This text analyzes the "disappearance of rituals" in contemporary society, arguing that this loss leads to an erosion of community, an increase in narcissism, and a destabilization of life due to the pervasive "compulsion of production." It explores how rituals, as symbolic acts of making oneself "at home in the world," provide structure, meaning, and durability, which are being replaced by transient information, constant consumption, and self-referential performance.
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vyang chulhan
The Disappearance of rituals
a topology of the present
translated by Daniel stoyer contents
contents
preliminary remark
1. the compulsion of production
to the compulsion of authenticity
three rituals of closure
four festivals and religion.5 a game of
life and death .6 the end of History 7
the Empire of signs point eight from
dueling to drone Wars .9 from myth to
dataism.10 from seduction to porn
preliminary remark
the present essay is not animated by a
desire to return to Ritual
rather rituals serve as a background
against which our present times may be
seen to stand out more clearly
avoiding Nostalgia iSketch a genealogy
of their disappearance a disappearance
which however I do not interpret as an
emancipatory process
along the way the pathologies of the
present day will become visible most of
all the erosion of community
at the same time I offer Reflections on
different forms of life that might be
able to free our society from its
Collective narcissism
the compulsion of production
rituals are symbolic Acts
they represent and pass on the values
and orders on which a community is based
they bring forth a community without
communication today however
communication without Community prevails
rituals are constituted by symbolic perception
perception
symbol Greek symbolin originally
referred to the sign of recognition
between guest Friends tessera Hospital Alice
Alice
one guest friend broke a clay tablet in
two kept one half for himself and gave
the other half to another as a sign of
guest friendship
thus a symbol serves the purpose of recognition
recognition
this recognition is a particular form of repetition
repetition
but what is recognition
it is surely not merely a question of
seeing something for the second time
nor does it imply a whole series of encounters
encounters recognition
recognition
means knowing something as that with
which we are already acquainted
the unique process by which man makes
himself at home in the world to use a
hegelian phrase is constituted by the
fact that every Act of recognition of
something has already been liberated
from our first contingent apprehension
of it and is then raised into ideal lighting
lighting
this is something that we are all
familiar with
recognition always implies that we have
come to know something more
authentically than we were able to do
when caught up in our first encounter
with it
recognition elicits the permanent from
the transient
symbolic perception as recognition is a
perception of the permanent the world is
shorn of its contingency and acquires durability
durability
today the world is symbol poor
data and information do not possess
symbolic force and so do not allow for recognition
recognition
those images and metaphors which found
meaning and community and stabilize life
are lost in symbolic emptiness
the experience of duration diminishes
and contingency dramatically proliferates
proliferates
we can Define rituals as symbolic
techniques of making oneself at home in
the world
they transform being in the world into a
being at home
they turn the world into a reliable place
place
they are to time what a home is to space
they render time habitable
they even make it accessible like a house
house
they structure time furnish it
in his novel Citadel Antoine de Saint X
Super E describes rituals as temporal
techniques of making oneself at home in
the world
and our immemorial rights are in time
what the dwelling is in space
for it is well that the years should not
seem to wear us away and disperse us
like a handful of sand rather they
should fulfill us
it is meat that time should be a
building up
thus I go from one feast day to another
from anniversary to anniversary from
Harv's tide to Harv's tide as when a
child I made my way from the Hall of
council to the restroom within my
father's Palace where every footstep had
a meaning
today time lacks a solid structure
it is not a house but an erratic stream
it disintegrates into a mere sequence of
point-like presences it rushes off
there is nothing to provide time with
any hold halt
time that rushes off is not habitable
rituals stabilize life
to paraphrase Antoine Saint X Supreme we
may say rituals are in life what things
are in space
for Hannah errant it is the durability
of things that gives them their relative
independence from Men
they have the function of stabilizing
human life
their objectivity lies in the fact that
men their ever-changing nature
notwithstanding can retrieve their
sameness that is their identity by being
related to the same chair and the same table
table
in life things serve as stabilizing
resting points
rituals serve the same purpose
through their self-sameness their
repetitiveness they stabilize life
they make life last halt bar
the Contemporary compulsion to produce
Rob's things of their endurance halt
Market it intentionally erodes duration
in order to increase production to force
more consumption
lingering however presupposes things
that endure
if things are merely used up and
consumed there can be no lingering
and the same compulsion of production
destabilizes Life by undermining what is
enduring in life
thus despite the fact that life
expectancy is increasing production is
destroying life's endurance
a smartphone is not a thing in Aaron's sense
sense
it lacks a very self-sameness that
stabilizes life
it is also not a particularly enduring object
object
it differs from a thing like a table
which confronts me in itself sameness
the content displayed on a smartphone
which demands our constant attention is
anything but self-same the quick
succession of bits of content displayed
on a smartphone makes any lingering impossible
impossible
the restlessness inherent in the
apparatus makes it a non-thing
the way in which people reach for their
smartphones is also compulsive
but things should not compel Us in this way
way
forms of ritual such as manners make
possible both beautiful Behavior among
humans and a beautiful gentle treatment
of things
in a ritual context things are not
consumed or used up or broke but used gibralt
gibralt
thus they can also become old
under the compulsion of production by
contrast we behave towards things even
towards the world as consumers rather
than as users
in return they consume us
Relentless consumption surrounds us with
disappearance thus destabilizing life
ritual practices ensure that we treat
not only other people but also things in
beautiful ways that there is an affinity
between us and other people as well as things
things
Mass teaches the priests to handle
things in beautiful ways the gentle
holding of the chalice and the host the
slow cleaning of the receptacles the
Turning of the books pages
and the result of the beautiful handling
of things a spirit-lifting gaiety
today we consume not only things
themselves but also the emotions that
are bound up with things
you cannot consume things endlessly but
emotions you can
thus emotions open up a new field of
infinite consumption
the emotionalization of Commodities and
the associated aestheticization of
Commodities are subject to the
compulsion of production
their function is to increase
consumption and production
as a consequence the aesthetic is
colonized by the economic
emotions are more fleeting than things
they therefore do not stabilize life
in consuming emotions we do not relate
to things but to ourselves
what we seek is emotional authenticity
thus the consumption of emotion
strengthens the narcissistic
relationship to ourselves
the relationship to the world that we
have by way of the mediation of things
is thereby increasingly lost
values today also serve as things for
individual consumption
they become commodities
values such as Justice Humanity or
sustainability are exploited for profit
one fair trade Enterprise has the slogan
change the world while drinking tea
changing the world through consumption
that would be the end of the revolution
nowadays one can purchase vegan shoes or
clothes soon there will probably be
vegan smartphones too
neoliberalism often makes use of
morality for its own ends
moral values are consumed as marks of Distinction
Distinction
they are credited to the ego account
appreciating the value of self
they increase our narcissistic self-respect
self-respect
through values we relate not to
community but to our own egos
the symbol the tessera hospital Alice
seals the alliance between the guest friends
friends
the word symbolin is situated
within the semantic Horizon of relation
wholeness and salvation
according to the myth related by
Aristophanes in Plato's Symposium humans
were originally globular beings with two
faces and four legs
because they were so unruly Zoo sought
to weaken them by dividing them into
ever since their division humans have
been symbola longing for their other
half longing for a healing wholeness
the Greek symbol and thus means to bring together
together
rituals are also symbolic practices
practices of symbolan in the sense that
they bring people together and create an
alliance a wholeness a community
symbolism as a medium of community is
gradually disappearing
the symbolization and ritualization
condition one another
the social Anthropologist Mary Douglas
notes with amazement
one of the gravest problems of our day
is the lack of commitment to common symbols
symbols
if it were merely a matter of our
fragmentation into small groups each
committed to its proper symbolic forms
the case would be simple to understand
but more mysterious is a widespread
explicit rejection of rituals as such
ritual has become a bad word signifying
empty conformity
we are witnessing a revolt against
formalism even against form
The Disappearance of symbols points
towards the increasing atomization of society
society
at the same time Society is becoming
increasingly narcissistic
the narcissistic process of
internalization develops an aversion to form
form
objective forms are avoided in favor of
subjective States
rituals of eight narcissistic interiority
interiority
the eagle libido
cannot attach itself to them
those who devote themselves to rituals
must ignore themselves
rituals produce a distance from the self
a self-transcendence
they psychologize and internalize those
enacting them
symbolic perception is gradually being
replaced by a Serial perception that is
incapable of producing the experience of duration
duration
serial perception the constant
registering of the new does not linger
rather it rushes from one piece of
information to the next from one
experience to the next from one
sensation to the next without ever
coming to closure
watching film series is so popular today
because they conform to the habit of
Serial perception
at the level of media consumption this
habit leads to binge watching to
Comatose viewing
while symbolic perception is intensive
serial perception is extensive
because of its extensiveness serial
perception is characterized by shallow attention
attention
intensity is giving way everywhere to extensity
extensity
digital communication is extensive
communication it does not establish
relationships only connections
the neo-liberal regime pushes serial
perception reinforces the serial habitus
it intentionally abolishes duration in
order to drive more consumption
the permanent process of updating which
has now extended to all areas of life
does not permit the development of any
duration or allow for any completion
the ever-present compulsion of
production leads to a dehousing
anthazone making life more contingent
transient and unstable
but dwelling requires duration
attention deficit disorder results from
a pathological intensification of Serial perception
perception
perception is never at rest it has lost
the capacity to linger
the cultural
technique of deep attention emerged
precisely out of ritual and religious practices
practices
it is no accident that religion is
derived from religira to take note
every religious practice is an exercise
in attention
a temple is a place of the highest
degree of attention
according to malabrank attention is the
natural prayer of the Soul
today the soul does not pray
it is permanently producing itself
today many forms of repetition such as
learning by heart are scorned on account
of the supposed stifling of creativity
and Innovation they involve
the expression to learn something by
heart like the French operandra p a r
Kerr tells us that apparently only
repetition reaches the heart
in the face of increasing rates of
attention deficit disorder the
introduction of ritual studies as a
school subject has recently been
advocated as a means of Reviving The
Exercise of ritual repetition as a
cultural technique
repetition stabilizes and deepens attention
attention
rituals are characterized by repetition
repetition differs from routine in its
capacity to create intensity
what is the origin of the intensity that
characterizes repetition and protects it
against becoming routine
for Kierkegaard repetition and
recollection represent the same movement
but in opposite directions because what
is recollected has already been and is
thus repeated backwards whereas genuine
repetition is recollected forwards
repetition as a form of recognition is
therefore a form of completion
past and present are brought together
into a living present
as a form of completion repetition
founds duration and intensity
it ensures that time lingers
Kierkegaard takes repetition to be
opposed to Hope as well as to recollection
recollection
hope is new attire stiff and starched
and splendid
still since it has not yet been tried on
one does not know whether it will suit
one or whether it will fit
recollection is discarded clothing which
however lovely it might be no longer
suits one because one has outgrown it
repetition is clothing that never
becomes worn that fits snugly and
comfortably that neither pulls nor hangs
too loosely
it is Kierkegaard writes only the new of
which one tires
one never tires of the old
the old is the daily bread that
satisfies through blessing
it brings happiness and only a person
who does not delude himself that
repetition ought to be something new for
then he tires of it is genuinely happy
The Daily Bread provides no stimuli
stimuli quickly pale
repetition discovers intensity in what
provides no stimuli in the
unprepossessing in the Bland
the person who expects something new and
exciting all the time by contrast
overlooks what is already there
the meaning that is the path can be repeated
repeated
you do not grow tired of the path
I can only repeat something altogether
uneventful that was yet accompanied by
something in the corner of my eyes that
pleased me the light of the day or the
dusk even a sunset is already event-like
and unrepeatable I cannot even repeat a
particular light or a dusk but only a
path and must be prepared for all the
stones on it even the new ones
chasing new stimuli excitement and
experience we lose the capacity for repetition
repetition
the neoliberal dispositives of
authenticity Innovation and creativity
involve a permanent compulsion to seek
the new but they ultimately only produce
variations of the same
the old what once was and what allows
for a fulfilling repetition is expunged
because it opposes the logic of
intensification that pertains to production
production
repetition by contrast stabilizes life
its characteristic trait is the making
at home in the world Dane haasung
the new quickly deteriorates into routine
routine
it is a commodity that is used up and
arouses the need for the new again
