I thinkeverything is subject to deconstruction. But then we're back to ethics and pragmatics (both also admittedly deconstructible). If I deconstruct the idea of human agency, where does that lead ethically? Where does it lead artistically (in terms of a pragmatic practice)? Perhaps it leads to play.
Here I read Deleuze as a kind of useful structuralist. He allows Derrida to rule the regime/strata of human language. But human language doesn't govern the whole show. There are dozens of other strata (geology, biology, cooking, the human face, etc.) that are also at play in the world. And any one of these strata could erupt beyond itself and lead to an entirely new strata. Of course Deleuze uses human language to describe this geophilosophical meta-structure of strata. Of course Derrida could deconstruct Deleuze's use of language, thus dismantling Deleuze's entire structuralist system. But, if we start with (or return to) Deleuze, Derrida remains within the strata of language, playing games with language, while the strata of geology (for example) continues on its merry way. So, to begin with Delueze is to begin with a kind of hopeful idea (perhaps deluded?) that humans have agency and can modulate various strata (within contingent limits). Where might such a world view pragmatically lead a practicing artist? To begin with Derrida is to begin with something far more cautious, guarded, rigorous, and precious (although no less risky -- it risks great caution). Where might such a "world view" [under erasure] lead a practicing artist? And what meta-meta-meta-criteria could you ever apply to evaluate which of these two practices "matters most"? >This would touch on quantum mechanics, where agency is problematic (and I >think on a more macroscopic scale as well). Multiple futures only makes >sense in a multiverse, if they're considered 'actualized' at all, and our >selves exist within one of course. It gets tricky, but in any case it >seems to me that agency itself is subject to deconstruction. > >(Or not!) > >- Alan > >On Thu, 14 Oct 2010, Curt Cloninger wrote: > >> I think Bergson's virtual is just a specific, rigorous way of >> thinking about our agency in the present as it relates to the past >> and the future. Some things in the virtual could happen but may never >> happen. He's not talking about alternate realities or multiple >> futures. That seems like we are choosing between a number of already >> pre-determined paths. Instead, we are moment by moment making (or not >> making) what will become the past. The virtual isn't even "recognized >> potential," becauase recognized potential has already become real. >> >> >> >>> I agree with you here. What is the difference between Bergson's virtual, >>> though, and the future? >>> >>> - Alan >>> >>> On Thu, 14 Oct 2010, Curt Cloninger wrote: >>> >>>>> For me, all these terms, including 'virtual' and 'real' are rife with >>>>> problems based on categoricity and ideology - for example following >>>>> someone like Lingis, I think we're inscribed, that inscription >>>>>and culture >>>>> goes all the way up and down, we're permeated, we construct (local) >>>>> meaning the best we can, we find our way the best we can (sloughing into >>>>> Wittgenstein or some such). >>>> >>>> Hi Alan, >>>> >>>> Bergson's "virtual" seems less problematic ideologically, because it >>>> literally, historically hasn't happened. Once it happens (if it ever >>>> does), it then gets codified, historicized, analyzed, categorized, >>>> etc. Until then, who knows how it will fit in ideologically (or what >>>> it even is)? This could be one argument for letting practice lead. An >>>> art practice finds its way in dialogue with materials that are >>>> themselves in dialogue with the world -- a different kind of dialogue >>>> than philosophy's dialogue with the world. >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> NetBehaviour mailing list >>>> [email protected] > >>> http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >>> == >>> email archive: http://sondheim.rupamsunyata.org/ >>> webpage http://www.alansondheim.org >>> music archive: http://www.espdisk.com/alansondheim/ >>> == >>> _______________________________________________ >>> NetBehaviour mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour >> >> _______________________________________________ >> NetBehaviour mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour >> >> > > >== >email archive: http://sondheim.rupamsunyata.org/ >webpage http://www.alansondheim.org >music archive: http://www.espdisk.com/alansondheim/ >== >_______________________________________________ >NetBehaviour mailing list >[email protected] >http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour _______________________________________________ NetBehaviour mailing list [email protected] http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour
