File spoon-archives/foucault.archive/foucault_2000/foucault.0009, message 12


From: "Anonymous" <rhizome85-AT-home.com>
Subject: Re: Canon
Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2000 20:23:48 -0700


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I have no response to the Elephant poem other than that I intend on reading it thoroughly a few times more so that I can absorb all of it. I personally think it's wonderful--the metaphors seem almost inexhaustible--an excellent topic of discussion indeed. Thanks for the great post :)

Also--somebody post some cites! See below:

>i would suggest delving into ethnographic literature. You find the themes
>of those such as Foucault, Deleuze, etc but in a very applied method.

>Also,
>why not read things that were not necessary intended to locate themselves
>anywhere, such as medical records or police documentation or some more
>obscure political philosophy or even student/worker writings from the May
>'68 event?

I especially like the 1968 and ethnography ideas. I think everyone would be really grateful if someone could post some 5/68 cites!

> Then the discussion group could investigate new ways of reading
>those texts.

An excellent idea as well :) I don't know that the members of the group would be particularly interested, but I know I would.

> Remember: Foucault never intended on being canonicized (word?)
>necessarily. His research was very specific and directed. Leave the
>comfort of the canon to Derrida, who finds genealogy not in specific
>research like foucault, but in Aristotle, Nietzsche and Plato. :)

I think Foucault is being canonized. People like Taylor are trying to distill his philosophy down to a set of concepts and sort of inscribe him in the discipline (and also criticize him). I (while I am embarassed to say this) find obscure meditations on consciousness often more interesting than "post-structuralism's seminal work."

Thanks for a WONDERFUL post!

HTML VERSION:

I have no response to the Elephant poem other than that I intend on reading it thoroughly a few times more so that I can absorb all of it. I personally think it's wonderful--the metaphors seem almost inexhaustible--an excellent topic of discussion indeed. Thanks for the great post :)
 
Also--somebody post some cites! See below:
 
>i would suggest delving into ethnographic literature. You find the themes
>of those such as Foucault, Deleuze, etc but in a very applied method.
 
>Also,
>why not read things that were not necessary intended to locate themselves
>anywhere, such as medical records or police documentation or some more
>obscure political philosophy or even student/worker writings from the May
>'68 event?
 
I especially like the 1968 and ethnography ideas. I think everyone would be really grateful if someone could post some 5/68 cites!
 
> Then the discussion group could investigate new ways of reading
>those texts.
 
An excellent idea as well :) I don't know that the members of the group would be particularly interested, but I know I would.
 
> Remember: Foucault never intended on being canonicized (word?)
>necessarily. His research was very specific and directed. Leave the
>comfort of the canon to Derrida, who finds genealogy not in specific
>research like foucault, but in Aristotle, Nietzsche and Plato. :)
 
I think Foucault is being canonized. People like Taylor are trying to distill his philosophy down to a set of concepts and sort of inscribe him in the discipline (and also criticize him). I (while I am embarassed to say this) find obscure meditations on consciousness often more interesting than "post-structuralism's seminal work."
 
Thanks for a WONDERFUL post!

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