the compulsion to reject routines
produces more routines
the temporal logic inherent in the new
means that it quickly Fades into routine
it does not allow for a fulfilling repetition
repetition
the compulsion of production as the
compulsion to seek the new only gets us
deeper into the Quagmire of routine
in order to escape routine to escape
emptiness we consume ever more new
things new stimuli and experiences
it is precisely the feeling of emptiness
which Spurs communication and consumption
consumption
the intense life advertised by the
neo-liberal regime is in truth simply a
life of intense consumption
in the face of an illusory intense life
we must consider the possibility that
there may be another form of life that
is more intense than that of constant
consumption and communication
rituals bring forth a community in which
resonances occur one that is capable of
a cord of a common rhythm
rituals produce socio-cultural axes of
resonance along which may be experienced
three different kinds of resonant
relationship vertical E.G to the gods
the cosmos time or eternity horizontal
within one social community and diagonal
with respect to things
without resonance we are thrown back
onto ourselves isolated
increasing narcissism works against the
experience of resonance
resonance is not an echo of the self the
dimension of the other is inherent in it
it means a court
where resonance disappears completely
depression arises
today's crisis of community is a crisis
of resonance
digital communication channels are
filled with Echo Chambers in which the
voices we hear are mainly our own
likes friends and followers do not
provide us with resonance they only
strengthen the Echoes of the self
rituals are processes of embodiment and
bodily performances
in them the valid order and values of a
community are physically experienced and solidified
solidified
they are written into the body
Incorporated that is physically internalized
internalized
thus rituals create a bodily knowledge
and memory an embodied identity a bodily connection
connection
a ritual Community is a communal body
corpuscaft and there is a bodily
Dimension inherent to community
to the extent that it exerts a
disemboding influence digitalization
weakens common ties
digital communication is disembodied communication
communication
ritual acts also include feelings but
the bearer of these feelings is not the
isolated individual
in a ritual of mourning for instance the
morning is an objective feeling a
collective feeling
it is impersonal
Collective feelings have nothing to do
with individual psychology
in a ritual of mourning the community is
the actual subject that Mourns
faced with the experience of loss the
community imposes the mourning upon itself
itself
such Collective feelings consolidate a community
community
the increasing atomization of society
also takes hold of its emotional world
world
the formation of collective feelings
becomes less frequent
instead fleeting affects and emotions
the states of isolated individuals predominate
predominate
unlike emotions and effects feelings can
be Collective
digital communication however is
predominantly effect based it tends
towards the immediate outpouring of affect
affect
Twitter is an effective medium and the
politics based on it is an effective politics
politics
politics is reason and mediation reason
which is time intensive is currently
being replaced by immediate affect
the neoliberal regime isolates people
while at the same time invoking empathy
because it is a resonant body however
ritual Community does not require empathy
empathy
the demand for empathy can be heard in
particular in atomized societies
the present hype surrounding the concept
has primarily economic causes empathy is
used as an efficient means of production
it serves the purpose of emotionally
influencing and directing people
under the neo-liberal regime a person is
not only exploited during working hours
rather the whole person is exploited
in this context emotional management
turns out to be more effective than
rational management
the former reaches deeper into a person
than does the latter
neoliberal psychopolitics attempts to
elicit positive emotions and to exploit them
them
in the final analysis it is freedom
itself that is here being exploited
in this respect neoliberal
psychopolitics differs from the
biopolitics of industrial modernity
which operates through disciplinary
compulsion and command
digital communication is increasingly
developing into communication without community
community
the neoliberal regime encourages
communication without community
by isolating everyone as the producer of
him or herself
producing is derived from the Latin verb
producera meaning presenting or making visible
visible
like the French Purdue it still carries
the meaning of presenting
s e Prader means to play to the gallery
the colloquial German expression sich
purdozeran probably has the same etymology
etymology
today we are constantly and compulsively
playing to the gallery
this is especially the case for instance
on social media the social is coming to
be completely subordinated to self-production
self-production
everyone is producing him or herself in
order to Garner more attention
the compulsion of self-production leads
to a crisis of community
the so-called community that is today
invoked everywhere is an atrophied
Community perhaps even a kind of
commodified and consumerized community
it lacks the symbolic power to bind
people together
communication without Community can be
accelerated because it is additive
rituals by contrast our narrative
processes that do not allow for acceleration
acceleration
symbols stand still
this is not the case with information
information exists by circulating
Stillness only means that communication
ceases stand still
it does not produce anything
in the post-industrial age the noise of
the machines gives way to the noise of communication
communication
more information and more communication
holds out the promise of more production
thus the compulsion of production
expresses itself in the compulsion of communication
communication
the compulsion of production brings with
it the compulsion to perform well
performance differs from labor in libido
economical terms
in the case of Labor the ego need not
take Center Stage
in the case of performance however the
ego relates specifically to itself
it not only
produces an object it produces itself
someone who is absorbed by object libido
does not produce but rather exhausts him
or herself
the narcissistic relation to the
self-constitutes the performance
the ego libido rules over the Performing subject
subject
the better it performs the more ego it gains
gains
Freud we know Associated the ego libido
with the Death Drive
the narcissistic subject of performance
breaks apart because of a fatal
accumulation of ego libido it exploits
itself voluntarily and passionately
until it breaks down
it optimizes itself to death
its failing is called depression or burnout
burnout
in a society governed by ritual there is
no depression
in such a society the soul is fully
absorbed by ritual forms it is even
emptied out
rituals contain aspects of the world and
they produce in us a strong relationship
to the world
depression by contrast is based on an
excessive relation to self
wholly incapable of leaving the self
behind of transcending ourselves and
relating to the world we withdraw into
our shells
the world disappears
we circle around ourselves tortured by
feelings of emptiness
rituals by contrast disburden the ego of
the self the psychologizing and
internalizing the ego
hierarchies and power relations are
often inscribed in rituals
by means of their aesthetic aspects
rituals can also lend a certain Aura to domination
domination
but they are in essence symbolic
practices of making at home in the world
Roland barths also conceives of rituals
and ceremonies from the perspective of
making at home in the world
they protect us he says against the
abysses of being ceremony
protects like a house something that
allows one to live in one's feelings
example morning
the ceremony of mourning acts like a
varnish protects insulates the skin
against the atrocious Burns of mourning
when there are no rituals to act as
protective measures life is wholly unprotected
unprotected
the compulsion of production cannot cope
with this transcendental lack of
protection and lack of being at home
which It ultimately exacerbates
the compulsion of authenticity
the Society of authenticity is a
performance Society
all members perform themselves
all produce themselves
everyone pays homage to The Cult of the
self the worship of Self in which
everyone is his or her own priest
Charles Taylor credits the modern Cult
of authenticity with a moral Force
being true to myself means being true to
my own originality and that is something
only I can articulate and discover
in articulating it I am also defining myself
myself
I am realizing a potentiality that is
properly my own
this is the background understanding to
the modern ideal of authenticity and to
the goals of self-fulfillment or
self-realization in which it is usually couched
couched
this is the background that gives moral
Force to the culture of authenticity
including its most degraded absurd or
trivialized forms
the creation of self however must not be
self-centered it has to take place
against the backdrop of a social Horizon
of meaning that gives the act of
self-creation irrelevance that
transcends the self
only if I exist in a world in which
history or the demands of nature or the
needs of my fellow human beings or the
duties of citizenship or the call of God
or something else of this order matters
crucially can I define an identity for
myself that is not trivial
authenticity is not the enemy of Demands
that emanate from Beyond the self it
supposes such demands
from this perspective authenticity and
Community are not mutually exclusive
Taylor distinguishes between the form
and content of authenticity
self-referentiality only concerns its
form namely the form of self-fulfillment
according to Taylor its content by
contrast must not be self-centered
authenticity only proves itself in so
far as the identity created contains an
explicit reference to a community and so
is able to hold true independent of
one's own self
contrary to Taylor's assumptions however
authenticity is in fact the enemy of community
community
the narcissism of authenticity
undermines community
in terms of its content what is crucial
is not its reference to a community or
some other higher order but its market
value which effaces all other values
thus the form and content of
authenticity coincide both concern the self
self
The Cult of authenticity shifts the
question of identity from society to the
individual person
within the cult of authenticity the
production of self becomes
a permanent activity
authenticity thus atomizes Society
Taylor's moral justification of
authenticity ignores that subtle process
within the neoliberal regime by which
the ideas of freedom and
self-realization are transformed into
vehicles for more efficient exploitation
the neoliberal regime exploits morality
once it is able to present itself as
Freedom domination becomes complete
authenticity is a neoliberal form of production
production
you exploit yourself voluntarily in the
belief that you are realizing yourself
in the cult of authenticity the
neoliberal regime appropriates the
person himself and turns him into a
highly efficient site of production
the whole person is incorporated into
the production process
The Cult of authenticity is an obvious
sign of the decay of the social
when some one person is judged to be
authentic or when society as a whole is
described as creating problems of human
authenticity the language reveals one
way in which social action is being
devalued in the process of placing more
weight on psychological matters
the compulsion of authenticity leads to
narcissistic introspection a permanent
occupation with one's own psychology
communication is also organized psychologically
psychologically
the Society of authenticity is a society
of intimacy and exposure
the nudism of the Soul into which we are
encouraged lends Society a pornographic character
character
social relations are more genuine and
authentic the more intimate they are the
more they reveal what was private
the Society of the 18th century was
still doming Nate by ritual forms of interaction
interaction
the public space resembled a stage a theater
theater
the body also represented a stage
it was addressed puppet without Soul
without psychology that had to be draped
and decorated and fitted out with signs
and symbols
the wig framed the face like a painting
the fashion itself was theatrical and
people were properly in love with Scenic presentations
presentations
a lady's quaffier was also designed as a
scene representing either a historical
event poof a loss or Constance or an
emotion pufo sentiment
these emotions however did not reflect
conditions of the Soul
the emotions were mainly played with
the face itself became a stage on which
various characters were represented with
the help of beauty spots mulches
if they were placed at the corner of the
eye they meant passion
placed on the lower lip they indicated
the frankness of the wearer
the face understood as a stage is
utterly remote from that face we find
presented today on Facebook
the 19th century discovered work and
play became increasingly distrusted
there was now much more work than play
the world resembled a factory rather
than a theater
the culture of theatrical presentation
gave way to the culture of interiority
this development can also be seen in fashion
fashion
stage costumes and ordinary clothes
began to differ more and more
the theatrical element disappeared from fashion
fashion
Europeans started to wear work clothes
never had an age taken itself with more
portenta seriousness
culture ceased to be played
outward forms were no longer intended to
give the appearance the fiction if you
like of a higher ideal mode of life there
there
is no more striking symptom of the
decline of the play Factor Than The
Disappearance of everything imaginative
fanciful fantastic from men's dress
after the French Revolution
in the course of the 19th Century men's
clothes became increasingly homogeneous
they became standardized like work uniforms
uniforms
if the condition of a society can be
read off its fashion then the
increasingly pornographic nature of
fashion reflects an increasingly
pornographic Society
today's fashion has obvious pornographic
traits more flesh is displayed than form
with the rise of the cult of
authenticity tattoos have also become
fashionable again
within a ritual context they symbolize
the alliance between individual and community
community
in the 19th century when tattoos were
very popular especially among the upper
classes the body was still a surface
onto which yearnings and dreams were projected
projected
today tattoos lack any symbolic power
all they do is point to the uniqueness
of the bearer the body is neither a
ritual stage nor a surface of projection
rather it is an advertising space
the neoliberal hell of the same is
populated with tattooed clones
The Cult of authenticity erodes public
space which disintegrates into private spaces
spaces
everyone carries their own private space
with them wherever they go
in public space one has to leave aside
the private and play a role
it is a space for Scenic presentations a theater
theater
the play the drama is essential to it
play acting in the form of manners
conventions and ritual gestures is the
very stuff out of which public rela
shins are formed and from which public
relations derive their emotional meaning
the more social conditions erode the
public forum the more our people
routinely inhibited from exercising the
capacity to play Act
the members of an intimate Society
become artists deprived of an art
today the world is not a theater in
