zutopia

school shit 12.04.06

so, just got back from this lecture at school. it was a visiting professor from Dublin takin about "whats the use of critical theory".. critical theory is all i study so was very interested to see what she had to say. it was interesting.. she posited that implicit in all critical theory was the longing for a 'good society' and that all critical theory must try to attain a sort of 'transcendent ethics'. it was cool, really positive - for the world of 'critical' theory at least. most of the questions by the professors present (i endedup being only 'student' there), were as to whether or not this 'transcendent ethics' posited on a contextual universal model ignored material, the political etc. She responded that her theory leaves it open to achieve this transcendent ethical object - an as yet impossible object - by any means necessary, per se - imagination, myth etc. this is achieved through a battle of sorts between different theories.

my comment - which ended up being the last one.. was that it need not be a battle between these theories. but working with multiple theories simultaneously, plus myth, and literature, and fucking HIP HOP. i mentioned these theorists laclau & mouffe whom have a theory of ARTICULATION. I have previously written a paper on these guys -- got a 9/10, so think i understood them correctly -- that social movements can come together through a "chain of equivalences" -- communicating, connecting on that which is similar -- equivalent (and thus universal?) in creating something new. i see that same potential within critical theory. we can work with heidigger and derrida, marx and hegel, martin and malcolm, jay-Z and mos def etc. yet, i see every day in the academy (and the world), this BATTLE.. professors battling professors (it gets ugly), walkouts in seminars (ridiculous), bush championing democracy and capitalism, fundameltalists championing an out dated form of Islam.. cuz folks cant move beyond 'the battle', the criticism of one another.. yeah criticism is necessary.. the world is fucked up.. see all of my blogs... but then what is OUR PROJECT.. the criticism of the world is so apparent.. we know its fucked up.. but how do we make it better?? something these folks cant even achieve within their secluded ivory tower. instead they sit around talkin bout another battle or confrontation to attain a 'transcendent ethics'.

i dont know what the answer is, but as we were leaving someone mentioned how sinterklaas holiday was tomorrow.. and i was like well thats something we can all agree on as wrong (getting back to their critical stance;)..and this guy was like no its "gezelig" (cozy, warm etc) -- yeah yeah.. and i admitted that the poems were really nice.. but this guy could not concede to my pain of seeing a slave (who makes the holiday possible via his unpaid labour.. still acting like a slave - go and fetch it for sinterklaas) running around the streets of the netherlands during this season. i said my goodbyes and went to have a cigarette.

it was insane that these people were sitting around in a wood paneled room with dead white men on the walls talking about the need to remain critical "remember suffering" etc. and shoot down any sort of positive solution to make things better, and then turn around and negate my pain over this holiday.. ridiculous.. it makes it really difficult.. the light is not to be found in academia... its on myspace!! i'm half kidding. love you. you keep me sane. really.

posted by z.a.k. @ 7:11 AM