File spoon-archives/bourdieu.archive/bourdieu_1999/bourdieu.9907, message 3


Date: Tue, 06 Jul 1999 18:55:24 -1000
From: Houston Wood <hlwood-AT-aloha.net>
Subject: Bourdieu on Derrida


I have just finished Bourdieu's Distinction and am perplexed by the "vulgar
critique of Derrida," which closes the book. Bourdieu argues that Derrida
is, ultimately, only playing the cultural game of philosophy very well,
producing more philosophy "like a kind of endless fire" without altering
the field of philosophy in any fundamental way.

I don't understand how Bourdieu conceives that his own work is
different--it seems to me to be a cultural production within the field of
sociology and to leave that field basically unaltered (and unescaped). His
frequent explanations of the "problems" with both the subjective and
objective approaches that his own reflexive approach "solves/resolves" is
exemplary of this--who cares about these two approaches or their resolution
except social scientists? Such discussions require participation in the
sociology game, just as Derrida's issues require participation in the
Kantian philosophy game.

Bourdieu's achievement depends on seeing his work as a response to
Durkheim, Merleu-Ponty, Levi-Strauss, and Sartre, to earlier French
sociology, yes? I mean, Bourdieu earns no distinction--doesn't seem
especially smart or interesting--unless one has the cultural capital that
makes one an authorized participant in the professional sociology game.

Bourdieu's critique of Derrida thus seems sophomoric, unless Bourdieu
envisions his own work as somehow escaping or radically transforming the
sociology field in some way. But, from what I know of his institutes and
work in France, he has simply assumed the role as Top Sociologist, maybe
Top Intellectual, in fields/game that are little changed since when Sartre
and Levi-Strauss held these positions in these fields.

Actually, I assume I am misunderstanding something essential, for it seems
unlikely that Distinction (about which I've heard so many raves) could end
in such an obviously ineffective critique of Derrida. Would someone kindly
help me out here? Thanks. 

**********************************************
Houston Wood,  Academic Coordinator for Writing
Hawaii Pacific University, Honolulu, HI 96813
808-544-1118 fax:808-544-0862 hlwood-AT-aloha.net

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