which roles are played and ritual
gestures exchanged but a market in which
one exposes and Exhibits oneself
theatrical presentation gives way to a
pornographic exhibition of the private
sociability and politeness also make
major contributions to theatrical presentation
presentation
they play with the semblance of beauty
and thus require a Scenic theatrical distance
distance
in the name of authenticity or
genuineness the semblance of beauty the
ritual gesture is today discarded as
something purely external
but this genuineness is in truth
crudeness and barbarity
the narcissistic Cult of authenticity is
partly responsible for the increasing
brutalization of society
we live in a culture of the affect
where ritual gestures and manners Decay
affect and emotion gain the upper hand
on social media 2. the scenic distance
that is constitutive of the public
sphere is reduced and the result is
effective communication without distance
the narcissistic Cult of authenticity
makes us blind to the symbolic force of
forms which exert a substantial
influence on emotion and thought
we may imagine a ritual turn that
re-establishes the priority of forms
it would invert the relationship between
inside and outside spirit and body
the body moves the spirit not vice versa
body does not follow Spirit but Spirit
follows body
we may also say the medium produces the message
message
this is the force of ritual
external forms lead to internal changes
thus ritual forms of politeness have
mental effects
the semblance of beauty produces a
beautiful soul not vice versa
polite behavior Can strongly influence
our thoughts
and miming graciousness kindness and
happiness is of considerable help in
combating ill humor and even stomach
aches the movements involved gracious
gestures and smiles do this much good
they exclude the possibility of contrary
movements which express rage Defiance
and sadness
that is why social activities visits
formal occasions and parties are so well liked
liked
it is a chance to imitate happiness and
this kind of Comedy certainly frees us
from tragedy no small accomplishment
politeness is an as if ritual
culture as such is made up of as if rituals
rituals
if we remove the as if gestures in the
name of authenticity or genuineness we
destroy the element of civilization
again in order to feel kindly towards a
person to whom we have been inimical the
only way is more or less deliberately to
smile to make sympathetic inquiries and
to force ourselves to say genial things
one hearty laugh together will bring
enemies into a closer communion of heart
than ours spent on both sides in inward
wrestling with the mental demon of
uncharitable feeling
to wrestle with a bad feeling only pins
our attention on it and keeps it still
fastened in the mind whereas if we act
as if from some better feeling the old
bad feeling soon folds its tent like an
Arab and silently steals away
a ritual of politeness is not an
expression of subjective feeling it is
an objective Act
it resembles a magical invocation that
produces a positive mental state
the culture of authenticity goes hand in
hand with the distrust of ritualized
forms of interaction
only spontaneous emotion that is a
subjective state is authentic
behavior that has been formed in some
way is denigrated as inauthentic or superficial
superficial
in the Society of authenticity actions
are guided internally motivated
psychologically whereas in ritual
society's actions are determined by
externalized forms of interaction
rituals make the world objective they
mediate our relation to the world
the compulsion of authenticity by
contrast makes everything subjective
thereby intensifying narcissistic tendencies
tendencies
today narcissistic disorders are on the
rise because we are increasingly losing
the ability to conduct social
interactions outside the boundaries of
the self
the narcissistic homocytologicus is
captivated by itself caught in an
intricate inwardness
what results is a poverty in world with
the self simply circling around itself thus
thus
homocytologicus falls into a depression
in a culture of raging narcissism
playfulness disappears and life loses
its cheerfulness and exuberance
the culture Retreats from that Holy
sphere of play
the compulsions of work and performance
intensify the profanation of life
the holy seriousness of play gives way
to the profane seriousness of work
James Bond movies also reflect this development
development
they have become more serious and less
playful over time
the most recent ones even forego the
depiction of rituals of Carefree love at
the end
the final scene of Skyfall has a
disturbing effect in this regard Bond
instead of
dedicating himself to Amorous play
simply receives his next assignment from
his Superior mm says to bond
lots to be done
are you ready to get back to work
a stern-faced bond replies with pleasure m
m
with pleasure
the ritual spaces that make possible
playful and ceremonial exuberance have
been eroded
they have become spaces of excess and
extravagance that stand out against
profane everyday life
culture has been made profane
films like La Grande boof would today
only be met with incomprehension
transgression is a general feature of
celebratory ritual
it I.E culture orders and creates
exceptional celebratory situations in
which what may usually be denied now
suddenly seems called for and can be
experienced in ceremonies of
transgression as cheerful sociability as
joyful Triumph or even as wild enthusiasm
enthusiasm
totemistic societies that prohibited the
eating of certain animals provide a
striking example one with which Freud
was familiar
on a particular day of the year the
prohibition is lifted and instead it is
commanded that on that day the totem
Feast must be held a joyful occasion
the profanation of culture brings about
its disenchantment
today the Arts are also increasingly
rendered profane and disenchanted
magic and enchantment the true sources
of art disappear from culture to be
replaced by discourse
the enchanting exterior is replaced with
the true interior the magic signifier
with the profane signified
the place of compelling captivating
forms is taken by discursive content
magic gives way to transpar
in C
the imperative of transparency Fosters
an animosity to form
art becomes transparent with regard to
its meaning
it no longer seduces
the magic Veil is cast off
the forms do not themselves talk
the language of forms of signifiers is
characterized by compression complexity
equivocation exaggeration a high degree
of ambiguity that even reaches the level
of contradiction
these suggest meaningfulness without
immediately being reducible to meaning
all these now disappear and instead we
are confronted with simplified claims
and messages that are artificially
imposed on the work of art
the disenchantment of art makes it
Protestant in nature
it is deritualized as it were and
stripped of its Splendid forms
until the end of the S the spaces in
which art was displayed still looked
like Catholic churches full of colorful
forms and exuberant shapes
since then art societies seem to have
become deeply Protestant focusing on
content and the spoken or written word
art is not a discourse
it produces its effects through forms
and signifiers and not through the signified
signified
the process of internalization destroys
the Arts bringing them closer to
discourse and forsaking the mysterious
outside for the profane inside
the disenchantment of art is a symptom
of narcissism of narcissistic internalization
internalization
Collective narcissism reduces Eros and
disenchants the world
the erotic resources of culture dry up
these resources are also the forces that
hold a community together and Inspire it
to play and to hold festivals
without them Society becomes atomized
rituals and
ceremonies are the genuinely human acts
which allow life to appear to be an
enchanting celebratory affair
their disappearance desecrates and
profanes transforming life into mere survival
survival
we might thus expect a re-enchantment of
the world to create a healing power that
could counteract Collective narcissism
rituals of closure
in a present characterized by an excess
of openings and dissolving boundaries we
are losing the capacity for closure and
this means that life is becoming a
purely additive process
for something to die life must find its
own closure
if life is deprived of any possibility
of closure it will end in non-time
because it rushes from one sensation to
the next even perception is now
incapable of closure
only contemplative lingering is capable
of closure
the closure of the eyes is emblematic of
contemplative closure
the flood of images and information
makes closure of the eyes impossible
in the absence of the negativity of
closure what emerges is an endless
addition and accumulation of the same an
excess of positivity and expressant
proliferation of information and communication
communication
where everything is connected no closure
is possible
the loss of forms of completion that
accompanies overproduction and
over-consumption leads to systemic collapse
collapse
the neoliberal imperative of
optimization and performance does not
allow for any completion
everything is provisional and incomplete
nothing is final and conclusive
it is not only computer software that is
subject to the compulsion of optimization
optimization
all areas of life are subordinated to
its dictates even education
lifelong learning does not involve completion
completion
it amounts only to lifelong production
the neoliberal regime abolishes all
forms of closure and completion in the
name of increased productivity
the way that is capable of joint action
is also a form of closure
today it disintegrates into egos who
voluntarily exploit themselves as
entrepreneurs of their own selves
ties and bonds as forms of closure are
also increasingly cut
flexibility is enforced by the ruthless
destruction of bonds
the isolated subject of performance
exploits itself most efficiently when it
remains open to everything in other
words when it is flexible
the inability to bring about closure is
connected with narcissism
the narcissistic subject feels itself
most intensely not in what it does in
the work completed but in ongoing performance
performance
what is done what is completed exists as
an independent finished object something
independent of the producing subject's self
self
thus the subject avoids bringing
anything to completion
continual escalation of expectations so
that present behavior is never
fulfilling is a lack of closure
the sense of having reached a goal is
avoided because the experiences would be
then objectified they would have a shape
a form and so exist independently of oneself
oneself
thus the quality of a narcissistic
impulse is that it must be a continual
subjective state
the excessive opening up and removal of
boundaries is present at all levels of society
society
it is the imperative of neoliberalism
globalization also dissolves all closed
structures in order to accelerate the
circulation of capital Commodities and information
information
it removes boundaries is its ant or tet
the world turning it into a global market
market
a site or it is a form of closure
the global market is an off-site abort
digital networks also abolish sites
the internet is an off-site too
it is not possible to dwell in it
we surf the net
tourists also travel through the decided world
world
they circulate incessantly like
a careful definition of a place the
Hungarian writer Peter not as describes
a village with an ancient wild pear tree
at its Center as a ritually closed place
ever since I have lived near this
gigantic wild pear tree I have not
needed to go Yonder when I want to look
into the distance or back in time
The Village represents a closed order
it makes lingering possible
thus you do not need to go Yonder
the old wild pear tree is a center of
gravity that creates a deep Unity among
the people
it is where the villagers meet and sing
on warm summer nights quiet singing can
be heard from under the wild pair
the villagers sang quietly
they probably did not want to behave
inappropriately and disturb the night
there is not much to communicate in this
place and so no communicative noise
disturbs the silence
you get the feeling that life here does
not consist of personal experiences
but of a deep keeping of Silence
that is understandable however given
that a human being blessed with
individual Consciousness is permanently
forced to say more than he knows whereas
in a pre-modern environment everyone
says much less than everyone knows
under the pear tree the Villager
indulges in ritual contemplation a
ritual silence and gives his Blessing to
the content of collective consciousness
the rituals of closure stabilize the village
village
they produce a cognitive mapping
something that is dissolved in the
course of digitization and globalization
the villagers are deeply attached to
each other
perception as well as action takes on a
collective form seeing and hearing take
place in common
actions are not assigned to a specific subject
subject
when the village does something or
perceives something neither action nor
perception are those of a subject a
person that is the people involved in an
action or perception are ritually
subsumed and their experiences are
assigned to the generic name that stands
for the place
Collective Consciousness creates a
community without communication
for the villagers there is one story
continuously repeated and this story is
the world they do not have opinions on
this or that but incessantly tell just
one great story
there is a tacit agreement in the
village and nobody disturbs this
agreement with their personal
experiences or opinions
no one tries to be heard or to attract attention
attention
attention is primarily directed at the
community itself
the ritual Community is a community of
common listening and belonging a
community in the quiet Unity of Silence
where such primordial closeness
disappears excessive communication takes
its place
Community without communication gives
way to communication without community
a narrative is a form of closure it has
a beginning and an end and is
characterized by a closed order
information by contrast is additive not narrative
narrative
it does not combine into a story a song
that could form the basis of meaning and identity
identity
information can only be endlessly accumulated
accumulated
beneath the old wild pear tree silence
rules because everything has already
been told
today the noise of communication
replaces the silence
the quietly wistful final line of
bahatsumi or its bestimium reads today
there are no chosen trees and the song
of The Village has faded
the title of the second essay in
bahatsumi or specimyan is Der eigen Todd
one's own death
in it not as describes his own
near-death experience
here death ends in a birth
it is a form of closure
death understood in this way is not an
end not a loss
it is imagined as a new beginning
the death Canal at the end of which a
bright light can be seen becomes the
birth canal
I slipped out of my mother's womb
the oval opening was formed by my
mother's large widened labia which I
know from the perspective of the birth
canal the great labia of my mother who
died decades ago
how they were widened or became more and
more stretched because I came closer in
order to be born
the hour of death turns into the hour of birth
birth
thus there emerges a cyclical connection
between death and birth which creates an infinity
infinity
human life is seen as analogous to that
cyclical time embodied by the wild pear tree
tree
the S8 or hygiene Todd is itself
literally enclosed by more than
photographs of the old wild pear tree
we know that not as as if obsessed took
photos of the tree in all seasons
taking photographs in this case is a
ritual of closure
the photographs create a peculiar
temporal feeling a cyclical time meaning
a time that is closed in itself
not as his village is probably not a
friendly site
