i” Morton K I thought.files.adulteducation.at/uploads/vater_uni/deconstruction... · 2011. 3. 22. · Gayatri Spivak because they:provide a theoretical vocabulary and conceptual

32K

EY

DE

AS

Vio

lenc

eof

the

Let

ter’

,w

here

Der

rida

care

fully

trac

esth

eet

hno

cent

ric

blin

dsp

ots

in‘A

Wri

ting

Les

son’

,an

essa

yw

ritt

enby

the

Fren

chan

thro

polo

gist

Cla

ude

Lvi

Stra

uss

(190

8—).

Inth

ises

say,

Levi

Stra

uss

desc

ribe

sho

whe

cond

ucte

dde

taile

dan

thro

polo

gica

lfi

eldw

ork

with

the

Nam

bikw

ara,

anor

al-b

ased

trib

also

ciet

yin

Sout

hA

mer

ica.

Aft

erco

mpl

etin

ghi

sfi

eldw

ork,

Levi

Stra

uss

conc

lude

dth

atth

isso

ciet

yre

pres

ente

dan

inno

cent

peop

leun

touc

hed

byci

vilis

atio

nbe

caus

eth

eyw

ere

wit

hout

wri

ting

.Fo

rD

erri

da,

how

ever

,th

isse

ntim

enta

lch

arac

teri

satio

nof

the

Nam

bikw

ara

repr

oduc

esa

cultu

ral

ster

eoty

peof

indi

geno

uspe

ople

asno

ble

sava

ges,

and

ther

eby

igno

res

the

com

plex

and

situ

ated

text

ual

prac

tices

that

had

been

hist

oric

ally

empl

oyed

inth

eN

ambi

kwar

aso

ciet

y.D

erri

da’s

criti

que

ofLe

viSt

raus

sill

ustr

ates

how

the

invo

catio

nof

the

non-

wes

tin

rece

ntw

este

rncr

itica

lth

eory

isof

ten

empl

oyed

asa

rhet

oric

alge

stur

eto

mar

kth

elim

itatio

nsof

wes

tern

know

ledg

e.Su

cha

rhet

oric

alge

stur

eof

ten

port

rays

non-

wes

tern

subj

ects

aspe

trif

ied,

mut

eob

ject

sof

wes

tern

repr

esen

tati

onw

hoar

ede

nude

dof

cult

ure,

lang

uage

and

hist

ory.

Thi

sde

pict

ion

ofno

n-w

este

rnsu

bjec

tsat

the

unre

pres

enta

ble

limits

ofkn

owle

dge

may

guar

dag

ains

tth

eut

opia

ncl

aim

sof

polit

ical

prog

ram

mes

such

asM

arxi

smor

natio

nal

inde

pend

ence

,w

hich

clai

mto

repr

esen

tth

ein

tere

sts

ofdi

sem

pow

ered

orop

pres

sed

grou

ps.

Yet

criti

cal

theo

ry’s

emph

asis

onth

esi

lenc

ean

dpa

ssiv

ityof

non-

wes

tern

subj

ects

inre

latio

nto

wes

tern

know

ledg

eal

sore

-foc

uses

atte

ntio

non

the

conc

eptu

allim

itatio

nsof

wes

tern

know

ledg

eits

elf.

For

the

post

colo

nial

criti

cH

omi

Bha

bha

this

prob

lem

ispa

rtof

wes

tern

theo

ry’s

‘str

ateg

yof

cont

ainm

ent

whe

reth

eO

ther

text

isfo

reve

rth

eex

eget

ical

hori

zon

ofdi

ffer

ence

,ne

ver

the

activ

eag

ent

ofar

ticul

atio

n’(B

habh

a19

94-:

31).

At

times

,Sp

ivak

’sem

phas

ison

the

com

plic

ityof

wes

tern

inte

llec

tual

sin

sile

ncin

gth

evo

ices

ofop

pres

sed

grou

psby

spea

king

for

them

may

also

appe

arto

repe

atth

eve

rysi

lenc

ing

that

Bha

bha

criti

cise

sab

ove.

Inde

ed,

criti

cssu

chas

Ben

itaPa

rry

argu

eth

atSp

ivak

effe

ctiv

ely

wri

tes

out

‘the

evid

ence

ofna

tive

agen

cyre

cord

edin

Indi

a’s

200

year

stru

ggle

agai

nst B

ritis

hco

nque

stan

dth

eR

aj’

(Par

ry19

87:

35)

wit

hph

rase

slik

e,‘T

hesu

balte

rnca

nnot

spea

k’(P

arry

1987

:35

).A

sI

goon

todi

scus

sin

Cha

pter

3,Pa

rry’

sre

adin

gof

Spiv

ak’s

wor

kon

the

suba

ltern

exem

pli

fies

how

man

ycr

itics

have

tend

edto

over

sim

plif

ySp

ivak

’sar

gum

entf

orth

esa

keof

clar

ity.

Far

from

bein

gco

mpl

etel

ype

ssim

istic

abou

tth

ehi

stor

ies

ofsu

balte

rnre

sist

ance

and

the

poss

ibili

ties

ofpo

litic

alag

ency

,

rSp

ivak

’sre

fusa

lto

sim

ply

repr

esen

tno

n-w

este

rnsu

bjec

tsco

mes

from

apr

ofou

ndre

cogn

ition

ofho

wth

eliv

esof

man

ydi

sem

pow

ered

grou

psha

veal

read

ybe

enda

mag

edby

dom

inan

tsy

stem

sof

know

ledg

ean

dre

pres

enta

tion

And

itis

deco

nstr

ucti

onth

atpr

ovid

esSp

ivak

wit

ha

crit

ical

stra

tegy

toar

ticul

ate

this

reco

gnit

ion.

In‘C

anth

eSu

balte

rnSp

eak?

’,fo

rex

ampl

e,Sp

ivak

invo

kes

the

hist

ory

ofB

huba

nesw

ari

Bha

duri

,a

youn

g,m

iddl

e-cl

ass,

Indi

anw

oman

who

took

her

own

life

inhe

rfa

ther

’sap

artm

ent

inN

orth

Cal

cutta

in19

26.

Itw

asla

ter

disc

over

edth

atth

isw

oman

was

a‘m

embe

rof

one

ofth

em

any

grou

psin

volv

edin

the

arm

edst

rugg

lefo

rIn

dian

inde

pen

denc

e’(S

piva

k19

88:

307)

.A

sSp

ivak

goes

onto

poin

tou

t,B

huba

nesw

ari

had

been

‘ent

rust

edw

itha

polit

ical

assa

ssin

atio

n’,

whi

chsh

ew

asun

able

toco

nfro

nt,

and

had

com

mit

ted

suic

ide

toav

oid

capt

ure

byth

eB

ritis

hco

loni

alau

thor

ities

.Sp

ivak

read

sB

huba

nesw

ari’

ssu

icid

eas

anel

abor

ate

atte

mpt

toco

ver

uphe

rin

volv

emen

t with

the

anti

-col

oni

alin

surg

ency

mov

emen

tby

disg

uisi

nghe

rsu

icid

eas

am

oder

nex

ampl

eof

the

anci

ent

prac

tice

ofH

indu

wid

owsa

crif

ice

(dis

cuss

edin

mor

ede

tail

inC

hapt

er3)

.Y

etin

doin

gso

,Sp

ivak

argu

esth

atth

evo

ice

and

agen

cyof

Bhu

bane

swar

iB

hadu

ri,

asa

real

hist

oric

alw

oman

and

anan

ti-co

loni

alfr

eedo

mfi

ghte

r,di

sapp

ear

from

the

offic

ial,

mal

e-ce

ntre

dhi

stor

ical

reco

rds.

Inth

eco

nclu

sion

toth

ere

adin

gof

Bhu

bane

swar

iB

hadu

ri’s

suic

ide,

Spiv

akar

gues

that

Jacq

ues

Der

rida

prov

ides

a‘m

ore

pain

stak

ing

and

usef

ul’

way

ofre

adin

gth

evo

ices

and

stru

ggle

sof

dise

nfra

nchi

sed

subj

ects

such

asB

huba

nesw

ari

Bha

duri

(Spi

vak

1988

:30

8).

