From: "john.simms" <john.simms-AT-wanadoo.fr> Subject: Re: MB: RE:Death's Space reading Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2000 19:47:53 +0100 ----- Original Message ----- From: Linda M. Steer <bg26762-AT-binghamton.edu> To: <blanchot-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu> Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2000 4:07 PM Subject: Re: MB: RE:Death's Space reading > so sorry--it's that middle of the term grading phenomenon. i'll be back > in a week. > linda > > Spaeth, Catherine wrote: > > > > Where'd everybody go? - Catherine > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: owner-blanchot-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu > > [mailto:owner-blanchot-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu]On Behalf Of Spaeth, > > Catherine > > Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2000 10:14 AM > > To: 'blanchot-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu' > > Subject: RE: MB: RE:Death's Space reading > > > > Mike and Kevin - > > > > For most of us, most of the time, negative criticism is easier than > > positive criticism. Unlike the description of a work of art, or > > someone, that we love negative sentiments make words comne quickly, > > encasing that thing or that person in the skin of an ego that can be > > kicked away. In love words well up differently. > > Because of the usual impatience of negative criticism, it took > > me a while to understand Blanchot's writings on Kafka. My own grasp of > > this became more clear in reading "Death as Possibility". Here, Kafka > > is compared to the secular sovreignty of the historical individual whose > > actions are the embodiment of moral character, good or bad. It is a > > figuration in which the act and the fiugure are fused together in > > historical time in such a way that the future, after death, is decided > > by this act and in debt to it the memory of it.But death cannot be > > appropriated by the actions of a lifeand erected into memory in this > > way. It is the absolute limit where the act can no longer take place, > > where negation cannot have the power to kick something away and stand in > > final judgement. > > It is in this way that the figure of the religious icon is > > replaced by the figure of the secular act. Both are "in a profound > > relation with death", making it possible, and in the latter case the > > ultimate act of human freedom from both nature and duty. > > The historical character holds death at a distance by his > > actions, and Kafka, in dying content, holds his character near to > > himself. Both this distancing and this grasping of death are out of > > "the determination to establish death with freedom." > > While Blanchot points to Nietzsche and Heidegger mas well, it is > > Hegel's appeasrance in this essay that is the most intriguing. In my > > understanding of modern philosophy ("after" philosophy) it is Hegel in > > the Philosophy of Right who describes suicide as something more than > > stoic indifference but as that act which (PRIOR to marital consent) > > divides human from animal life. In this essay,k a strong whiff of Hegel > > appears in the conviction that the relation to death that both Kafka and > > the historical character establish is "linked to a transformation of art > > at a time when art is not yet present to itself." Important here is the > > distinction between consciousness and mind - in secular suicide > > consciousness is "that empty power to exchange itself for everything," > > in this case death itself. Upon his suicide, Kirilov will have > > "entirely annexed to his consciousness its own disappearance." > > In contrast to this is Hegel's life of Mind - "the life which > > "does not shun death or keep clear of destruction, but endures its death > > and its death maintains its being." The suicide is the death in which > > "there is much talk of life, but in it is not heard the unheard language > > from which speech emerges like a new gift." > > All of this talk of suiucide is a description of that hinge > > between art and life. It is fundamentally bound to the act. The act > > belongs either to the world, or to the demand of the work in its refusal > > to labor. The former is the act which turns away from death in order to > > grasp it, and the latter is experience. Suicide cxuts at the limit, > > marking the end of a life whose boundaries have been effectively closed > > off from infinity. "I kill myself" holds its faith in this act against > > the powerless force of being. To be human, suicide is necessary, the > > end must be achieved as a goal. But for the work of art, death is its > > origin. It resides in the powerlessness of death, its openness to the > > future. > > A final judgement DOES occur in Blanchot's essay, and as a form > > of criticism it is not a work of art. But important here is the sense > > in which DESCRIPTION is so actively engaged in criticism, dismissive in > > the end on the basis of a writing that suspends judgement in favor of > > experience and the inertia of its arrest. > > > > Catherine Spaeth > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: owner-blanchot-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu > > [mailto:owner-blanchot-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu]On Behalf Of mike > > Sent: Monday, March 06, 2000 10:33 AM > > To: blanchot-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu > > Subject: Re: MB: RE:Death's Space reading > > > > Kevin: > > Your thoughts are useful.... death has great purchase these days. From a > > different perspective, I think of The Refusal in 'The Infinite > > Conversation', > > where in a footnote, Blanchot reflects on the encounter between Lazarus > > and > > Jesus, where Jesus 'masters' death. But is it so simple? > > I need to read more on this, and your thoughts have been helpful. > > > > Also, someone quoted to me the line, 'the dead are effigies of > > themselves' > > (searching for source)... but it ties in with Blanchot's notion of image > > and > > death in Space of Literature (which I think again is in an appendix). > > [Sorry for > > the vagueness - working from home at the moment and text not to hand]. > > If anyone > > can help with the analysis of this that text.... great. > > > > Sorry for the vagueness.... I struggle to formulate a thought on this. > > > > Kevin Fitzgerald wrote: > > > > > Linda, Catherine, Claire, Paul, Edwin, and the MB list, > > > > > > I have been reading and working with "The Work and Death's Space" in > > MB's > > > The Space of Literature. Although there are many facets of the text > > that I > > > have pondered, I have particularly struggled with the difference > > between the > > > death of Igitur and Kirilov. On one hand, Blanchot seems to be > > partially > > > opposed to the 'will-to-power' suicide of Kirilov. On the other hand, > > > though, he seems to commiserate with the tenative 'suicide' of Igitur. > > It > > > seems like Blanchot is making a subtle distinction. However, because > > this > > > essay occurs with The Space of Literature, it might be difficult to > > say that > > > it is an ethical distinction. Perhaps Igitur's 'suicide' merely brings > > him > > > into contact with the impossibility of death... > > > > > > Kevin Fitzgerald > > > > > > Ps. I've written more about this here: > > > http://www.newcollege.edu/poetics/fitzgerald/tragicIVigitur.htm > > > > > > ************************************** > > > ------Original Message------ > > > From: "Spaeth, Catherine" <cspaeth-AT-mgate.uvc.ohio-state.edu> > > > To: "'blanchot-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu'" > > > <blanchot-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu> > > > Sent: February 29, 2000 10:01:49 PM GMT > > > Subject: MB: RE: The Clarity of Fiction > > > > > > MB readers, > > > > > > This essay is in The Siren's Song, ed. Jospovici (Indiana, 1982). > > > > > > I wouldn't mind reading these two essays, Clarity of Fiction and The > > > Work and Death's Space (nice suggestion), side by side. Most of us > > > probably have access to Linda's suggestion already at hand. We'll just > > > take it from there? (Deciding how to proceed in advance seems > > > uncomfortable to me.) > > > > > > Catherine Spaeth > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: owner-blanchot-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu > > > [mailto:owner-blanchot-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu]On Behalf Of Linda > > M. > > > Steer > > > Sent: Monday, February 28, 2000 10:15 AM > > > To: blanchot-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu > > > Subject: Re: MB: RE: Re: reading group > > > > > > Hi, > > > Sorry it has taken me so long to reply--I've been away and can't post > > to > > > the list from my hotmail account. > > > > > > "The Clarity of Fiction" sounds fine to me. Does anyone know where it > > > is published? > > > Any suggestions on how to go about the discussion of it? > > > > > > Next, I would like to read "The Work and Death's Space" in _The Space > > of > > > Literature_, if anyone else is interested. > > > > > > thanks, > > > Linda > > > > > > Spaeth, Catherine wrote: > > > > > > > > Paul, Edwin and Linda - > > > > > > > > I haven't yet gotten a response, and was wondering if we could read > > an > > > > essay called "The Clarity of Fiction." It is an important essay in > > > > relation to abstraction, I've read it once and I loved it. Would > > love > > > > to read it again with others. > > > > > > > > Catherine Spaeth > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: owner-blanchot-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu > > > > [mailto:owner-blanchot-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu]On Behalf Of Paul > > > Wake > > > > Sent: Friday, February 25, 2000 10:31 AM > > > > To: blanchot-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu > > > > Subject: MB: Re: reading group > > > > > > > > Linda > > > > > > > > I am also interested in your proposed reading group. I am in the > > > first > > > > year > > > > of my PhD which is in English literature. I am interested in the > > > > (im)possibility of death as it relates to death in the modern novel. > > > > I've > > > > just started looking at The Infinite Conversation but I'd be > > > interested > > > > in > > > > other texts. Please let me know what you decide to read. > > > > > > > > Paul Wake > > > > > > ----------------------------------------------- > > > FREE! The World's Best Email Address -AT-email.com > > > Reserve your name now at http://www.email.com > > > > -- > > Dr Michael Purcell > > Faculty of Divinity > > New College, > > University of Edinburgh > > Mound Place, > > EDINBURGH > > EH1 2LX > > Scotland > > > > 'phone: (+44) (0) 131. 650. 8940 > > 'phone/fax: (+44) (0) 1324. 621038 (home) > > e-mail: M.Purcell-AT-ed.ac.uk > > http: www.div.ed.ac.uk/purcellweb.html
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