File spoon-archives/bourdieu.archive/bourdieu_1999/bourdieu.9905, message 46


From: S.Pines-Martin-AT-iaea.org
Subject: RE: Bourdieu died today.
Date: Wed, 19 May 1999 10:20:49 +0200


As a "normal lazy bum at work killing time on the net" I wonder what sense
it makes to make this difference between talking (only) about theory on the
list and talking about "action" (especially) --mostly because action is not
primarily something that you talk about; at most, it can be made implicit,
or can be enabled, or suggested, or prompted, in theory (because when you
ACT you are not theorizing; at most, your theorizing may optimize your
actions, and vice-versa). Personally, I too would be concerned about
Bourdieu's health, among the health of many others (my own, for example).
What is amazing is precisely how the problems pointed out to in this mail
--that those who act according to the vision of the social world and of
action in the social world proposed by Pierre Bourdieu are opressed by the
media's single-minded attention to the star, that his death implies falling
out of the media's scope of attention, etc., etc.-- how all these problems
are *reproduced* by being more concerned with the health of Bourdieu than
with the health of what he has brought about in life: the health of that
project lies not in Bourdieu, but in each and everyone who wishes to
continue it, revise it, march forth. This is not to say that we should not
be concerned about a specific (not a SPECIAL - at least most of us don't
personally know him) person's health. It means only: how willing we are to
be fascinated, captivated, to project our aspirations on others who perhaps
helped to spark them.. in short: what bunch of lazy bums we are!  And this
*really* can become very morbose.
That's how I see it. I "got ready for Bourdieu's death" the day I was born.
Long live life! Long live Bourdieu!
Regards,
Sergio

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Jean Christophe Helary [SMTP:helary-AT-eskimo.com]
> Sent:	Wednesday, 19. May 1999 07:31
> To:	bourdieu-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
> Subject:	Bourdieu died today.
> 
> 
> What if France had know that Mitterand had a cancer while he was
> President.
> You might know that in France, when the President is gravely ill he can be
> relieved of duty. Mitterand lied about his health and so was able to stay
> in
> power.
> 
> Of course, Bourdieu's case is quite different. He has no responsability
> that
> would force him to declare his state of health. I believe though that  his
> death would affect a lot of people (scholars included).
> 
> I guess it is important for a man like him to be sure that his "followers"
> credibility will not be affected by his sudden illness or death.
> 
> I remember that case of l'Abbe Pierre in France who was slowly replaced by
> a
> famous person (I don't remember his name though). I guess the process with
> Bourdieu involves a lot more. The importance of Bourdieu (comparable to
> Chomsky ???) in the intelectual/activism field puts a lot more at stake
> than
> an old priest (well, in my point of view).
> 
> I guess a lot of people in the media (the "journalist-intelectuals" as he
> calls them) would be very very quick to dispose of the body and silence
> the
> less famous members of Raison d'Agir for exemple.
> 
> I think the parallel between Bourdieu and Chomsky makes sense in a way.
> Chomsky, as an anarchist does not (seem to) have to project to survive his
> own death, and there is no "official" group that would take over. Bourdieu
> seems to act in a different way. I don't know which of Chomsky or Bourdieu
> is easier to understand, is more useful in our analysis of society or is
> more active to propagate his thought. I just perceive two very different
> ways to use to the media even though they look very similar.
> 
> You of course know that as an intelectual Bourdieu stands on his own. As
> an
> activist though, and contrary to Chomsky, Bourdieu is only a member of
> Raison d'Agir. In fact I remember clearly a few years ago, when RA was
> just
> created that Bourdieu insisted on being considered just as a member and
> not
> as a speaker. I think it is in Le Monde (?) that RA first explained what
> they were and that Bourdieu, even though an important member of the group
> was just a member. Since then, they kept signing their articles Raison
> d'Agir (well, as far as I remember).
> 
> This is directly related to Bourdieu's conception/analysis/usage of the
> media.
> 
> Bourdieu's health or sudden death would affect RA's ability to work in any
> way, because the media is barely allowing them to speak "for" bourdieu. So
> even though as an intelectual he will be still "active", as an activist he
> will be gone. And to a lot of people, it is only this part that matters,
> because most of them don't have the social ability to understand what he
> says. They just see that when he/they talk, the media reacts.
> 
> By the way, talking about Bourdieu and his work (only) on this list is, in
> my opinion, another way to play the game of the media. It looks like a lot
> of us (well, I can't blame anybody) did not see what happened in France
> when
> RA started to act. So we only discuss (when we do) about the "theory", and
> not (well, maybe I missed a lot of posts) about the "action".
> 
> As sociologists, or normal lazy bums at work killing time on the net, we
> also need to address the action side and get ready for Bourdieu's death.
> 
> ps : I am sorry if this mail looks weird. Sometimes I think I'm loosing my
> english ...
> 
> 
> Yours,
> 
> Jean Christophe Helary
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