File spoon-archives/postanarchism.archive/postanarchism_2003/postanarchism.0307, message 44


Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2003 14:19:56 -0400
From: "Shawn P. Wilbur" <swilbur-AT-wcnet.org>
Subject: [postanarchism] on more practical terms


"An invitation leaves one free. Otherwise, it becomes
constraint. It should
never imply: you are obliged to come, you have to come, it
is necessary. But
the invitation must be pressing, not indifferent. It should
never imply: you
are free not to come and if you don't come, never mind, it
doesn't matter.
Without the pressure of some desire--which at once says
"come" and leaves,
nevertheless, the other his absolute freedom--the invitation
immediately
withdraws and becomes unwelcoming. It must therefore split
and redouble itself
at the same time, a once leave free and take hostage: double
act, redoubled
act."
        -- Jacques Derrida, "Passions: 'An Oblique
Offering'"

To cut to the chase: what happens when we attempt to apply
this sort of undertanding to the sorts of real invitations
that structure our lives - "sleep with me," to take one
example - ? When happens when we don't?

-shawn


   

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