we should not expect to find Hospitality
in an archaic Collective
given the possibility of violence
associated with a fundamentalist closure
of sites it would be naive to believe
that closure is invariably positive
the Revival of nationalism today has in
part to do with an urge for a kind of
closure that involves the exclusion of
the other of The Stranger
we should not forget however that both
the negativity of total closure and the
positivity of excessive opening are
forms of violence that lead to counter violence
violence
human beings are creatures of sites or Suisun
Suisun
dwelling staying is only possible where
there is a sight
but a creature of sights is not
necessarily a side fundamentalist or its Fundamentalist
Fundamentalist
being a creature of sites does not rule
out hospitality
the destructive deciding of the World by
the global Smooths out all differences
and permits only variations of the same
otherness the foreign inhibits production
production
thus the global produce is a hell of the same
same
it is this violence of the global in
particular that stirs upside fundamentalism
fundamentalism
culture is a form of closure and so
founds an identity
however culture is not an excluding but
an including identity
it is therefore receptive of what is foreign
foreign
regarding the Genesis of Greek culture
Hegel remarks we have just spoken of
heterogeneity framed articide as an
element of the Greek spirit and it is
well known that the rudiments of Greek
civilization are connected with the
Advent of foreigners
with grateful recollection he says the
Greeks preserved the arrival of the
foreigners in their mythology
Prometheus for instance originates from
the Caucasus
according to Hegel it is a superficial
and absurd idea that such a beautiful
and truly free life can be produced by a
process so incomplex as the development
of a race keeping within the limits of
blood relationship and friendship
rather it is its inherent heterogeneity
framed articide in sich selbst through
which alone it that is the spirit BC
H acquires the power of realizing itself
as spirit
spirit is a closure an enclosing power
which however incorporates the other the foreign
foreign
the inherent heterogeneity is
constitutive of the formation of spirit
in as much as it mindlessly excludes
what is foreign the idea of the light
culture dominant culture often invoked
today is devoid of spirit
as a form of retrotopia it is situated
in the realm of the imaginary
globalization decides culture
it perforates the boundaries of cultural
spaces collapsing them into a
hyperculture cultural spaces overlap and
penetrate each other in juxtaposition
without distance
a hypermarket of culture emerges
hyperculture is a formula for cultural consumption
consumption
culture is offered in commodity form
like Horizon it spreads without
boundaries without Center
not as wild pear tree is precisely a
symbol of a sighted culture
it is the opposite of arizo
a decided hyperculture is additive it is
not a form of closure
the tree is affiliation but the rhizome
is Alliance uniquely Alliance
the tree imposes the verb to be but the
fabric of the rhizome is the conjunction and
and and
this conjunction carries enough Force to
shake and uproot the verb to be
being is the verb for a site
the hypercultural logic of the N sublate zip
zip
the endless conjunction celebrated by
delos is ultimately destructive
it leads to a cancerous proliferation of
the same even to the hell of the same
the cultural Hypermarket does not
contain the foreign
it escapes consumption
the global is not a site for spirit
because Spirit requires inherent heterogeneity
heterogeneity
what is foreign in livens even inspires spirit
spirit
the strengthening of site fundamentalism
the light culture is a reaction to the
global neoliberal hyperculture to
hypercultural non-sightedness
the two cultural formations confront
each other in hostile and irreconcilable
opposition but they have one thing in
common they exclude what is foreign
most of all the abolition of rituals
removes autonomous time eigenzite
this time is familiar to us from the
various stages of life
we are all familiar with this autonomous
time eigenzite d s as we may call it
from our own experience of Life
childhood youth maturity old age and
death are all
basic forms of such autonomous time
the time that allows us to be young or
old is not clock time at all and there
is obviously something discontinuous
about it
rituals give form to the essential
transitions of life
they are forms of closure
without them we slip through
thus we age without growing old or we
remain infantile consumers who never
become adults
the discontinuity of autonomous time
gives way to the continuity of
production and consumption
rights of Passage give structure to life in the same way seasons do
in the same way seasons do whoever passes a certain threshold has
whoever passes a certain threshold has concluded a phase of life and enters
concluded a phase of life and enters into a new one
into a new one thresholds as transitions give a rhythm
thresholds as transitions give a rhythm to articulate and even narrate space and
to articulate and even narrate space and time
time they make possible a deep experience of
they make possible a deep experience of order
order thresholds are temporarily intense
thresholds are temporarily intense transitions
transitions today they are being erased and replaced
today they are being erased and replaced by an accelerated and seamless
by an accelerated and seamless communication and production
communication and production this is making us poorer in space and
this is making us poorer in space and time
time in our attempt to produce more space and
in our attempt to produce more space and time we lose them
time we lose them they lose their language and become mute
they lose their language and become mute thresholds speak
thresholds speak thresholds transform
thresholds transform Beyond a threshold there is what is
Beyond a threshold there is what is other what is foreign
other what is foreign in the absence of the imagination of the
in the absence of the imagination of the threshold the magic of the threshold all
threshold the magic of the threshold all that is left is the hell of the same
that is left is the hell of the same the construction of the global is
the construction of the global is premised on the ruthless destruction of
premised on the ruthless destruction of thresholds and transitions
thresholds and transitions information and commodities prefer a
information and commodities prefer a world without thresholds unresisting
world without thresholds unresisting smoothness accelerates circulation
today temporarily intense transitions are disintegrating into Speedy passages
are disintegrating into Speedy passages continuous links and endless clicks
continuous links and endless clicks festivals and religion
festivals and religion God blessed and Sanctified the seventh
God blessed and Sanctified the seventh day
day the rest enjoyed on the Sabbath
the rest enjoyed on the Sabbath consecrates the work of creation
consecrates the work of creation it is not mere idleness
it is not mere idleness rather it is an essential part of
rather it is an essential part of creation
creation in his commentary on the Book of Genesis
in his commentary on the Book of Genesis Rashi thus remarks after the six days of
Rashi thus remarks after the six days of creation what was still missing from the
creation what was still missing from the universe
universe menu cha in operativity rest
menu cha in operativity rest the Sabbath came the menu cha came and
the Sabbath came the menu cha came and the universe was complete
the universe was complete Sabbath rest does not follow creation it
Sabbath rest does not follow creation it brings creation to completion
brings creation to completion without it the creation would be
without it the creation would be incomplete
incomplete God does not rest on the seventh day
God does not rest on the seventh day simply to recover from the work he has
simply to recover from the work he has done
done rather rest is his nature
rather rest is his nature it completes the creation
it completes the creation it is the essence of the creation
it is the essence of the creation thus when we subordinate rest to work we
thus when we subordinate rest to work we ignore the divine
ignore the divine for Franz rosensweig the Sabbath is the
for Franz rosensweig the Sabbath is the holiday of the creation a holiday of
holiday of the creation a holiday of resting and of closely reflect
resting and of closely reflect Hing a holiday of completion
Hing a holiday of completion most importantly during the Sabbath man
most importantly during the Sabbath man rests his tongue from the everyday Chit
rests his tongue from the everyday Chit Chat and learns silence and listening
Chat and learns silence and listening the Sabbath demands silence the mouth
the Sabbath demands silence the mouth must be closed
must be closed silent listening unites a people and
silent listening unites a people and creates a community without
creates a community without communication
communication for we are united only in Silence the
for we are united only in Silence the word unites but those who are united
word unites but those who are united grow silent therefore the burning mirror
grow silent therefore the burning mirror that collects the sunbeams of Eternity
that collects the sunbeams of Eternity in the tiny cycle of the year the
in the tiny cycle of the year the Liturgy must introduce man into the
Liturgy must introduce man into the silence
silence in the Liturgy 2 of course the mutual
in the Liturgy 2 of course the mutual silence can only be that which is last
silence can only be that which is last and all that precedes is only the
and all that precedes is only the preparatory school for this that comes
preparatory school for this that comes last
last in such an education the word still
in such an education the word still rules
rules the word itself must guide man in so
the word itself must guide man in so that he may learn to grow mutually
that he may learn to grow mutually silent
silent the beginning of this education is that
the beginning of this education is that he may learn to listen
he may learn to listen the Divine commands silence the verb
the Divine commands silence the verb Mayan to initiate means etymologically
Mayan to initiate means etymologically to close notably the eyes but more
to close notably the eyes but more importantly the mouth
importantly the mouth at the beginning of the Sacred rites The
at the beginning of the Sacred rites The Herald would command silence
Herald would command silence epitancy open Dot
epitancy open Dot the silence gives rise to listening
the silence gives rise to listening it is accompanied by a special
it is accompanied by a special receptivity by a deep contemplative
receptivity by a deep contemplative attentiveness
attentiveness today's compulsion of communication
today's compulsion of communication means that we can close neither our eyes
means that we can close neither our eyes nor our mouths
nor our mouths it desecrates life
it desecrates life in the digital world where attention has
in the digital world where attention has a flat structure silence and muteness
a flat structure silence and muteness have no place
have no place silence and muteness require a vertical
silence and muteness require a vertical structure but digital communication is
structure but digital communication is horizontal
horizontal in digital communication nothing
in digital communication nothing protrudes
protrudes nothing deepens
nothing deepens it is not intensive but extensive and
it is not intensive but extensive and this leads to an increase in
this leads to an increase in communicative noise
communicative noise because we cannot remain silent we must
because we cannot remain silent we must communicate
communicate or we cannot remain silent because we
or we cannot remain silent because we are subject to the compulsion of
are subject to the compulsion of communication the compulsion of
communication the compulsion of production
production The Liberation and emancipation from the
The Liberation and emancipation from the word brought about by silence turns back
word brought about by silence turns back into the compulsion of communication
into the compulsion of communication Freedom reverts back into compulsion
Freedom reverts back into compulsion silence is essential to festivals not
silence is essential to festivals not only in the Jewish religion but in
only in the Jewish religion but in religion in general
religion in general it produces a particular intensity of
it produces a particular intensity of life
life and yet rest as opposed to the commotion
and yet rest as opposed to the commotion of everyday life is part of the essence
of everyday life is part of the essence of the festival a silence in which the
of the festival a silence in which the intensity of life and contemplation are
intensity of life and contemplation are united that can even still unite them
united that can even still unite them when the intensity of life grows into
when the intensity of life grows into exuberance
exuberance we have today entirely lost the capacity
we have today entirely lost the capacity for the kind of rest proper to the
for the kind of rest proper to the festival one that is characterized by
festival one that is characterized by both the intensity of life and the
both the intensity of life and the intensity of contemplation
intensity of contemplation life reaches a true intensity at the
life reaches a true intensity at the very moment the Vita Activa which in its
very moment the Vita Activa which in its late modern crisis degenerates into
late modern crisis degenerates into hyperactivity incorporates the Vita
hyperactivity incorporates the Vita contemplativa
contemplativa rest belongs to the sphere of the sacred
rest belongs to the sphere of the sacred work by contrast is a profane activity
work by contrast is a profane activity that must be wholly absent from the
that must be wholly absent from the religious Act
religious Act rest and work represent two
rest and work represent two fundamentally different existential
fundamentally different existential forms
forms they are divided by an ontological even
they are divided by an ontological even a theological difference
a theological difference rest is not merely recovery from work
rest is not merely recovery from work nor is it a preparation for
nor is it a preparation for further work
further work rather it transcends work and it must in
rather it transcends work and it must in no way come into contact with work
no way come into contact with work this is because work is an eminent form
this is because work is an eminent form of profane activity it has no other
of profane activity it has no other apparent and then to provide for the
apparent and then to provide for the temporal necessities of life it puts us
temporal necessities of life it puts us in relations with ordinary things only
in relations with ordinary things only on feast days on the contrary the
on feast days on the contrary the religious life attains an exceptional
religious life attains an exceptional degree of intensity
degree of intensity so the contrast between the two forms of
so the contrast between the two forms of existence is especially marked at this
existence is especially marked at this moment consequently they cannot remain
moment consequently they cannot remain near to each other
near to each other a man cannot approach his God intimately
a man cannot approach his God intimately while he still Bears on him marks of his
while he still Bears on him marks of his profane life inversely he cannot return
profane life inversely he cannot return to his usual occupations when a right
to his usual occupations when a right has just Sanctified him
