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 ********************************************************************** Contributions: bourdieu-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu Commands: majordomo-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu Requests: bourdieu-approval-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
Display software: ArchTracker © Malgosia Askanas, 2000-2005