Rat

her

than

perp

etua

ting

Bhu

bane

swar

i’s

disa

ppea

ranc

efr

omhi

stor

y,su

cha

read

ing

prac

tice

allo

ws

Spiv

akto

bem

ore

self

-con

scio

us,

self

-sub

vert

ing

and

ethi

cally

resp

onsi

ble

inth

ew

ayth

atsh

eta

lks

abou

tth

esi

ngul

arex

per

ien

ces

and

hist

orie

sof

dise

nfra

nchi

sed

peop

lelik

eB

huba

nesw

ari

inhe

row

nth

eore

tica

ldi

scou

rse.

DE

CO

NS

TR

UC

TIO

NA

ND

MA

ST

ER

WO

RD

S

The

disa

ppea

ranc

eof

Bhu

bane

swar

iB

hadu

rifr

omth

ehi

stor

ical

reco

rds

ofan

ti-co

loni

alin

surg

ency

also

high

light

sa

mor

ege

nera

lpr

oble

mw

ithth

evo

cabu

lari

esof

polit

ical

mov

emen

tssu

chas

anti-

colo

nial

natio

nal

liber

atio

n,fe

min

ism

orso

cial

ism

.T

hese

mov

emen

tsat

tem

ptto

nam

ean

dde

fine

the

part

icul

arhi

stor

ies,

expe

rien

ces

and

stru

ggle

sof

min

ority

grou

psus

ing

abst

ract

mas

ter

wor

dslik

eth

ew

orke

r,th

ew

oman

orth

e

SE

TT

ING

DE

CO

NS

TR

UC

TIO

NT

OW

OR

K33

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34K

EY

IDE

AS

CA

TA

CH

RE

SIS

Inth

est

udy

ofrh

etor

ic,

the

term

cata

chre

sis

deno

tes

the

mis

use

orab

use

ofw

ords

tona

me

the

mul

tipl

icit

ies

ofex

peri

ence

and

envi

ronm

ent

unde

rbr

oade

r,si

ngle

sign

s’(W

ales

1989

:57

—8)

.In

Jacq

ues

Der

rida

’sd

eco

nst

ruc

lion

ofw

este

rnph

ilos

ophi

cal

disc

ours

e,ho

wev

er,

cata

chre

sis

isno

tre

stri

cted

toth

epa

rtic

ular

mis

use

ofw

ords

,bu

tre

fers

inst

ead

toth

eor

igin

alin

com

plet

enes

sor

impr

opri

ety

that

isa

gene

ral

cond

itio

nin

all

syst

ems

ofm

eani

ng.

Inth

eE

ngli

shla

ngua

ge,

for

exam

ple,

the

prop

erna

me

‘Jef

fD

erks

enis

supp

osed

toco

rres

pond

with

are

alco

ncre

tepe

rson

,bu

tth

ere

isno

abso

lute

guar

ante

eth

atth

epr

oper

nam

e‘J

eff

Der

ksen

’re

fers

toth

esa

me

pers

on,

orth

atth

epe

rson

isth

esa

me

asth

eyw

ere

two

wee

ksag

o.A

sG

eoff

rey

Ben

ning

ton

note

sin

alu

cid

com

men

tary

onD

erri

da’s

wor

k,th

e‘p

rope

rna

me

ough

tto

insu

rea

cert

ain

pas

sage

betw

een

lang

uage

and

the

wor

ld,

inth

atit

ough

tto

indi

cate

aco

ncre

tein

divi

dual

,w

itho

utam

bi

guity

,w

itho

utha

ving

topa

ssth

roug

hth

eci

rcui

tsof

mea

ning

’(B

enni

ngto

n19

93:

104)

.Y

etas

Ben

ning

ton

goes

onto

poin

tou

t,th

eid

enti

tyof

the

prop

erna

me

with

a‘c

oncr

ete

indi

vidu

al’

isal

sogr

ound

edon

the

repr

essi

onof

non-

iden

tity

,or

impr

opri

ety:

‘[th

e]pr

oper

nam

ean

dpr

oper

mea

ning

are

only

dist

ingu

ishe

din

seco

nd

ary

fash

ion

agai

nst

aba

ckgr

ound

ofor

igin

ary

imp

ropr

iety

orm

etap

hori

city

’(B

enni

ngto

n19

93:1

07).

As

Ben

ning

ton

sug

ges

ts,

the

impr

opri

ety

ofth

epr

oper

nam

ere

fers

toth

em

ore

gene

ral

cond

itio

nof

impr

opri

ety,

whi

chun

derp

ins

all

syst

ems

ofm

eani

ng.

colo

nise

d.Sp

ivak

cont

ends

that

thes

em

aste

rw

ords

are

cata

chre

ses,

orim

prop

erw

ords

,be

caus

eth

eycl

aim

tore

pres

ent

all

wom

en,

all

wor

kers

and

all

ofth

epr

olet

aria

t,w

hen

‘the

rear

eno

“tru

e”ex

ampl

esof

the

“tru

ew

orke

r,”

the

“tru

ew

oman

,”th

e“t

rue

prol

etar

ian”

who

wou

ldac

tual

lyst

and

for

the

idea

lsin

term

sof

whi

chyo

u’ve

mob

ilize

d’(S

piva

k19

90:

104)

.Ja

cque

sD

erri

da’s

deco

nstr

ucti

onof

the

prop

er/i

mpr

oper

dich

otom

yin

wes

tern

philo

soph

ical

disc

ours

eha

sha

da

sign

ific

ant

infl

uenc

eon

Spiv

ak’s

thin

king

,es

peci

ally

inth

ere

wor

king

ofM

arxi

stan

dfe

mi

nist

conc

epts

.In

anin

terv

iew

with

Sara

hH

aras

ym,

enti

tled

‘Pra

ctic

alPo

litic

sof

The

Ope

nE

nd’

(199

0),

Spiv

akac

know

ledg

esth

atD

en-i

da’s

deco

nstr

ucti

onof

wes

tern

met

aphy

sics

‘can

not

foun

da

polit

ical

pro

gram

ofan

yki

nd[.

.•1Y

et,

inits

sugg

estio

nth

atm

aste

rwor

dslik

e“t

he

wor

ker”

,or

“the

wom

an”

have

nolit

eral

refe

rent

sde

cons

truc

tion

is(a

lpo

litic

alsa

fegu

ard’

(Spi

vak

1990

:10

4).

For

Spiv

ak,

the

‘pol

itica

l’va

lue

ofa

deco

nstr

ucti

vere

adin

gpr

actic

eis

that

itgu

ards

agai

nstt

heun

iver

sal

clai

ms

ofM

arxi

sm,

natio

nal

liber

atio

nm

ovem

ents

orw

este

rnfe

min

ism

tosp

eak

for

all

the

oppr

esse

d.In

the

cont

ext

ofpo

litic

alm

obili

satio

n,th

eus

eof

mas

ter

wor

dsis

cata

chre

stic

not

only

beca

use

itis

impr

oper

ingr

amm

atic

alor

logi

cal

term

s,bu

tal

sobe

caus

eit

can

have

anab

usiv

eef

fect

onth

ose

peop

le,

who

seliv

esan

dex

peri

ence

sar

ena

med

and

defi

ned

bysu

chm

aste

rw

ords

.A

sSp

ivak

emph

asis

esin

‘Can

the

Suba

ltern

Spea

k?’

(198

8),

the

voic

eof

‘the

wor

ker’

or‘t

hew

oman

’in

polit

ical

disc

ours

eis

ofte

nre

pres

ente

dby

apo

litic

alpr

oxy,

oran

elec

ted

repr

esen

tati

ve,

who

spea

kson

beha

lfof

thes

eco

nstit

uenc

ies.

