Date: Sat, 14 Dec 1996 13:01:37 -0600 (CST)
From: Omar Nasim <umnasimo-AT-cc.UManitoba.CA>
Subject: Re: Warhol/sci-fi/turnips/sybil


Hello all,
I've been thinking alot about Baudrillard lately and his whole 
"project".  For some reason, his ideas and concepts don't seem to soak 
into my head soo easily.  Maybe its because my head is constituted of 
philosophers from the Classical and Modern periods, and maybe I am just 
one big Blimp from the "Age of Englightment".  Whatever the case, I've 
been wondering about Baudrillards' ontology and the efficient consistency 
between his different terms of being.  I guess his ontology consists of 
almost "nothing" cause there is nothing to consist of.  But I say 
*almost* "nothing" because I think that he MUST consider one and ultimate 
Reality...and this is the Reality of DEATH and DYING.  Death cannot be an 
illusion, death cannot be beaten, and it cannot be positivily controled.  
Death seems to be THE Substance, in Baudrillard's ontology, if it is not, 
then it should.  For all those Baudrillard "professionals" out there, I 
would love to hear what you people think of this, and what Baudrillard 
may have to say about Death.  
Wait! I am still not done...If we look at humanity, there seems to be one 
thing that is equal to all of them, that is freedom from anxiety and 
fears.  These fears or anxieties are real, that is why they are feared.  
IF we deny them, and call them illusory, then we have actually denied the 
very humanity of life, and the very essence of striving.  (Yes I know I 
am starting to sound very existentialist, but maybe thats what is needed 
in Baudrillard's study??)  The question, then, is now does Baudrillard 
accomodate for fear and anxiety and stuff like that???  If this is 
denied, then he is denying US, and thus himself and his work.  May this 
is where "production" comes him.  Production inorder to cease the fears 
of man and woman.  But then again, it seems then as if Baudrillard's 
whole system, is nothing but a critique of the capatalist system of 
thought and production.  Indeed, what a forlorn and despondent philosophy 
B brings to us....The antithesis of which, might be, a optimistic and 
"happy" philosophy, or one that finds the happy medium between the two.  

Thankyou,
Omar Nasim
Just having some fun, in the Postmodern age.....