Date: Sun, 22 Aug 1999 15:33:30 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Hegel and PC



I also had qualms about using the master/slave model for postcolonial
studies.  From my very limited understanding of Hegel, it seems that the
master/slave episode belongs to the pre-rationality stage in the
development of self-consciousness.  Even though Hegel's phenomenology is
meant to be a theory of the essence of consciousness rather than a
historical description of European civilization, I'm under the impression
that he associates "modern" thought with rationality and locates episodes
of master/slave confrontation, Stoicism, Skepticism, and Christianity
before the rise of modern thinking. So, if postcolonial theory attributes
colonialism to the episteme of modernity (or the Enlightenment project), I
wonder whether the master/slave model doesn't look anachronistic here. 

My interpretation of Hegel might be totally wrong, so any correction will 
be appreciated.

chen

On Sun, 22 Aug 1999, Joseph Flanagan III wrote:

> 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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> 


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