Such

polit

ical

disc

ours

este

ndto

repr

esen

tth

ese

dise

mpo

wer

edgr

oups

asif

they

wer

esp

eaki

ngco

llect

ivel

yas

aun

ifie

dpo

litic

alsu

bjec

t.Fo

rSp

ivak

,ho

wev

er,

this

cohe

rent

polit

ical

iden

tity

isal

way

sal

read

yan

effe

ctof

the

dom

inan

tdi

scou

rse

that

repr

esen

tsth

ese

grou

ps,

rath

erth

ana

tran

spar

entp

ortr

ait

ofth

etr

uew

orke

r,or

the

true

wom

an.

(Iw

illre

turn

toth

equ

estio

nof

disc

ours

ein

Cha

pter

3;se

ebo

x,p.

85.)

Spiv

ak’s

rew

orki

ngof

deco

nstr

ucti

onin

the

cont

ext

ofpo

litic

alre

pres

enta

tion

illus

trat

esho

wth

ela

ngua

geof

univ

ersa

lpo

litic

alst

rug

gles

can

have

pote

ntia

llyin

juri

ous

orha

rmfu

lef

fect

son

the

lives

ofdi

sem

pow

ered

grou

ps(t

heco

loni

sed,

wom

en,

orth

ew

orke

rs).

The

exam

ple

ofB

huba

nesw

ari

Bha

duri

,di

scus

sed

abov

e,ill

ustr

ates

how

the

com

plex

lives

,hi

stor

ies

and

stru

ggle

sof

the

dise

mpo

wer

edca

nbe

eras

edby

the

fixe

dte

rms

ofra

dica

lpo

litic

aldi

scou

rses

that

clai

mto

repr

esen

tth

em.

To

coun

ter

this

diff

icul

ty,

Spiv

akar

gues

that

Den

-ida

offe

rsa

mor

efl

exib

lean

dre

spon

sibl

eap

proa

thto

read

ing

the

sing

ular

circ

umst

ance

san

dm

ater

ial

cond

ition

sof

peop

le’s

lives

,w

hich

‘mar

ksra

dica

lcr

itiqu

ew

ith

the

dang

erof

appr

opri

atin

gth

eot

her

byas

sim

ila

tion’

(Spi

vak

1988

:30

8).

As

the

next

sect

ion

cons

ider

s,th

isre

spon

sibl

eap

proa

ch,

whi

chSp

ivak

finds

inD

en-i

da’s

deco

nstr

ucti

onof

wes

tern

philo

soph

y,re

flec

tsa

mor

ege

nera

lco

ncer

nin

Den

-ida

’sla

ter

wor

kto

reth

ink

ethi

csas

are

spon

sibi

lity

tow

ards

the

Oth

er.

DE

CO

NS

TR

UC

TIO

NA

ND

ET

HIC

S

At

aco

nfer

ence

enti

tled

‘The

End

sof

Man

’he

ldat

the

Cen

tre

Cul

ture

lIn

tern

atio

nal

deC

eris

y-L

a-Sa

lle,

Fran

cein

1980

,Sp

ivak

,al

ong

with

SE

TT

ING

DE

CO

NS

TR

UC

TIO

NT

OW

OR

K35

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36K

EY

IDE

AS

othe

rke

yco

mm

enta

tors

onD

erri

da’s

thou

ght

incl

udin

gJe

anLu

cN

ancy

,Ph

illip

eL

acou

eha

bart

hean

dSa

rah

Kof

man

,m

etto

disc

uss

the

ques

tion

ofpo

litic

san

dth

est

atus

ofth

epo

litic

alin

Jacq

ues

Der

rida

’sth

ough

t.T

hepr

ocee

ding

sfr

omth

isco

nfer

ence

wer

epu

blis

hed

inF

renc

hun

der

the

titl

e,Le

s fin

sde

l’hom

me:

a par

tir

dutr

avai

lde

jacq

ues

Der

rida

(198

1),

and

have

not

yet

been

tran

slat

ed,

alth

ough

som

eof

the

pres

enta

tion

sha

vebe

endi

scus

sed

insu

bseq

uent

publ

icat

ions

.In

‘Lim

itsan

dO

peni

ngs

ofM

arx

inD

erri

da’,

anes

say

publ

ishe

din

Out

side

inth

eTe

achi

ngM

achi

ne(1

993)

,Sp

ivak

note

sho

wth

eop

enin

gco

nfer

ence

disc

ussi

ons

ofD

erri

da’s

wor

kw

ere

stru

ctur

edar

ound

abi

nary

oppo

siti

onbe

twee

nth

etw

om

ost

com

mon

mea

ning

sof

the

polit

ical

inFr

ench

:le

polit

ique

,or

the

abst

ract

philo

soph

ical

notio

nof

the

polit

ical

,an

dIa

polit

ique

,or

the

mor

eco

nven

tiona

lde

fini

tion

ofpo

litic

sas

aco

ncre

tepo

litic

alev

ent.

InSp

ivak

’sac

coun

t,th

isbi

nary

oppo

sitio

n,or

igin

ally

prop

osed

byJe

an-L

ucN

ancy

and

Phill

ipe

Lac

oue

Lab

arth

e,is

prob

lem

atic

beca

use

itpr

esen

tsde

cons

truc

tion

asan

abst

ract

philo

soph

ical

met

hod

whi

chis

divo

rced

from

the

mat

eria

lco

nditi

ons

ofco

ncre

tepo

litic

alev

ents

.In

stea

dof

sim

ply

fram

ing

the

rela

tions

hip

betw

een

deco

nstr

ucti

onan

dpo

litic

sin

the

redu

ctiv

ete

rms

ofth

isbi

nary

oppo

sitio

nbe

twee

npo

lit

ical

philo

soph

yan

dre

al,

mat

eria

lpo

litic

s,Sp

ivak

sugg

ests

that

we

shou

ldex

amin

eth

edi

ffer

ence

betw

een

Den

-ida

’sea

rly

and

late

rw

ork

mor

eca

refu

lly.

InD

en-i

da’s

earl

yw

ork,

Spiv

akas

sert

sth

atth

ere

is‘a

nec

onom

y[.

..]o

f pro

tect

ing

and

pres

ervi

ng[g

arde

r]th

equ

estio

n’w

here

asin

the

late

rw

ork

ther

eis

a‘t

rans

form

atio

n’of

this

econ

omy

ofpr

otec

tion

and

pres

erva

tion

into

‘the

call

toth

ew

holly

othe

r[t

out

autr

ej’

(Spi

vak

1993

:98

—9)

.In

mor

esi

mpl

ete

rms,

ther

eis

am

ovem

ent

inD

erri

da’s

thou

ght

away

from

maj

orph

iloso

phic

alqu

estio

nsab

out

the

foun

ding

cond

ition

sof

poss

ibili

tyfo

rtr

uth,

bein

g(‘

onto

logy

’)an

dkn

owin

g(‘

epis

tem

olog

y’)

tow

ards

ethi

cal

and

soci

alco

nsid

erat

ions

abou

tvio

lenc

e,ju

stic

e,fr

iend

ship

,an

dho

spita

lity.

As

Igo

onto

disc

uss

belo

w,

Spiv

ak’s

focu

son

this

mov

ein

Den

-ida

’sw

ork

clar

ifie

sth

em

eani

ngof

the

polit

ical

inD

en-i

da’s

thou

ght,

and

reve

als

inst

ead

how

Den

-ida

’sde

cons

truc

tion

ofw

este

rnph

iloso

phy

has

anim

port

ant

ethi

cal

dim

ensi

onth

atpe

rsis

tent

lyqu

estio

nsth

era

tiona

l pro

gram

mes

whi

chst

ruct

ure

all

polit

ical

deci

sion

-mak

ing.

Den

-ida

’spr

eocc

upat

ion

with

ethi

csha

sbe

enim

plic

itin

his

thin

king

from

the

star

tof

his

inte

llect

ual

care

er,

even

thou

gh,

asG

eoff

rey

Ben

ning

ton

(200

0)st

ress

es,

deco

nstr

ucti

onis

not

ethi

cali

nth

eco

nven

tiona

lse

nse

ofth

ete

rm.