has just Sanctified him so the ritual day of rest is only one
so the ritual day of rest is only one particular case of the general
particular case of the general incompatibility separating the sacred
incompatibility separating the sacred from the profane
from the profane if rest becomes a form of recovery from
if rest becomes a form of recovery from work as is the case today it loses its
work as is the case today it loses its specific ontological value
specific ontological value it no longer represents an independent
it no longer represents an independent higher form of existence and degenerates
higher form of existence and degenerates into a derivative of work
into a derivative of work today's compulsion of production
today's compulsion of production perpetuates work and thus eliminates
perpetuates work and thus eliminates that sacred silence
that sacred silence life becomes entirely profane desecrated
life becomes entirely profane desecrated as part of the sphere of the profane
as part of the sphere of the profane work individualizes and isolates human
work individualizes and isolates human beings
beings festivals by contrast unite them
festivals by contrast unite them the circular nature of the festival is
the circular nature of the festival is grounded in the fact that as essentially
grounded in the fact that as essentially Collective beings humans regularly feel
Collective beings humans regularly feel the need to unite
the need to unite the circularity of the festival
the circularity of the festival corresponds to the continual alternation
corresponds to the continual alternation between work and rest dispersal and
between work and rest dispersal and assembly
assembly the essential constituent of the cult is
the essential constituent of the cult is the cycle of feast switch return
the cycle of feast switch return regularly at determined epics
regularly at determined epics we are now able to understand whence
we are now able to understand whence this tendency towards periodicity comes
this tendency towards periodicity comes the Rhythm which the religious life
the Rhythm which the religious life follows only expresses the rhythm of the
follows only expresses the rhythm of the social life and results from it
social life and results from it Society is able to revivify the
Society is able to revivify the sentiment it has of itself only by
sentiment it has of itself only by assembling
assembling but it cannot be assembled all the time
but it cannot be assembled all the time the exigencies of Life do not allow it
the exigencies of Life do not allow it to remain in congregation indefinitely
to remain in congregation indefinitely so it scatters to assemble Anew when it
so it scatters to assemble Anew when it again feels the need of this
again feels the need of this it is to these necessary alternations
it is to these necessary alternations that the regular alterations of sacred
that the regular alterations of sacred and profane times correspond
and profane times correspond moreover this rhythm is capable of
moreover this rhythm is capable of varying in different societies
varying in different societies where the period of dispersion is long
where the period of dispersion is long and the dispersion itself is Extreme the
and the dispersion itself is Extreme the period of congregation in its turn is
period of congregation in its turn is very prolonged
very prolonged as forms of play festivals are
as forms of play festivals are self-representations of life
self-representations of life they are characterized by an excess an
they are characterized by an excess an expression of an overflowing life that
expression of an overflowing life that does not aim at a goal
does not aim at a goal this is what lies behind their intensity
this is what lies behind their intensity they are an intense form of life
they are an intense form of life in the festival life relates to itself
in the festival life relates to itself instead of subordinating itself to
instead of subordinating itself to external purposes
external purposes thus time that is completely dominated
thus time that is completely dominated by the compulsion of production the sort
by the compulsion of production the sort of time we inhabit today is a time
of time we inhabit today is a time without Festival
without Festival life becomes impoverished it freezes
life becomes impoverished it freezes into mere survival
into mere survival we celebrate big hen we're a festival
we celebrate big hen we're a festival but it is not possible to celebrate work
but it is not possible to celebrate work diarbezi obiegen
diarbezi obiegen we are able to celebrate big Hannah
we are able to celebrate big Hannah Festival because it stands there as
Festival because it stands there as though it were a building
though it were a building the time of the festival is a Time
the time of the festival is a Time standing still
standing still it does not pass or run out
it does not pass or run out it
it thus makes lingering possible
thus makes lingering possible time as a sequence of transient fleeting
time as a sequence of transient fleeting moments is suspended
moments is suspended there is no goal one walks towards hinge
there is no goal one walks towards hinge hen and it is precisely walking towards
hen and it is precisely walking towards that let's time pass
that let's time pass the celebration big hen of a festival
the celebration big hen of a festival suspends transience virgin
suspends transience virgin the Everlasting unvergon glyces is
the Everlasting unvergon glyces is inherent to the festival
inherent to the festival the time of a festival is exalted time
the time of a festival is exalted time hauxite
hauxite the festival is also the origin of art
the festival is also the origin of art the essence of our temporal experience
the essence of our temporal experience of art is in learning how to tari in
of art is in learning how to tari in this way
this way and perhaps it is the only way that is
and perhaps it is the only way that is granted to us finite beings to relate to
granted to us finite beings to relate to what we call eternity
what we call eternity it is the essence of art that it affords
it is the essence of art that it affords life durability that something can be
life durability that something can be held in our hesitant stay this is what
held in our hesitant stay this is what art has always been and still is today
art has always been and still is today the compulsion of work erodes life's
the compulsion of work erodes life's durability
durability the time of work is a time that passes
the time of work is a time that passes that runs out
that runs out if the time of life fully coincides with
if the time of life fully coincides with the time of work as is the case today
the time of work as is the case today then life itself becomes radically
then life itself becomes radically transient
transient for holderlin the festival is a bridal
for holderlin the festival is a bridal Festival an exalted time humans spend
Festival an exalted time humans spend with the Gods
with the Gods during festivals humans come close to
during festivals humans come close to the Gods
the Gods a festival founds a community among
a festival founds a community among humans and between humans and gods it
humans and between humans and gods it allows humans to participate in the
allows humans to participate in the divine
divine it brings forth intensities
it brings forth intensities the gods embody precisely the
the gods embody precisely the intensities of human life
intensities of human life life that exhausts itself in work and
life that exhausts itself in work and production is an absolutely atrophied
production is an absolutely atrophied life
life exalted time hoxite is also the
exalted time hoxite is also the temporality of schools of higher
temporality of schools of higher education hakshoule
education hakshoule in ancient Greek school is Scully that
in ancient Greek school is Scully that is leisure
is leisure schools of higher education would thus
schools of higher education would thus be schools of higher leisure
be schools of higher leisure today they are no longer places of high
today they are no longer places of high leisure
leisure they have become places of production
they have become places of production factories of human capital
factories of human capital they pursue professional training rather
they pursue professional training rather than formative education Bill Doom
than formative education Bill Doom formative education is not a means to an
formative education is not a means to an end but an end in itself
end but an end in itself through formative education Spirit
through formative education Spirit relates to itself instead of
relates to itself instead of subordinating itself to an external
subordinating itself to an external purpose
purpose the University of the Middle Ages was
the University of the Middle Ages was anything but a place to receive
anything but a place to receive professional training
professional training it was a place of ritual
it was a place of ritual scepters seals doctoral caps chains of
scepters seals doctoral caps chains of office and gownsworthy accouterments of
office and gownsworthy accouterments of academic ritual
academic ritual today universities are abandoning
today universities are abandoning rituals
rituals the modern University understood as a
the modern University understood as a business that has to serve its customers
business that has to serve its customers no longer has any need for them
no longer has any need for them rituals conflict with work and
rituals conflict with work and production and where they are
production and where they are nevertheless reintroduced they are
nevertheless reintroduced they are purely decorative and impotent they are
purely decorative and impotent they are simply opportunities to take selfies or
simply opportunities to take selfies or Revel in one's own achievements
Revel in one's own achievements where everything is subordinated to
where everything is subordinated to production ritual disappears
production ritual disappears today's ceremonies or festivals have
today's ceremonies or festivals have little to do with exalted time
little to do with exalted time they are part of the domain of event
they are part of the domain of event management
management the event the consumerist form of
the event the consumerist form of Festival possesses an altogether
Festival possesses an altogether different temporal structure as can be
different temporal structure as can be seen in the Latin word eventus meaning
seen in the Latin word eventus meaning suddenly coming to the fore
suddenly coming to the fore the temporality of the event is that of
the temporality of the event is that of the eventuality
the eventuality it is accidental arbitrary and
it is accidental arbitrary and non-committal
non-committal rituals and festivals however are
rituals and festivals however are anything but contingent and
anything but contingent and non-committal
non-committal eventuality is the temporality of the
eventuality is the temporality of the Contemporary Society of the event
Contemporary Society of the event it is opposed to The Binding and
it is opposed to The Binding and committal nature of the festival
committal nature of the festival in contrast to festivals events do not
in contrast to festivals events do not create communities
create communities today's popular festivals have become
today's popular festivals have become massive ants and masses are not
massive ants and masses are not communities
communities the neoliberal regime totalizes
the neoliberal regime totalizes production saborate
production saborate nading all areas of life to its dictates
nading all areas of life to its dictates the totalization of production leads to
the totalization of production leads to the total profanation of life
the total profanation of life rest 2 is made to serve production and
rest 2 is made to serve production and is degraded into Leisure and
is degraded into Leisure and recreational time
recreational time it is no longer the beginning of a holy
it is no longer the beginning of a holy period of assembly
period of assembly for some leisure time is empty time and
for some leisure time is empty time and this gives rise to a horror vacuoi the
this gives rise to a horror vacuoi the mounting pressure to perform makes even
mounting pressure to perform makes even recreational pauses impossible
recreational pauses impossible thus many people find that they fall ill
thus many people find that they fall ill during Leisure Time
during Leisure Time this illness has even been given a name
this illness has even been given a name Leisure sickness
Leisure sickness here Leisure Time a Time empty of work
here Leisure Time a Time empty of work becomes a torment
becomes a torment active ritual silence gives way to
active ritual silence gives way to tormenting idleness
tormenting idleness work has a beginning and an end
work has a beginning and an end a period of work is followed by a period
a period of work is followed by a period of rest
of rest performance by contrast has neither an
performance by contrast has neither an end nor a beginning
end nor a beginning there is no period of performance
there is no period of performance the neoliberal imperative of performance
the neoliberal imperative of performance makes work perpetual
makes work perpetual in ritual societies as doer came remarks
in ritual societies as doer came remarks Collective life sometimes takes on an
Collective life sometimes takes on an excessive form a kind of frenzy when the
excessive form a kind of frenzy when the period of work that is the period of
period of work that is the period of dispersion is too long or too extreme
dispersion is too long or too extreme Festival is followed by Festival
Festival is followed by Festival today it is work that has become
today it is work that has become frenzied and the need for festival and
frenzied and the need for festival and assembly is not felt
assembly is not felt thus the compulsion of production leads
thus the compulsion of production leads to the disintegration of community
to the disintegration of community capitalism is often interpreted as a
capitalism is often interpreted as a religion
religion however if religion is understood in
however if religion is understood in terms of religare as something that
terms of religare as something that binds then capitalism is anything but a
binds then capitalism is anything but a religion because it lacks any Force to
religion because it lacks any Force to assemble to create community
assemble to create community money by itself has an individualizing
money by itself has an individualizing and isolating effect
and isolating effect it increases my individual Freedom by
it increases my individual Freedom by liberating me from any personal bond
liberating me from any personal bond with others
with others I can have someone else work for me by
I can have someone else work for me by paying her and this avoids entering
paying her and this avoids entering into a personal relationship
into a personal relationship and what is essential to religion is
and what is essential to religion is contemplative rest but this is the
contemplative rest but this is the antithesis of capital
antithesis of capital never rests
never rests it is its nature that it must always
it is its nature that it must always work and continue moving
work and continue moving to the extent that they lose the
to the extent that they lose the capacity for contemplative rest humans
capacity for contemplative rest humans conform to Capital
conform to Capital the distinction between the sacred and
the distinction between the sacred and the profane is also an essential
the profane is also an essential characteristic of religion
characteristic of religion the sacred unites those things and
