Date: Sun, 22 Aug 1999 14:27:00 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Hegel and PC


Does anyone here feel like discussing the appropriateness of using Hegel's
master/slave dialectic for postcolonial studies? Simply transplanting that
dialectic onto poco studies appears to me somewhat problematic, for, as I
understand Hegel, in the struggle for recognition, the master values
freedom more than life, whereas the slave values life more than freedom. 
If we apply that model to colonizer/colonized binary, we could be
interpreted as suggesting the colonized "deserve" their status, because
they, unlike the colonizer, are unwilling to risk death in order to be
recognized as a subject. This is not so much a critique of those who are
interesting in the relationship between the two-- more like an inquiry. 
Any thoughts, comments, critiques of my understanding of Hegel, etc? Joe F





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