Tra

ditio

nally

,et

hics

belo

ngs

toth

ere

alm

ofm

oral

philo

soph

yco

ncer

ned

with

the

calc

ulat

ion

ofju

stic

e.In

this

trad

ition

,et

hics

isbo

und

upw

ithth

etr

ansc

ende

nt,

univ

ersa

lpr

inci

ples

ofw

este

rnm

etap

hysi

cs;

the

very

prin

cipl

esth

atde

cons

truc

tion

seek

sto

deco

nstr

uct

(Ben

ning

ton

2000

:64

-).In

stea

dof

artic

ulat

ing

aco

here

ntm

oral

philo

soph

y,D

erri

daba

ses

his

unde

rsta

ndin

gof

ethi

cson

the

thou

ght

ofth

eJe

wis

hph

iloso

pher

IEm

man

uel

Lev

inas

(190

6—95

).T

hecl

eare

stst

atem

ent

ofLe

vina

s’s

ethi

cal

posi

tion

can

befo

und

inhi

sbo

okT

otal

ityan

din

fini

ty(1

961)

.In

this

book

,L

evin

asre

defi

ned

ethi

csas

the

mom

ent

inw

hich

the

tran

scen

dent

alse

lfof

wes

tern

philo

soph

ydi

scov

ers

that

itis

alre

ady

inan

ethi

cal

rela

tion

toth

eO

ther

befo

reit

isfu

llya

self

.In

deed

for

Lev

inas

,et

hics

isno

thin

gm

ore

than

the

sing

ular

even

tin

whi

chth

eSe

lfen

coun

ters

itsel

fin

anet

hica

lre

latio

nto

the

face

ofth

eO

ther

.

OT

HE

RN

ES

S

Thr

ough

out

the

hist

ory

ofw

este

rncu

ltur

ean

dth

ough

t,th

ere

are

cert

ain

peop

le,

conc

epts

,an

did

eas

that

are

defi

ned

as‘O

ther

’:as

mon

ster

s,al

iens

orsa

vage

sw

hoth

reat

enth

eva

lues

ofci

vilis

edso

ciet

y,or

the

stab

ility

ofth

e

ratio

nal

hum

anse

lf.

Suc

h‘O

ther

s’ha

vein

clud

edde

ath,

the

unco

nsci

ous

and

mad

ness

,as

wel

las

the

Ori

enta

l,no

n-w

este

rn‘O

ther

’,th

efo

reig

ner,

the

hom

osex

ual,

and

the

fem

inin

e.In

the

stru

ctur

eof

wes

tern

thou

ght,

the

‘Oth

er’

isre

lega

ted

toa

plac

eou

tsid

eof

orex

teri

orto

the

norm

al,

civi

lised

valu

esof

wes

tern

cult

ure;

yet

itis

inth

isfo

undi

ngm

omen

tof

rele

gati

onth

at

the

sove

reig

nty

ofth

eSe

lfor

the

sam

eis

cons

titu

ted.

The

chal

leng

eth

at

othe

rnes

sor

alte

rity

pose

sto

wes

tern

thou

ght

and

cult

ure

has

been

furt

her

deve

lope

dby

Em

man

uel

Lev

inas

.Fo

rL

evin

as,

wes

tern

philo

soph

yha

str

ad

ition

ally

defi

ned

the

Oth

eras

anob

ject

ofco

nsci

ousn

ess

for

the

wes

tern

subj

ect.

Thi

sre

duct

ive

defi

nitio

nha

sef

fect

ivel

yde

stro

yed

the

sing

ular

alte

rity

ofth

eO

ther

.A

gain

stth

isre

duct

ion,

Lev

inas

has

asse

rted

that

the

Oth

eral

way

ses

cape

sth

eco

nsci

ousn

ess

and

cont

rol

ofth

ew

este

rnse

lf.

For

Lev

inas

,the

chal

leng

eth

atth

eal

teri

tyof

the

Oth

erpo

ses

toth

ece

rtai

nty

of

the

Self

inth

efa

ce-t

o-fa

ceen

coun

ter

betw

een

the

Self

and

the

Oth

erop

ens

the

ques

tion

ofet

hics

.

SE

TT

ING

DE

CO

NS

TR

UC

TIO

NT

OW

OR

K37

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38K

EY

IDE

AS

The

them

eof

Oth

erne

ssha

sal

sobe

ena

cent

ral

conc

ern

inpo

st-

colo

nial

stud

ies.

Inth

ein

trod

ucti

onto

Ori

enta

lism

,E

dwar

dSa

idar

gued

that

the

Ori

ent

ison

eof

Eur

ope’

s‘d

eepe

stan

dm

ost

recu

rrin

gim

ages

ofth

eO

ther

’(S

aid

1978

:1)

.W

here

asSa

idde

scri

bes

how

Ori

enta

lism

cont

rols

the

non-

wes

tern

wor

ldby

defi

ning

itas

the

Oth

erof

Eur

ope,

Spiv

akha

str

ied

todi

spla

ceth

isfi

xed

SeW

—O

ther

dich

otom

yin

favo

urof

anet

hica

lre

spon

seto

the

lives

and

stru

ggle

sof

oppr

esse

dpe

ople

inth

e‘T

hird

Wor

ld’.

Thi

sin

telle

ctua

len

deav

our

ispa

inst

akin

gan

ddi

ffi

cult,

and

has

led

Spiv

akto

refe

rto

ethi

csas

anex

peri

ence

ofth

eim

poss

ible

(Spi

vak

1995

:xx

v).

For J

acqu

esD

erri

da,

the

prob

lem

with

Lev

inas

’sth

ough

t is

that

ther

eis

nogu

aran

tee

that

anet

hica

lre

latio

nw

illta

kepl

ace

inth

esi

ngul

arev

ent

ofth

efa

ce-t

o-fa

ceen

coun

ter

betw

een

the

Self

and

the

Oth

er.

Aft

eral

l,w

hat

isth

ere

topr

even

tth

ese

lffr

omex

ploi

ting,

inju

ring

,or

even

killi

ngth

eO

ther

?T

his

diff

icul

tyis

furt

her

com

poun

ded

inth

eat

tem

ptto

find

anap

prop

riat

ew

ayto

resp

ond

toth

eO

ther

.A

sSi

mon

Cri

tchl

eyob

serv

esin

aco

mm

enta

ryon

Den

-ida

’sre

thin

king

ofet

hics

,th

e‘a

ttem

ptto

artic

ulat

eco

ncep

tual

lyan

expe

rien

ceth

atha

sbe

enfo

rgot

ten

orex

iled

from

philo

soph

yca

non

lybe

stat

edw

ithin

phil

oso

phic

alco

ncep

tual

ity,

whi

chen

tails

that

the

expe

rien

cesu

ccum

bsto

and

isde

stro

yed

byph

iloso

phy’

(Cri

tchl

ey19

92:

94).

For

Cri

tchl

ey,

the

very

poss

ibili

tyof

resp

ondi

ngto

the

Oth

erin

anet

hica

llyre

spon

sibl

ew

ayis

alw

ays

thre

aten

edby

the

risk

that

the

sing

ular

voic

ean

dex

peri

ence

ofth

eO

ther

mig

htbe

dest

roye

d.Y

et,

onth

eot

her

hand

,th

evu

lner

able

proc

ess

ofar

ticul

atin

gsu

chan

expe

rien

cem

ayal

sotr

ans

form

the

stru

ctur

eof

self

-cen

tred

philo

soph

ical

disc

ours

ein

aw

ayth

atre

cogn

ises

Oth

erne

ss.

Thi

sis

one

ofth

ech

ance

sth

atde

cons

truc

tion

take

s.By

ques

tioni

ngth

efo

undi

ngco

nditi

ons

ofpo

ssib

ility

that

mak

ew

este

rnph

iloso

phic

aldi

scou

rse

inte

lligi

ble,

Den

-ida

also

trac

esth

e‘O

ther

’ex

peri

ence

s,hi

stor

ies,

cult

ures

and

peop

leth

atw

este

rnph

iloso

phy

has

atva

riou

spo

ints

trie

dto

excl

ude,

sile

nce

and

dest

roy.

The

prob

lem

faci

ngD

en-i

da,

how

ever

,is

that

ther

ear

eno

guar

ante

esth

atth

iset

hics

ofre

adin

gw

illno

tfa

llpr

eyto

the

very

stru

ctur

esof

viol

ence

that

itat

tem

pts

toes

cape

from

.R

athe

rth

ande

nyin

gth

isri

skof

com

plic

ity,

how

ever

,D

erri

daaf

firm

sth

isri

skat

the

fore

fron

tof

his

inte

rven

tions

.A

sD

en-i

dast

ates

inO

f Gra

mm

atol

ogy:

Ope

rati

ngn

eces

sari

lyfr

omth

ein

side

,bo

rrow

ing

all

the

stra

teg

ican

dec

onom

icre

sourc

esfr

omth

eol

dst

ruct

ure

,bo

rrow

ing

them

stru

ctur

ally

,th

atis

tosa

yw

itho

utbe

ing

able

tois

olat

eth

eir

elem

ents

and

atom

s,th

een

terp

rise

ofd

eco

nst

ruct

ion

alw

ays

ina

cert

ain

way

fall

spr

eyto

itsow

nw

ork.

(Der

rida

1916

:24

)

For

Der

rida

,an

yat

tem

ptto

defi

neth

efo

undi

ngco

nditi

ons

ofph

ilo

soph

ical

trut

hfr

oma

pure

lyob

ject

ive

posi

tion

outs

ide

ofph

iloso

phic

aldi

scou

rse

isne

cess

arily

doom

edto

fail.

Inst

ead,

Den

-ida

conc

entr

ates

onth

em

ore

mod

est

task

ofin

habi

ting

the

stru

ctur

esof

philo

soph

ical

text

sin

orde

rto

trac

eth

ose

figu

res,

hist

orie

san

dpe

ople

who

have

been

excl

uded

from

wes

tern

philo

soph

ical

disc

ours

eas

itsfo

undi

ngco

nditi

onof

poss

ibili

ty.

DE

CO

NS

TR

UC

TIV

ER

EA

DIN

GIN

SP

IVA

K’S

TH

OU

GH

T

For

Spiv

ak,

deco

nstr

uctio

n’s

affi

rmat

ion

ofth

&co

mpl

icity

ofth

eory

with

itsob

ject

ofcr

itiq

ueis

the

‘gre

ates

tgift

’of

deco

nstr

ucti

onbe

caus

eit

‘que

stio

n[sl

the

auth

ority

ofth

ein

vest

igat

ing

subj

ect

wit

hout

par

aly

sing

him

’(S

piva

k19

87:

201)

.Fo

rth

isre

ason

,Sp

ivak

repe

ats

Der

rida

’sst

rate

gyof

read

ing

with

liter

ary

and

hist

oric

aldi

scou

rses

totr

ace

the

foun

ding

excl

usio

nsin

here

ntin

radi

cal

polit

ical

prog

ram

mes

such

asM

arxi

sm,

deco

loni

satio

nor

fem

inis

m.

For

exam

ple,

in‘A

Lite

rary

Rep

rese

ntat

ion

ofth

eSu

balte

rn’

(198

8),

Spiv

akqu

estio

nsth

eso

cial

ist,

dem

ocra

ticpr

omis

esm

ade

toth

epe

ople

byle

ader

sof

the

anti-

colo

nial

resi

stan

cem

ovem

ent

duri

ngth

est

rugg

lefo

rna

tiona

lin

depe

nden

cein

Indi

a.M

ore

spec

ific

ally

,Sp

ivak

sugg

ests

that

the

myt

holo

gyof

Mot

her

Indi

ath

atw

asin

voke

dby

anti-

colo

nial

insu

rgen

ts(i

nclu

ding

Gan

dhi)

duri

ngan

daf

ter

the

stru

ggle

for

natio

nal

inde

pend

ence

perp

etua

ted

the

rigi

dcl

ass

syst

emes

tabl

ishe

dun

der

the

Bri

tish

Em

pire

,an

dig

nore

dth

epl

ight

oflo

wer

-cas

te,

suba

ltern

wom

en.

To

chal

leng

eth

ecl

ass-

base

dst

ruct

ure

ofth

isna

tiona

list

myt

holo

gy,

Spiv

akpe

rfor

ms

ate

xtua

lan

alys

isof

‘Bre

ast

Giv

er’,

ash

ort

stor

yby

the

Ben

gali-

lang

uage

fict

ion

wri

ter,

Mah

asw

eta

Dev

i.In

this

stor

y,th

efe

mal

epr

otag

onis

t,Ja

shoc

la,

asu

balte

rnw

oman

,is

hire

dby

aw

ealth

yB

rahm

infa

mily

asa

prof

essi

onal

mot

her.

The

stor

yna

rrat

esth

esu

bseq

uent

grot

esqu

epu

tref

actio

nof

Jash

oda’

sm

ater

nal

body

afte

rbr

east

-fee

ding

seve

ral

high

-cas

te,

Bra

hmin

child

ren.

For

Spiv

ak,

SE

TT

ING

DE

CO

NS

TR

UC

TIO

NT

OW

OR

K39

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40E

YID

EA

S

Jash

oda’

sdi

seas

ed,

expl

oite

dan

dlo

wer

-cas

tem

ater

nal

body

high

light

sth

elim

itatio

nsof

the

Mot

her

Indi

am

ytho

logy

asa

bour

geoi

sid

eolo

gica

lco

nstr

uct.

Aga

inst

the

dem

ocra

ticpr

omis

esof

the

anti-

colo

nial

nati

onal

ist

mov

emen

tto

tran

sfor

mth

eri

gid

clas

sst

ruct

ure

inIn

dia,

Spiv

akem

phas

ises

that

low

er-c

aste

wom

enlik

eJa

shod

aha

vebe

enef

fect

ivel

yex

clud

edfr

omth

efo

unda

tions

ofna

tiona

lin

depe

nden

ce.

Inth

edec

on

stru

ctiv

ete

rms

ofSp

ivak

’sar

gum

ent,

the

expl

oita

tion

ofJa

shod

a’s

low

er-c

aste

,m

ater

nal

body

emph

asis

esho

wde

colo

nisa

tion

falls

prey

toan

dre

plic

ates

the

very

colo

nial

stru

ctur

esof

clas

san

dge

nder

oppr

essi

onit

clai

ms

toop

pose

.A

noth

erin

stan

cew

here

Spiv

akem

ploy

sa

deco

nstr

uctiv

eap

proa

chto

polit

ical

prog

ram

mes

isin

the

essa

y‘I

mpe

rial

ism

and

Sexu

alD

iffe

renc

e’(1

986)

.In

this

essa

y,Sp

ivak

criti

cise

sso

me

wes

tern

fem

inis

tsfo

rig

nor

ing

the

spec

ific

expe

rien

ces

of‘T

hird

Wor

ld’

wom

enw

hen

they

con

stru

cta

univ

ersa

l fem

inis

tsu

bjec

t.It

isin

this

cont

ext

that

Spiv

akas

sert

sth

at‘v

arie

ties

offe

min

ist

criti

cism

and

prac

tice

mus

tre

ckon

with

the

poss

ibili

tyth

at,

like

any

othe

rdi

scur

sive

prac

tice,

they

are

mar

ked

and

cons

titu

ted

by,

even

asth

eyco

nsti

tute

,th

efie

ldof

thei

rpr

oduc

tion’

(Spi

vak

1986

:22

5).

Put

mor

esi

mpl

y,w

este

rnfe

min

ist

criti

cism

has

tend

edto

focu

son

the

excl

usio

nof

wom

enfr

omth

e‘m

ascu

list

trut

h-cl

aim

toun

iver

salit

yor

acad

emic

obje

ctiv

ity’

(Spi

vak

1986

:22

6).