the sacred unites those things and values that give Vitality to a community
values that give Vitality to a community the formation of community is its
the formation of community is its essential trait
essential trait capitalism by contrast erases the
capitalism by contrast erases the distinction between the sacred and the
distinction between the sacred and the profane by totalizing the profane
profane by totalizing the profane it makes everything comparable to
it makes everything comparable to everything else and thus equal to
everything else and thus equal to everything else
everything else capitalism brings forth a hell of the
capitalism brings forth a hell of the same
same the religion of Christianity is to a
the religion of Christianity is to a large extent narrative
large extent narrative festivals such as Easter Whitson and
festivals such as Easter Whitson and Christmas are key narrative moments
Christmas are key narrative moments within an overall narrative which
within an overall narrative which provides meaning and orientation
provides meaning and orientation every day is given a narrative tension
every day is given a narrative tension is made meaningful by the overall
is made meaningful by the overall narrative
narrative time itself becomes narrative that is
time itself becomes narrative that is Meaningful
Meaningful capitalism Lacks narrativity
capitalism Lacks narrativity it does not narrate anything
it does not narrate anything ertzoldnicks it merely counts zailed
ertzoldnicks it merely counts zailed it deprives time of all meaningfulness
it deprives time of all meaningfulness time is profaned reduced to labor time
time is profaned reduced to labor time thus all days resemble each other
thus all days resemble each other by equating capitalism and religion
by equating capitalism and religion agamban puts pilgrims and tourists on
agamban puts pilgrims and tourists on the same plane to the faithful in the
the same plane to the faithful in the temple the pilgrims who would travel
temple the pilgrims who would travel across the Earth from Temple to Temple
across the Earth from Temple to Temple from Sanctuary to Sanctuary correspond
from Sanctuary to Sanctuary correspond today the tourists who restlessly travel
today the tourists who restlessly travel in a world that has been abstracted into
in a world that has been abstracted into a museum
a museum in reality pilgrims and tourists belong
in reality pilgrims and tourists belong to entirely separate orders
to entirely separate orders tourists travel through non-sites
tourists travel through non-sites emptied of
emptied of meaning while pilgrims are bound to
meaning while pilgrims are bound to sites that assemble and connect human
sites that assemble and connect human beings
beings the assembly is the characteristic trait
the assembly is the characteristic trait of sites
of sites the site gathers unto itself supremely
the site gathers unto itself supremely and in the extreme
and in the extreme its Gathering Power penetrates and
its Gathering Power penetrates and pervades everything
pervades everything the site the Gathering Power gathers in
the site the Gathering Power gathers in and preserves all it has gathered not
and preserves all it has gathered not like an encapsulating shell but rather
like an encapsulating shell but rather by penetrating with its light all it has
by penetrating with its light all it has gathered and only thus releasing it into
gathered and only thus releasing it into its own nature
its own nature a church is also a place for assembly
a church is also a place for assembly synagogue is derived from the Greek
synagogue is derived from the Greek synergine meaning like symbolan to bring
synergine meaning like symbolan to bring together
together a church is a site where religious
a church is a site where religious rituals are performed in common that is
rituals are performed in common that is where together with others one pays
where together with others one pays attention to the sacred
attention to the sacred religion as religare is at the same time
religion as religare is at the same time relajira a being attentive
relajira a being attentive in this way the temple differs from the
in this way the temple differs from the museum
museum visitors and tourists do not form
visitors and tourists do not form communities
communities they are masses or crowds
they are masses or crowds sites 2. are profaned they are reduced
sites 2. are profaned they are reduced to sites
to sites to have seen is the formula of
to have seen is the formula of consumption relating to relajira it does
consumption relating to relajira it does not indicate a deep form of attention
not indicate a deep form of attention a site differs fundamentally from the
a site differs fundamentally from the site which shines through what is
site which shines through what is assembled and releases it into its own
assembled and releases it into its own nature
nature sites do not possess that deep symbolic
sites do not possess that deep symbolic power which creates a community
power which creates a community sites are places one passes by
sites are places one passes by they do not permit any lingering or
they do not permit any lingering or staying
staying in the face of the intensifying
in the face of the intensifying compulsion of production and performance
compulsion of production and performance finding a way to make a different
finding a way to make a different playful use of life is a political task
playful use of life is a political task life regains its playful element when it
life regains its playful element when it relates to itself instead of
relates to itself instead of subordinating
subordinating itself to an external purpose
itself to an external purpose what must be won back is contemplative
what must be won back is contemplative rest
rest if our life is deprived of all its
if our life is deprived of all its contemplative elements we become
contemplative elements we become suffocated by our own activity
suffocated by our own activity the fact that contemplative rest silence
the fact that contemplative rest silence is essential to religion is suggested by
is essential to religion is suggested by the existence of the Sabbath
the existence of the Sabbath in this way religion is diametrically
in this way religion is diametrically opposed to capitalism
opposed to capitalism capitalism dislikes silence
capitalism dislikes silence silence would be the degree zero of
silence would be the degree zero of production and in the post-industrial
production and in the post-industrial age the degree zero of communication
age the degree zero of communication a game of life and death
a game of life and death the glory of play goes along with
the glory of play goes along with sovereignty where sovereignty simply
sovereignty where sovereignty simply means being free from necessity from
means being free from necessity from purpose and utility
purpose and utility sovereignty reveals a soul which stands
sovereignty reveals a soul which stands aloof from caring about utility
aloof from caring about utility the compulsion of production destroys
the compulsion of production destroys sovereignty as a form of life
sovereignty as a form of life sovereignty gives way to a new kind of
sovereignty gives way to a new kind of subordination which however masquerades
subordination which however masquerades as freedom
as freedom the neoliberal subject of performance is
the neoliberal subject of performance is an absolute slave insofar as in the
an absolute slave insofar as in the absence of a master it voluntarily
absence of a master it voluntarily exploits itself
exploits itself brutally distinguishes between two types
brutally distinguishes between two types of play strong and weak
of play strong and weak in a society in which utility has become
in a society in which utility has become the dominant principle only weak play is
the dominant principle only weak play is deemed acceptable
deemed acceptable weak play fits into the logic of
weak play fits into the logic of production because it serves the purpose
production because it serves the purpose of recreation time away from work
of recreation time away from work strong play by contrast cannot be
strong play by contrast cannot be reconciled with the
reconciled with the principle of work and production
principle of work and production it puts life itself at risk
it puts life itself at risk it is characterized by sovereignty
it is characterized by sovereignty buddalee refers to a ritual in the
buddalee refers to a ritual in the Indian province of quill care discussed
Indian province of quill care discussed by James George Fraser in the golden bow
by James George Fraser in the golden bow the festival at which the king of
the festival at which the king of Calicut staked his crown and his life on
Calicut staked his crown and his life on the issue of battle was known as the
the issue of battle was known as the great sacrifice
great sacrifice it fell every 12th year
it fell every 12th year the ceremony was observed with great
the ceremony was observed with great pomp at the Tyronn abayi temple on the
pomp at the Tyronn abayi temple on the North Bank of the panani river
North Bank of the panani river the spot is close to the present Railway
the spot is close to the present Railway line
line as the train rushes by you can just
as the train rushes by you can just catch a glimpse of the temple almost
catch a glimpse of the temple almost hidden behind a clump of trees on the
hidden behind a clump of trees on the riverbank
riverbank from the Western Gateway of the temple a
from the Western Gateway of the temple a perfectly straight road hardly raised
perfectly straight road hardly raised above the level of the surrounding rice
above the level of the surrounding rice fields and shaded by a fine avenue runs
fields and shaded by a fine avenue runs for half a mile to a High Ridge with a
for half a mile to a High Ridge with a precipitous Bank on which the outlines
precipitous Bank on which the outlines of three or four Terraces can still be
of three or four Terraces can still be traced
traced on the top most of these Terraces the
on the top most of these Terraces the king took his stand on the eventful day
king took his stand on the eventful day The View which it commands is a fine one
The View which it commands is a fine one across the flat expanse of the rice
across the flat expanse of the rice fields with the broad Placid River
fields with the broad Placid River winding through them the eye ranges
winding through them the eye ranges Eastward to high table lands their lower
Eastward to high table lands their lower slopes embowered in woods while afar off
slopes embowered in woods while afar off looms the great chain of the western
looms the great chain of the western gods and in the furthest distance the
gods and in the furthest distance the Neil garys or Blue Mountains hardly
Neil garys or Blue Mountains hardly distinguishable from the Azure of the
distinguishable from the Azure of the sky above
sky above but it was not to the distant prospect
but it was not to the distant prospect that the king's eyes naturally turned at
that the king's eyes naturally turned at this crisis of his fate
this crisis of his fate his attention was arrested by a
his attention was arrested by a spectacle nearer at hand
spectacle nearer at hand for all the plane below was alive with
for all the plane below was alive with troops their banners waving gaily in
troops their banners waving gaily in the Sun the white tents of their many
the Sun the white tents of their many camps standing sharply out against the
camps standing sharply out against the green and gold of the rice fields
green and gold of the rice fields 40 000 fighting men or more were
40 000 fighting men or more were gathered there to defend the king
gathered there to defend the king but if the plane swarmed with Soldiers
but if the plane swarmed with Soldiers the road that cuts across it from the
the road that cuts across it from the temple to the king's stand was clear of
temple to the king's stand was clear of them
them not a soul was stirring on it
not a soul was stirring on it each side of the way was barred by
each side of the way was barred by Palisades and from the Palisades on
Palisades and from the Palisades on either hand a long hedge of Spears held
either hand a long hedge of Spears held by strong arms projected into the empty
by strong arms projected into the empty road their blades meeting in the middle
road their blades meeting in the middle and forming a glittering arch of Steel
and forming a glittering arch of Steel all was now ready
all was now ready the king waved his sword
the king waved his sword at the same moment a great chain of
at the same moment a great chain of Massey gold enriched with bosses was
Massey gold enriched with bosses was placed on an elephant at his side
placed on an elephant at his side that was the signal
that was the signal on the instant Aster might be seen half
on the instant Aster might be seen half a mile away at the Gate of the Temple
a mile away at the Gate of the Temple a group of Swordsmen decked with flowers
a group of Swordsmen decked with flowers and smeared with ashes has stepped out
and smeared with ashes has stepped out from the crowd
from the crowd they have just partaken of their last
they have just partaken of their last meal on Earth and they now receive the
meal on Earth and they now receive the last blessings and farewells of their
last blessings and farewells of their friends
friends a moment more and they are coming down
a moment more and they are coming down the lane of Spears Ewing and stabbing
the lane of Spears Ewing and stabbing right and left at the Spearman winding
right and left at the Spearman winding and turning and writhing among the
and turning and writhing among the blades as if they had no bones in their
blades as if they had no bones in their bodies
bodies it is all in vain
it is all in vain one after the other they fall some
one after the other they fall some nearer the king some farther off content
nearer the king some farther off content to die not for the shadow of a crown but
to die not for the shadow of a crown but for the mere sake of approving their
for the mere sake of approving their dauntless Valor and swordsmanship to the
dauntless Valor and swordsmanship to the world
world on the last days of the festival the
on the last days of the festival the same magnificent display of gallantry
same magnificent display of gallantry the same useless sacrifice of life was
the same useless sacrifice of life was repeated again and again
repeated again and again we find this archaic ritual
we find this archaic ritual disconcerting because it embodies a form
disconcerting because it embodies a form of life that rests on expenditure and
of life that rests on expenditure and play
play it is diametrically opposed to our form
it is diametrically opposed to our form of life which is dominated by work and
of life which is dominated by work and production
production to a society that declares bear life
to a society that declares bear life sacred this ritual appears as pure
sacred this ritual appears as pure Madness as a theater of Cruelty
Madness as a theater of Cruelty a society obsessed with production does
a society obsessed with production does not have any access to strong play to
not have any access to strong play to death as an intensity of life
death as an intensity of life in this archaic Society more is
in this archaic Society more is sacrifice than is produced
sacrifice than is produced sacrificium denotes the creation of
sacrificium denotes the creation of sacred things
sacred things the sacred presupposes at a production
the sacred presupposes at a production and production
and production the totalization of production
the totalization of production desecrates life
desecrates life those archaic Warriors are not soldiers
those archaic Warriors are not soldiers Soldier taken literally means the one
Soldier taken literally means the one who is in someone's pay
who is in someone's pay he is a servant
he is a servant thus as opposed to The Sovereign Warrior
thus as opposed to The Sovereign Warrior a player he is afraid of death
a player he is afraid of death he risks his life because he receives
he risks his life because he receives payment for it
payment for it the soldier as a mercenary is a wage
the soldier as a mercenary is a wage earner a worker an employee
earner a worker an employee he does not play
he does not play he trades his life
he trades his life strong play whose principle is
strong play whose principle is sovereignty does not fit into the
sovereignty does not fit into the Society of production which aims at
Society of production which aims at utility performance and efficiency and
utility performance and efficiency and which declares bear life survival the
which declares bear life survival the continuation of a healthy life to be an
continuation of a healthy life to be an absolute value
absolute value strong play suspends the economy of work
strong play suspends the economy of work and production
and production death is not a loss not a failure but an
death is not a loss not a failure but an expression of the utmost Vitality force
expression of the utmost Vitality force and desire
and desire the Society of production is dominated
the Society of production is dominated by the fear of death
by the fear of death Capital acts like a guarantee against
Capital acts like a guarantee against death
death it is imagined to be accumulated time
it is imagined to be accumulated time because money allows you to have others
because money allows you to have others work for you that is to buy time
work for you that is to buy time infinite Capital creates the illusion of
infinite Capital creates the illusion of an infinite time
an infinite time Capital works against death as absolute
Capital works against death as absolute loss
loss it is meant to suspend the temporal
it is meant to suspend the temporal limits of a life
limits of a life but Italy suspects that behind the
but Italy suspects that behind the compulsion of accumulation lies the fear
compulsion of accumulation lies the fear of death
of death a rich industrialist would laugh or
a rich industrialist would laugh or respond by politely shrugging his
respond by politely shrugging his shoulders if we told him that the truth
shoulders if we told him that the truth of a poem is strong and altogether
of a poem is strong and altogether Sovereign compared to his voluminous
Sovereign compared to his voluminous portfolio of shares whose weak truth is
portfolio of shares whose weak truth is made up of the fear that subjugates the
made up of the fear that subjugates the world to work made up of that Universal
world to work made up of that Universal degradation imposed by the fear of death
degradation imposed by the fear of death the banishment of death from life is
the banishment of death from life is constitutive of capitalist production
constitutive of capitalist production death is meant to be produced away
death is meant to be produced away an antidote against the compulsion of
an antidote against the compulsion of production is therefore the symbolic
production is therefore the symbolic exchange with death the removal of death
exchange with death the removal of death from life that is the very operation of
from life that is the very operation of the economic it leaves a residual life
the economic it leaves a residual life which can from now on be read in the
which can from now on be read in the operational terms of calculation and
operational terms of calculation and value
value life returned to death the very
life returned to death the very operation of the symbolic
operation of the symbolic archaic societies do not make a sharp
archaic societies do not make a sharp distinction between life and death
distinction between life and death death is an aspect of life and life is
death is an aspect of life and life is only possible in symbolic exchange with
only possible in symbolic exchange with death
death rituals of initiation and sacrifice are
rituals of initiation and sacrifice are symbolic acts which regulate numerous
symbolic acts which regulate numerous transitions from life to death
transitions from life to death initiation is a second birth following
initiation is a second birth following upon death that is the end of a phase of
upon death that is the end of a phase of life
life the relationship between life and death
the relationship between life and death is characterized by reciprocity
is characterized by reciprocity festivals as expenditure imply a
festivals as expenditure imply a symbolic exchange with death symbolic
symbolic exchange with death symbolic death which has not undergone the
death which has not undergone the imaginary disjunction of life and death
imaginary disjunction of life and death which is at the origin of the reality of
which is at the origin of the reality of death is exchanged in a social ritual of
death is exchanged in a social ritual of feasting
feasting the age of production is accordingly a
the age of production is accordingly a time without Festival
time without Festival it is dominated by an irreversibility
it is dominated by an irreversibility that of endless growth
that of endless growth today there are hardly any personalities
today there are hardly any personalities with lives characterized by sovereignty
with lives characterized by sovereignty by a passion for play
by a passion for play the
the film director Werner Schroeder was one
film director Werner Schroeder was one such character
such character his last Film LA nutachien stages strong
his last Film LA nutachien stages strong play sovereignty pure expenditure
play sovereignty pure expenditure when asked in an interview about the
when asked in an interview about the utopian forms constructed in his film
utopian forms constructed in his film and where they could be found Schroeder
and where they could be found Schroeder replied
replied in death
in death in the freedom to choose death
in the freedom to choose death the beauty of the film lies in the fact
the beauty of the film lies in the fact that I realize this with Grandeur rather
that I realize this with Grandeur rather than serving it up flimsily as crumbled
than serving it up flimsily as crumbled cake like many of my compatriots do
cake like many of my compatriots do these days
these days this psychological rummaging around in
this psychological rummaging around in the nitty-gritty and then perhaps
the nitty-gritty and then perhaps grandma has an orgasm one more time
grandma has an orgasm one more time no that is a different world
no that is a different world my whole life is a Utopia because I
my whole life is a Utopia because I constantly live in Hope
constantly live in Hope I think positively that is also why I
I think positively that is also why I have survived my illness so far
have survived my illness so far surprisingly
surprisingly I was shooting in Porto for nine weeks
I was shooting in Porto for nine weeks with enormous energy every night from
with enormous energy every night from six in the evening until six in the
six in the evening until six in the morning
morning an enormous physical effort
an enormous physical effort I fatalistically expose myself to
I fatalistically expose myself to situations but I am not soft not with
situations but I am not soft not with myself and not with others
myself and not with others that is why this can be successful that
that is why this can be successful that one can conquer the fear of death
one can conquer the fear of death that fear is not part of my world
that fear is not part of my world I can't even remember when it left me
I can't even remember when it left me in his film Schroeder develops a Utopia
in his film Schroeder develops a Utopia in which death represents an intensity
in which death represents an intensity an intensive form of life
an intensive form of life it is pure expenditure an expression of
it is pure expenditure an expression of sovereignty
sovereignty Michelle Foucault was deeply impressed
Michelle Foucault was deeply impressed by Werner Schroeder's films and this led
by Werner Schroeder's films and this led to a conversation between the two on the
to a conversation between the two on the topics of eroticism and passion death
topics of eroticism and passion death and suicide
and suicide Schroeder describes the freedom unto
Schroeder describes the freedom unto death as an anarchist feeling I have no
death as an anarchist feeling I have no fear of death
fear of death it's perhaps
it's perhaps arrogant to say it but it's the truth
arrogant to say it but it's the truth to look death in the face is an
to look death in the face is an anarchist feeling dangerous to
anarchist feeling dangerous to established Society
established Society sovereignty the freedom unto death is
sovereignty the freedom unto death is threatening to a society that is
threatening to a society that is organized around work and production
organized around work and production that tries to increase human capital by
that tries to increase human capital by biopolitical means
biopolitical means that Utopia is anarchist insofar as it
that Utopia is anarchist insofar as it represents a radical break with a form
represents a radical break with a form of life that declares Pure Life
of life that declares Pure Life continued existence sacred
continued existence sacred suicide is the most radical rejection
suicide is the most radical rejection imaginable of the Society of production
imaginable of the Society of production it challenges the system of production
it challenges the system of production it represents the symbolic exchange with
it represents the symbolic exchange with death which undoes the separation of
death which undoes the separation of death from Life brought about by
death from Life brought about by capitalist production
capitalist production in the conversation Foucault remarks
in the conversation Foucault remarks one of the things that has preoccupied
one of the things that has preoccupied me for some time is the realization how
me for some time is the realization how difficult it is to kill oneself
difficult it is to kill oneself moreover suicide is considered in the
moreover suicide is considered in the most negative way possible by Society
most negative way possible by Society not only are we told that it's not good
not only are we told that it's not good to kill ourselves but also that if
to kill ourselves but also that if someone commits suicide it's because
someone commits suicide it's because things were going badly
things were going badly Schroeder has in mind the idea of a
Schroeder has in mind the idea of a sovereign suicide fright hot associated
sovereign suicide fright hot associated with extreme pleasure with intensity
with extreme pleasure with intensity I don't understand how somebody very
I don't understand how somebody very depressed would have the strength to
depressed would have the strength to commit suicide
commit suicide I could kill myself only in a state of
I could kill myself only in a state of grace or extreme pleasure but above all
grace or extreme pleasure but above all not in a state of depression
not in a state of depression that extreme pleasure is an intensity an
that extreme pleasure is an intensity an intensity of life
intensity of life someone who is depressed does not
someone who is depressed does not possess a strength necessary for a
possess a strength necessary for a sovereign suicide
sovereign suicide his suicide suicide would not express an
his suicide suicide would not express an affirmation of life
affirmation of life rather he is driven to it because
rather he is driven to it because life has become empty meaningless and
life has become empty meaningless and unbearable because he is tired and
unbearable because he is tired and exhausted because he can no longer
exhausted because he can no longer produce can no longer produce himself
produce can no longer produce himself he commits suicide because of a
he commits suicide because of a rejection of life
rejection of life it is not a voluntary death frythod but
it is not a voluntary death frythod but a forced death a death out of exhaustion
a forced death a death out of exhaustion such a death is Possible only under
such a death is Possible only under neo-liberal relations of production
neo-liberal relations of production in his conversation with Schroeder
in his conversation with Schroeder Foucault even ascribes to Suicide the
Foucault even ascribes to Suicide the status of an act of cultural resistance
status of an act of cultural resistance I am a partisan of a true cultural
I am a partisan of a true cultural combat for reinstructing people that
combat for reinstructing people that there is no conduct more beautiful that
there is no conduct more beautiful that merits more reflection with as much
merits more reflection with as much attention than suicide
attention than suicide one should work on one suicide all one's
one should work on one suicide all one's life
life Foucault takes suicide to be an act of
Foucault takes suicide to be an act of freedom
freedom it is a sign of sovereignty to risk
it is a sign of sovereignty to risk one's life that is to turn life into a
one's life that is to turn life into a game
game following Foucault we may Define the art
following Foucault we may Define the art of Life as a practice of suicide of
of Life as a practice of suicide of giving oneself death of psychologizing
giving oneself death of psychologizing oneself a playing The Art of Living is
oneself a playing The Art of Living is to eliminate psychology to create with
to eliminate psychology to create with oneself and others individualities
oneself and others individualities beings relations unamiable qualities
beings relations unamiable qualities if one fails to do that in one's life it
if one fails to do that in one's life it isn't worth living
isn't worth living the art of Life opposes the terror of
the art of Life opposes the terror of psychology
psychology we are today held captive by our
we are today held captive by our psychology
psychology the narcissistic Retreat into the ego
the narcissistic Retreat into the ego into psychology destroys the spaces of
into psychology destroys the spaces of play the fantasy of play
play the fantasy of play the art of life means escaping oneself
the art of life means escaping oneself in the search for as yet unnamed forms
in the search for as yet unnamed forms of life and play
of life and play today to live means merely to produce
today to live means merely to produce everything moves from the sphere of play
everything moves from the sphere of play to that of production
to that of production we are all workers and no longer players
we are all workers and no longer players play itself is watered down it becomes a
play itself is watered down it becomes a Leisure Time activity
Leisure Time activity only weak play is tolerated and it forms
only weak play is tolerated and it forms a functional element
a functional element within production
within production the sacred seriousness of play has
the sacred seriousness of play has entirely given way to the profane
entirely given way to the profane seriousness of work and production
seriousness of work and production life subordinated to the dictates of
life subordinated to the dictates of Health optimization and performance
Health optimization and performance comes to resemble mere survival
comes to resemble mere survival it lacks Splendor sovereignty intensity
it lacks Splendor sovereignty intensity the Roman satiris juvenile expressed