Yet

this

focu

sre

peat

sth

eun

iver

salis

ter

rors

ofm

ascu

line-

cent

red

trut

hcl

aim

sor

obje

ctiv

ekn

owle

dge

bysu

gges

ting

that

all

wom

enth

ew

orld

over

suff

erfr

omth

esa

me

sort

ofop

pres

sion

sim

ply

beca

use

they

are

wom

en.

Inde

ed,

Spiv

akco

nten

dsth

atw

este

rnfe

min

ism

has

itsel

ffal

len

prey

toits

own

wor

kby

clai

min

gto

spea

kfo

ral

lwom

en,

whe

nit

ofte

nex

clud

esth

eex

peri

ence

sof

‘Asi

an,

Afr

ican

[and

]A

rab’

wom

en(S

piva

k19

86:

226)

.A

gain

stth

is‘li

e’of

‘glo

bals

iste

rhoo

d’,

Spiv

akha

sth

uscr

itic

ised

wes

tern

fem

inis

mfo

rig

nori

ngth

epl

ight

of‘T

hird

Wor

ld’

wom

en(S

piva

k19

86:

226)

.A

gain

,th

iscr

itiqu

eof

wes

tern

fem

inis

mde

mon

stra

tes

the

valu

eof

deco

nstr

ucti

onas

anet

hica

lre

adin

gpr

actic

e,w

hich

emph

asis

esth

eri

skof

polit

ical

com

plic

ityw

ithdo

min

ant

soci

alan

dpo

litic

alst

ruct

ures

asa

nece

ssar

ypa

rtof

all

inte

llect

ual

prac

tices

.So

me

criti

csof

Spiv

ak’s

wor

kar

esc

eptic

alof

whe

ther

Spiv

ak’s

deco

nstr

ucti

vere

adin

gst

rate

gies

achi

eve

anyt

hing

othe

rth

ana

theo

ret

ical

para

lysi

sof

effe

ctiv

epo

litic

alin

terv

enti

on.

Ina

criti

cal

read

ing

ofSp

ivak

’sw

ork,

Ash

aV

arad

hara

jan

has

argu

edth

atSp

ivak

’s‘u

nrem

ittin

gex

posu

reof

com

plic

ity’

(Var

adha

raja

n19

95:

89)

actu

ally

prev

ents

Spiv

akfr

omar

ticul

atin

gm

omen

tsof

polit

ical

resi

stan

ce.

Invo

king

Spiv

ak’s

disc

ussi

onof

Bhu

bane

swar

iB

hadu

ri’s

suic

ide

in‘C

anth

eS

ubal

tern

Spea

k?’

(dis

cuss

edab

ove

onp.

33),

Var

adha

raja

nco

nten

dsth

atSp

ivak

’sac

coun

tof

Bha

duri

’sst

rugg

leis

encu

mbe

red

bya

relia

nce

onD

erri

dian

deco

nstr

ucti

on.

Inst

ead,

Var

adha

raja

nsu

gges

tsth

atSp

ivak

’sth

inki

ngca

nbe

‘red

eem

ed’

thro

ugh

afo

cus

onth

ew

ork

ofth

etw

enti

eth-

cent

ury

Ger

man

philo

soph

erT

heod

orA

dorn

o(1

903—

69).

InV

arad

hara

jan’

sar

gum

ent,

Ado

rno’

sre

sist

ance

toth

etr

ansp

aren

tpr

esen

tati

onof

philo

soph

ical

conc

epts

inw

riti

ngha

sgi

ven

way

toa

mod

eof

com

posi

tion

that

stru

ggle

sto

pres

ent

soci

alre

latio

nsin

frag

men

ts,

apho

rism

san

dpa

rata

ctic

phra

ses

(whe

reon

epr

opos

ition

ispl

aced

afte

ran

othe

r,w

itho

utin

dica

ting

rela

tions

ofco

ordi

natio

nor

subo

rdin

atio

nbe

twee

nth

em)

(Var

adha

raja

n19

95:

78).

Fur

ther

mor

e,A

dorn

o’s

use

ofch

iasm

us,

orth

egr

amm

atic

alfi

gure

whe

reby

the

orde

rof

wor

dsin

one

clau

seis

inve

rted

ina

seco

ndcl

ause

,ai

ms

topr

ovid

ere

ader

sw

itha

glim

pse

ofth

eco

ncre

tehi

stor

ical

cond

ition

san

dm

ater

ial

rela

tions

whi

char

edi

stor

ted

byw

este

rnkn

owle

dge

and

cogn

ition

.Fo

rex

ampl

e,th

est

atem

ent,

‘the

subj

ect

isth

eob

ject

,th

eob

ject

isth

esu

bjec

t’de

mon

stra

tes

how

the

obje

ctof

thou

ght

isde

term

ined

byth

ein

vest

igat

ing

subj

ect.

Inth

eca

seof

wes

tern

know

ledg

epr

oduc

edab

out

the

non-

wes

tern

wor

ldth

eob

ject

ofth

ough

tdi

sapp

ears

unde

rth

ew

eigh

tof

wes

tern

repr

esen

tati

on.

For

Var

adha

raja

n,A

dorn

o‘s

thou

ght

prov

ides

aw

ayou

tof

this

dile

mm

abe

caus

eit

can

diff

eren

tiate

betw

een

the

‘con

cret

enes

sof

the

suba

ltern

’an

dth

e‘u

ntho

ught

limit

ofw

este

rnep

iste

mol

ogy’

(Var

adha

raja

n19

95:

94-).

InV

arad

hara

jan’

sar

gum

ent,

Ado

rno’

sap

proa

chdi

ffer

ssi

gnif

ican

tlyfr

omth

atof

Der

rida

beca

use

‘it

seek

sto

rede

emth

eob

ject

inits

alte

rity

’(V

arad

hara

jan

1995

:79

).V

arad

hara

jan’

sdi

stin

ctio

nbe

twee

nth

eco

ncre

te,

mat

eria

lliv

esof

the

oppr

esse

dan

dth

elim

itsof

wes

tern

know

ledg

eis

illum

inat

ing,

but

the

conc

lusi

ondr

awn

from

this

dist

inct

ion

cruc

ially

igno

res

the

sim

ilari

ties

betw

een

the

ethi

cal

dim

ensi

ons

ofD

erri

da’s

deco

nstr

uctio

nan

dA

dorn

o’s

criti

cal p

hilo

soph

y.By

doin

gso

,V

arad

hara

jan

mis

ses

the

poin

tth

atth

ede

cons

truc

tive

emph

asis

onco

mpl

icity

also

cont

ains

anim

port

ant

ethi

cal

agen

da.

For

Spiv

ak’s

affi

rmat

ion

ofco

mpl

icity

does

not

sim

ply

para

lyse

orde

rail

the

prac

tice

ofcr

itica

lor

polit

ical

thin

king

from

the

star

t.R

athe

r,Sp

ivak

’sac

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ledg

emen

tof

com

plic

itypr

ovid

esa

cruc

ial

star

ting

poin

tfr

omw

hich

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velo

pa

mor

ere

spon

sibl

ein

telle

ctua

lpr

actic

e.In

aco

mm

enta

ryon

Spiv

ak’s

thou

ght,

Rob

ert

You

ng(1

990)

sim

ila

rly

mis

read

sth

iset

hica

lre

thin

king

ofpo

litic

sas

asi

gnof

Spiv

ak’s

SE

TT

ING

DE

CO

NS

TR

UC

TIO

NT

OW

OR

K41

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42K

EY

IDE

AS

‘res

idua

lcl

assi

cal

Mar

xism

[whi

ch]

isin

voke

dfo

rth

efo

rce

ofits

po

lit

ical

effe

cts

from

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eth

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appa

rent

lyes

cape

sth

est

rict

ures

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the

rest

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rw

ork

esta

blis

hes’

(You

ng19

90:

173)

.T

here

isce

rtai

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am

ove

inSp

ivak

’sw

ork

toin

terr

upt

the

narr

ow,

disc

iplin

ary

fram

ewor

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deco

nstr

ucti

onth

roug

han

ethi

cal

enga

gem

ent

wit

hsp

ecif

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espo

nsib

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’(1

994)

,fo

rex

ampl

e,Sp

ivak

inte

rrup

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met

icul

ous

disc

ussi

onof

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rida

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alys

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tinH

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gger

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elim

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the

Wor

ldB

ank’

s19

93Fl

ood

Act

ion

Plan

inB

angl

ades

h.A

ndin

‘The

Setti

ngto

Wor

kof

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onst

ruct

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(199

9)Sp

ivak

inte

rrup

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sum

mar

yof

Jacq

ues

Der

rida

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ough

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ith

anan

alys

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.Su

cha

mod

eof

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ith

the

stri

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scip

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des

and

conv

entio

nsof

wes

tern

criti

cal

theo

ry.

Yet

tofr

ame

this

brea

kin

the

clas

sic

mat

eria

list

term

sof

ari

gid

divi

sion

betw

een

theo

ryan

dpr

actic

eig

nore

sho

wSp

ivak

has

rew

orke

dth

eet

hica

l dim

ensi

ons

ofcr

itic

alth

eory

(esp

ecia

llyde

cons

truc

tion

),as

wel

las

the

theo

reti

cal

assu

mpt

ions

info

rmin

gpo

litic

alpr

actic

e.

ET

HIC

S,

PO

LIT

ICS

AN

D‘T

HE

SE

TT

ING

TOW

OR

KO

FD

EC

ON

ST

RU

CT

ION

In‘T

heSe

tting

toW

ork

ofD

econ

stru

ctio

n’(1

999)

,Sp

ivak

brill

iant

lyel

abor

ates

the

ethi

cal-

polit

ical

posi

tion

ofhe

row

nw

ork

thro

ugh

aca

refu

lsu

rvey

ofJa

cque

sD

erri

da’s

thou

ght.

Star

ting

with

adi

scus

sion

ofke

yE

urop

ean

philo

soph

ical

infl

uenc

esin

Der

rida

’sea

rly

wor

k,Sp

ivak

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esa

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ual

mov

ein

Der

rida

’sw

ork

from

the

conc

eptu

allim

itsof

wes

tern

philo

soph

ical

disc

ours

eto

‘agr

eate

rem

phas

ison

ethi

csan

dits

rela

tions

hip

toth

epo

litic

al’

(Spi

vak

1999

:42

6).

Spiv

akre

fers

toD

erri

da’s

enga

gem

ent

with

Lev

inas

and

the

ethi

cal

enco

unte

rw

ith

the

Oth

eras

affi

rmat

ive

deco

nstr

ucti

onbe

caus

eit

embr

aces

or‘a

ffirm

s’th

ein

evita

ble

risk

offa

lling

prey

ina

cert

ain

way

toth

eol

dst

ruct

ure

that

itse

eks

tocr

itici

se. A

tthe

sam

eti

me,

this

affi

rmat

ion

offa

lling

prey

ispe

rfor

med

inth

eho

peth

atth

eol

dst

ruct

ure

will

even

tual

lybe

alte

red

byth

eO

ther

atso

me

inde

term

inat

epo

int

inth

efu

ture

. Thi

sde

cons

truc

tion

ofet

hics

ispa

inst

akin

gbe

caus

eit

take

sa

long

time

toth

ink

and

toex

plai

n.W

hat i

sm

ore,

ther

ear

eno

guar

ante

esth

atth

eca

refu

lth

ough

tan

dar

ticul

atio

nof

deco

nstr

ucti

onw

illm

ake

any

dif

fere

nce

inre

al,

polit

ical

term

s.

Des

pite

thes

edi

ffic

ultie

s,Sp

ivak

has

prod

uctiv

ely

enga

ged

with

Der

rida

’sdi

scus

sion

sof

ethi

cal t

hem

essu

thas

resp

onsi

bilit

y,fr

iend

ship

,in

tern

atio

nalis

man

dde

moc

racy

,an

dre

wor

ked

them

inth

efie

ldof

‘Thi

rdW

orld

’co

unte

r-gl

obal

ist

deve

lopm

ent

activ

ism

.In

the

‘Tra

nsla

tor’

sPr

efac

e’to

imag

inar

yM

aps,

aco

llect

ion

ofsh

ort

stor

ies

byM

ahas

wet

aD

evi,

Spiv

akde

scri

bes

the

‘pai

nsta

king

labo

ur’

requ

ired

‘toes

tabl

ish

ethi

cal

sing

ular

ityw

ithth

esu

balte

rn’

(Dev

i19

95:

xxv)

.T

hepa

rado

xof

this

sing

ular

ethi

cal

rela

tions

hip

isth

atth

ere

isno

prio

rex

ampl

eth

atca

nde

mon

stra

teth

iset

hica

lap

proa

ch;

itde

pend

son

the

cont

ext.

Inde

ed,

Spiv

akch

arac

teri

ses

this

ethi

cal

rapp

ort

asan

‘exp

eri

ence

ofth

eim

poss

ible

’be

caus

eit

isim

poss

ible

toen

gage

with

ever

yop

pres

sed

pers

onin

the

sam

ew

ay.

Nev

erth

eles

s,Sp

ivak

does

find

anal

lego

ryof

this

ethi

calr

elat

ion

in‘P

tero

dact

yl,

Pirt

haan

dPu

ran

Saha

y’,

ash

ort

stor

yby

Mah

asw

eta

Dev

i.In

ase

quen

cew

here

the

fict

iona

lpr

otag

onis

t,Pu

ran

(abe

nevo

lent

,m

iddl

e-cl

ass

jour

nali

st),

sees

aca

vedr

awin

gof

apt

erod

acty

ldr

awn

bya

low

erca

ste

trib

albo

y,Sp

ivak

argu

esth

at‘P

uran

beco

mes

part

ofth

etr

ibe’

son

goin

ghi

stor

ical

reco

rd’

(Spi

vak

1995

b:25

6).

For

Spiv

ak,

this

even

t in

the

text

appr

oxim

ates

anet

hica

lres

pons

ebe

caus

ePu

ran

reco

gnis

esth

esi

ngul

arco

nditi

onof

rura

ltr

ibal

soci

etie

sin

Indi

a,an

dho

w‘t

heal

ibis

ofD

evel

opm

ent

[are

used

]to

expl

oit t

hetr

ibal

san

dde

stro

yth

eir

life-

syst

em’

(Spi

vak

I995

b:25

6).

Mor

ere

cent

ly,

in‘A

Not

eon

the

New

Inte

rnat

iona

l’(2

001)

Spiv

akha

sde

scri

bed

her

own

long

-ter

min

volv

emen

tin

teac

her

trai

ning

prog

ram

mes

toen

cour

age

liter

acy

for

poor

,un

derp

rivi

lege

dch

ildre

nin

rura

lsc

hool

sba

sed

inIn

dia

and

Ban

glad

esh.

Ech

oing

Der

rida

‘on

anot

her

regi

ster

’,Sp

ivak

emph

asis

esth

at‘r

eal,

min

d-ch

angi

ngfo

rma

tions

ofco

llect

ivity

,th

atw

illw

ithst

and

and

surv

ive

vict

ory,

isin

cred

ibly

slow

and

time-

cons

umin

gw

ork,

wit

hno

guar

ante

es’

(Spi

vak

2001

:15

).In

voki

ngD

erri

da’s

‘ple

afo

rsl

owre

adin

g,ev

enat

atim

eof

polit

ical

urge

ncy’

,Sp

ivak

mak

esa

sim

ilar

‘ple

afo

rth

epa

tien

tw

ork

ofle

arni

ngto

lear

nfr

om’

the

oppr

esse

dra

ther

than

spea

king

for

them

(15)

.In

The

Eth

ics

ofD

econ

stru

ctio

n,Si

mon

Cri

tchl

eyid

entif

ies

anim

pass

ein

deco

nstr

ucti

on,

whe

reD

erri

da’s

inte

rmin

able

trac

ing

ofth

eun

deci

dabi

lity

that

stru

ctur

esal

lpo

litic

alde

cisi

on-m

akin

gac

tual

lypr

even

tsth

e‘p

assa

gefr

omun

deci

dabi

lity

toth

ede

cisi

on’

or‘f

rom

ethi

csto

polit

ics’

(Cri

tchl

ey19

92:

236—

7).

For

Cri

tchl

ey,

deco

nstr

ucto

nis

inda

nger

ofbe

com

ing

afo

rmal

abst

ract

ion

that

isem

pty

ofan

yde

term

inat

epo

litic

alco

nten

t(2

37).

Spiv

ak’s

emph

asis

onth

ese

tting

tow

ork

ofde

cons

truc

tion

may

appe

arto

repe

atth

isfo

rmal

abst

ract

ion

to

SE

TT

ING

DE

CO

NS

TR

UC

TIO

NT

OW

OR

K43

Page 12: ‘i” Morton K I thought.files.adulteducation.at/uploads/vater_uni/deconstruction... · 2011. 3. 22. · Gayatri Spivak because they:provide a theoretical vocabulary and conceptual

44K

EY

IDE

AS

the

exte

ntth

atit

isco

nsis

tent

with

Der

rida

’stu

rnto

war

dsaf

firm

ativ

ede

cons

truc

tion

.B

utw

hat

cruc

ially

dist

ingu

ishe

sSp

ivak

’sem

ploy

men

tof

affi

rmat

ive

deco

nstr

ucti

onfr

omth

ew

ork

ofD

en-i

dais

the

way

that

Spiv

akal

soin

terr

upts

the

stri

ctth

eore

tical

and

philo

soph

ical

term

sof

Der

rida

’sar

gum

ent

with

‘pol

itica

l’ex

ampl

esfr

omth

ehi

stor

ies

ofsu

balte

rnag

ency

and

resi

stan

cein

the

‘Thi

rdW

orld

’.In

‘Str

ateg

y,Id

entit

y,W

ritin

g’(1

990)

,fo

rex

ampl

e,Sp

ivak

emph

asis

esho

wth

isaf

firm

ativ

em

ode

ofde

cons

truc

tion

oblig

esyo

uto

‘say

yes

toth

atw

hich

inte

rrup

tsyo

urpr

ojec

t’,

toth

e‘p

oliti

cal’

that

inte

rrup

ts‘t

heor

y’(S

piva

k19

90:

47).

Den

-ida

emph

asis

esth

em

adne

ssof

unde

cida

bilit

yth

atne

cess

arily

stru

ctur

esal

lpo

litic

alde

cisi

on-m

akin

g,bu

the

neve

rac

tual

lym

akes

any

polit

ical

deci

sion

sin

his

wri

ting.

By

cont

rast

,Sp

ivak

grou

nds

the

siow

and

pain

stak

ing

mov

emen

tfr

omet

hics

topo

litic

sin

the

conc

rete

,ev

eryd

ayst

rugg

les

ofsu

balte

rnco

mm

uniti

esto

beco

me

lite

rate

,po

litic

alci

tizen

sin

thei

row

nte

rms.

SU

MM

AR

Y

Spi

vak’

sth

ou

gh

tha

sbe

enpr

ofou

ndly

shap

edby

the

crit

ical

stra

teg

ies

ofde

cons

truc

tpon

,as

wel

las

mak

ing

the

earl

yw

ork

ofJa

cques

Der

rida

acce

ssib

leto

the

Eng

lish

-spe

akin

gw

orld

.S

piva

k’s

use

ofde

cons

truc

tion

has

ofte

nbe

enin

voke

dto

dem

onst

rate

ape

rcei

ved

cont

radi

ctio

nbe

twee

nS

piva

k’s

mat

eria

list

com

mit

men

tto

eng

age

with

dise

nfra

nchi

sed

suba

lter

ngr

oups

inth

e‘T

hird

Wor

ld’,

and

the

diff

icul

tth

eore

tica

lla

ngua

gean

dm

eth

od

olo

gies

she

empl

oys

toac

hiev

eth

isgo

al.

Yet

,su

chcr

itiq

ues

tend

toov

erlo

okth

efo

llow

ing

impo

rtan

tpo

ints

:

•th

ein

flue

nce

ofD

erri

da’s

deco

nstr

ucti

onof

wes

tern

phil

osop

hica

ltr

uth

and

the

wes

tern

hum

anis

tsu

bje

cton

the

deve

lopm

ent

ofS

piva

k’s

post

colo

nial

thou

ght;

•th

eet

hica

ldi

men

sion

sof

deco

nstr

ucti

onan

dth

ere

leva

nce

ofth

eet

hica

ltu

rnin

deco

nstr

ucti

onto

Spi

vak’

spo

stco

loni

alre

adin

gp

rac

tice

san

dco

unte

r-gl

obal

deve

lopm

ent

acti

vism

;•

the

impe

rati

veto

mov

efr

omet

hics

topo

liti

cs,

and

tose

td

eco

nst

ruc

tion

tow

ork

outs

ide

the

acad

emic

disc

ipli

nary

fram

ewor

kof

liter

ary

crit

icis

man

dph

ilos

ophy

ina

wid

erfi

eld

ofgl

obal

econ

omic

and

poli

tica

lre

lati

ons.

LE

AR

NIN

GF

RO

MT

HE

SU

BA

LT

ER

N

One

ofth

em

ost

impo

rtan

tan

dco

mpl

exas

pect

sof

Spiv

ak’s

thou

ght

ishe

ron

goin

gat

tem

ptto

find

acr

itica

lvo

cabu

lary

that

isap

prop

riat

eto

desc

ribe

the

expe

rien

ces

and

hist

orie

sof

part

icul

arin

divi

dual

san

dso

cial

grou

ps,

who

have

been

hist

oric

ally

disp

osse

ssed

and

expl

oite

dby

Eur

opea

nco

loni

alis

m.

Inth

eco

ntex

tof

polit

ical

stru

ggle

sfo

rna

tiona

lin

depe

nden

ceor

anti-

colo

nial

resi

stan

ce,

the

use

ofm

aste

rw

ords

like

‘the

colo

nise

d’,

‘wom

an’

or‘t

hew

orke

r’m

ayse

emto

prov

ide

aco

here

ntpo

litic

alid

entit

yfo

rdi

sem

pow

ered

indi

vidu

als

and

grou

psto

unite

agai

nst

aco

mm

onop

pres

sor.

As

we

saw

inth

epr

evio

usch

apte

r,ho

wev

er,

for

Spiv

akth

ese

mas

ter

wor

dsdo

not

doju

stic

eto

the

lives

and

hist

orie

sof

thos

epe

ople

who

wer

efr

eque

ntly

igno

red

and

subs

eque

ntly

forg

otte

nby

anti-

colo

nial

natio

nal

inde

pend

ence

mov

emen

ts.

Inth

epl

ace

ofth

ese

polit

ical

mas

ter

wor

ds,

Spiv

akpr

opos

esth

ew

ord

suba

ltern

toen

com

pass

ara

nge

ofdi

ffer

ent

subj

ect

posi

tions

whi

char

eno

tpr

edef

ined

bydo

min

ant

po

lit

ical

disc

ours

es.

For

Spiv

akth

ete

rm‘s

ubal

tern

’is

usef

ulbe

caus

eit

isfl

exib

le;

itca

nac

com

mod

ate

soci

alid

entit

ies

and

stru

ggle

s(s

uch

asw

oman

and

the

colo

nise

d)th

atdo

not

fall

unde

rth

ere

duct

ive

term

sof

‘str

ict

clas

s-an

alys

is’.

As

she

asse

rts

inan

inte

rvie

wpu

blis

hed

inth

eU

Sjo

urna

lPo

lygr

aph:

3


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