the Roman satiris juvenile expressed this well when he spoke of losing the
this well when he spoke of losing the reasons to live for the sake of staying
reasons to live for the sake of staying alive protr vitam vivendi purdier causes
alive protr vitam vivendi purdier causes the end of History
the end of History in modernity the significance of work
in modernity the significance of work increases markedly while play is
increases markedly while play is regarded with ever more suspicion
regarded with ever more suspicion this is also reflected in philosophy
this is also reflected in philosophy hegel's dialectic of Master and slave
hegel's dialectic of Master and slave begins with a duel
begins with a duel the one who is determined to win will be
the one who is determined to win will be the master
the master he wants to shine
he wants to shine he lives for the honor and Glory of
he lives for the honor and Glory of Victory and for that he is prepared to
Victory and for that he is prepared to risk death
risk death he puts his life at stake
he puts his life at stake as a player he does not shy away from
as a player he does not shy away from the highest stake
the highest stake the other one by contrast avoids battle
the other one by contrast avoids battle out of fear of death
out of fear of death he wants not to win but to survive
he wants not to win but to survive he prefers survival to the glory of
he prefers survival to the glory of victory of sovereignty
victory of sovereignty thus he does not risk death
thus he does not risk death he subordinates himself to the master
he subordinates himself to the master and works for him as a slave
and works for him as a slave he decides in favor of work of survival
he decides in favor of work of survival and against the play of life and death
and against the play of life and death the master is a free man because he is
the master is a free man because he is prepared to stake his own life
prepared to stake his own life he is a strong player while the other is
he is a strong player while the other is a worker a Slave
a worker a Slave Hegel does not side with the master but
Hegel does not side with the master but with the slave
with the slave he does so because he is a philosopher
he does so because he is a philosopher of modernity
of modernity work for him has Primacy
work for him has Primacy thinking itself is work
thinking itself is work Spirit works
Spirit works work forms the spirit
work forms the spirit hegel's dialectic of Master and slave
hegel's dialectic of Master and slave looks at human existence exclusively
looks at human existence exclusively from the perspective of work
from the perspective of work Hegel has no access to the freedom of
Hegel has no access to the freedom of the player who despises work and leaves
the player who despises work and leaves it to the slave
it to the slave following Hegel Marx also holds on to
following Hegel Marx also holds on to the Primacy of work
the Primacy of work history begins with work the first
history begins with work the first historical Act of these individuals by
historical Act of these individuals by which they differ from the animals is
which they differ from the animals is not that they think but that they begin
not that they think but that they begin to produce the means by which they live
to produce the means by which they live humans have a history because they work
humans have a history because they work Marx declares work to be the fundamental
Marx declares work to be the fundamental concept of hegel's phenomenology of
concept of hegel's phenomenology of spirit
spirit the importance of hegel's phenomenology
the importance of hegel's phenomenology and its final result the dialectic of
and its final result the dialectic of negativity as the moving and producing
negativity as the moving and producing principle lies in the fact that Hegel
principle lies in the fact that Hegel grasps the nature of Labor and conceives
grasps the nature of Labor and conceives objective Man true because real man as
objective Man true because real man as the result of his own labor
the result of his own labor Hegel adopts the standpoint of modern
Hegel adopts the standpoint of modern political economy
political economy he sees labor as the essence the
he sees labor as the essence the self-confirming essence of man
self-confirming essence of man given the Primacy of work in Marx it is
given the Primacy of work in Marx it is noteworthy that his son-in-law Paul
noteworthy that his son-in-law Paul LaFarge wrote a tract entitled the right
LaFarge wrote a tract entitled the right to be lazy
to be lazy lafarg Begins by invoking the free man
lafarg Begins by invoking the free man of ancient Greece
of ancient Greece the Greeks in their era of greatness had
the Greeks in their era of greatness had only contempt for work their slaves
only contempt for work their slaves alone were permitted to labor the free
alone were permitted to labor the free man knew only exercises for the body and
man knew only exercises for the body and mind
mind the philosophers of antiquity taught
the philosophers of antiquity taught contempt for work that degradation of
contempt for work that degradation of the free man the poet sang of idleness
the free man the poet sang of idleness that gift from the gods o Melody Deus
that gift from the gods o Melody Deus nobus hekosha Fake It O melabias
nobus hekosha Fake It O melabias a God has granted us this idleness DS
a God has granted us this idleness DS LaFarge demands that the Rights of Man
LaFarge demands that the Rights of Man concocted by the metaphysical lawyers of
concocted by the metaphysical lawyers of the Bourgeois Revolution be replaced
the Bourgeois Revolution be replaced with the rights of laziness
with the rights of laziness the realm of laziness entirely free of
the realm of laziness entirely free of the seriousness of work devotes itself
the seriousness of work devotes itself to beautiful play
to beautiful play lafarg's pamphlet ends with the
lafarg's pamphlet ends with the exclamation o laziness have pity on our
exclamation o laziness have pity on our long misery
long misery o laziness mother of the Arts and Noble
o laziness mother of the Arts and Noble virtues be thou the bomb of human
virtues be thou the bomb of human anguish
anguish kojib in his interpretation of the
kojib in his interpretation of the dialectic of Master and slave also
dialectic of Master and slave also elevates work to the status of the motor
elevates work to the status of the motor of History this Creative Education of
of History this Creative Education of Man by work bildung creates history I.E
Man by work bildung creates history I.E human time
human time work is time
work is time work forms the spirit and moves history
work forms the spirit and moves history forwards
forwards it is the only agent of a history
it is the only agent of a history understood in terms of progress
understood in terms of progress thus the worker becomes the sole subject
thus the worker becomes the sole subject of History
of History the end of work means the end of History
the end of work means the end of History according to kojeev's initial idea of
according to kojeev's initial idea of the post-historical the American way of
the post-historical the American way of life anticipates a Eternal present
life anticipates a Eternal present future of all of humanity
future of all of humanity the post-historical is characterized by
the post-historical is characterized by man's return to animal ID
man's return to animal ID in point of fact the end of human time
in point of fact the end of human time or history that is the definitive
or history that is the definitive annihilation of man properly so-called
annihilation of man properly so-called or of the free and historical individual
or of the free and historical individual means quite simply the cessation of
means quite simply the cessation of action in the full sense of
action in the full sense of the term
the term practically this means The Disappearance
practically this means The Disappearance of wars and bloody revolutions
of wars and bloody revolutions and also The Disappearance of philosophy
and also The Disappearance of philosophy for since man himself no longer changes
for since man himself no longer changes essentially there is no longer any
essentially there is no longer any reason to change the true principles
reason to change the true principles which are at the basis of his
which are at the basis of his understanding of the world and of
understanding of the world and of himself
himself but all the rest can be preserved
but all the rest can be preserved indefinitely art Love play
indefinitely art Love play etc
etc etc in short everything that makes man
etc in short everything that makes man happy
happy after traveling to Japan Koji formed an
after traveling to Japan Koji formed an altogether different picture of the end
altogether different picture of the end of History one located in a Japan that
of History one located in a Japan that is Thoroughly ritualized and strictly
is Thoroughly ritualized and strictly opposed to the American way of life
opposed to the American way of life here humans lead not an animalistic life
here humans lead not an animalistic life but a ritual one
but a ritual one to kojeev Japan now appears as the
to kojeev Japan now appears as the coming realm of ritual instead of
coming realm of ritual instead of risking their lives in battle they I.E
risking their lives in battle they I.E the Japanese have suspended it in the
the Japanese have suspended it in the ceremonial everyone was in a position to
ceremonial everyone was in a position to live according to totally formalized
live according to totally formalized values that is values completely empty
values that is values completely empty of all human content in the historical
of all human content in the historical sense
sense post-historical Society is characterized
post-historical Society is characterized by a ruthless esthetization an aesthetic
by a ruthless esthetization an aesthetic formalization of life
formalization of life it is inspired Nietzsche would say not
it is inspired Nietzsche would say not by a will to truth but by a will to
by a will to truth but by a will to semblance to play
semblance to play it plays on surfaces and succumbs to the
it plays on surfaces and succumbs to the seduction of semblance shine
seduction of semblance shine where historical man spoke of true and
where historical man spoke of true and false Nietzsche sees only levels of
false Nietzsche sees only levels of appearance stuff enter Sky Market and as
appearance stuff enter Sky Market and as it were lighter and darker Shades and
it were lighter and darker Shades and tones of appearance different veilers
tones of appearance different veilers Japan foreshadows that coming ritual
Japan foreshadows that coming ritual Society a society which can do without
Society a society which can do without truth without Transcendence a thoroughly
truth without Transcendence a thoroughly aestheticized society in which beautiful
aestheticized society in which beautiful semblenster Shone shine will have taken
semblenster Shone shine will have taken the place of religion
the place of religion the Empire of signs
the Empire of signs because of the compulsion of work and
because of the compulsion of work and production we are losing the capacity to
production we are losing the capacity to play
play we only rarely make playful use of
we only rarely make playful use of language we only put it to work
language we only put it to work it is obliged to communicate information
it is obliged to communicate information or produce meaning
or produce meaning as a result we have no access to forms
as a result we have no access to forms of language that shine all by themselves
of language that shine all by themselves language as a medium of information has
language as a medium of information has no splendor
no splendor it does not seduce
it does not seduce poems are structures with strict forms
poems are structures with strict forms that shine all by themselves
that shine all by themselves very often they do not communicate a
very often they do not communicate a message
message they are characterized by an excess of
they are characterized by an excess of the signifier they are luxurious
the signifier they are luxurious we enjoy in particular their perfection
we enjoy in particular their perfection of form
of form in poetry language plays
in poetry language plays for this reason we hardly read poems
for this reason we hardly read poems anymore
anymore poems are magic ceremonies of language
poems are magic ceremonies of language the poetic principle returns pleasure to
the poetic principle returns pleasure to language through a radical break with
language through a radical break with the economy of the production of meaning
the economy of the production of meaning the poetic does not produce
the poetic does not produce this is why T hippoenic is
this is why T hippoenic is the Insurrection of language against its
the Insurrection of language against its own laws against the laws that serve the
own laws against the laws that serve the purpose of producing meaning
purpose of producing meaning in poems we enjoy language itself
in poems we enjoy language itself the working language of information by
the working language of information by contrast cannot be enjoyed
contrast cannot be enjoyed the principle of work is opposed to the
the principle of work is opposed to the principle of pleasure
principle of pleasure can't calls with denwits an intellectual
can't calls with denwits an intellectual luxury
luxury in the case of wit language succumbs to
in the case of wit language succumbs to play
play thus wit is blooming just as nature
thus wit is blooming just as nature seems to be carrying on more of a game
seems to be carrying on more of a game with its flowers but a business with
with its flowers but a business with fruits
fruits a whitishism der wits is not an
a whitishism der wits is not an utterance that may be reduced to an
utterance that may be reduced to an unambiguous meaning
unambiguous meaning it is a luxury that is it luxates
it is a luxury that is it luxates deviates from the business of meaning
deviates from the business of meaning production
production it is a linguistic form in which meaning
it is a linguistic form in which meaning the signified is not all that important
the signified is not all that important while language's intelligence consists
while language's intelligence consists of the production of meaning in the case
of the production of meaning in the case of witticisms language plays dumb so to
of witticisms language plays dumb so to speak
speak wit presents language with an
wit presents language with an opportunity to play dumber than it
opportunity to play dumber than it actually is to evade its own dialectic
actually is to evade its own dialectic and chains of meanings in order to throw
and chains of meanings in order to throw itself into a process of delirious
itself into a process of delirious contiguity
contiguity wit demonstrates that language has an
wit demonstrates that language has an orientation toward non-meaning provided
orientation toward non-meaning provided it is Unchained by its own play
it is Unchained by its own play in the case of witticisms the effect
in the case of witticisms the effect emanates more from the signifier than
emanates more from the signifier than the signified
the signified thus they are difficult to paraphrase
thus they are difficult to paraphrase Delirious contiguity is the poetic
Delirious contiguity is the poetic principle of wit
principle of wit the signifiers licentiously enter into
the signifiers licentiously enter into neighborly relations without giving any
neighborly relations without giving any consideration to the signified
consideration to the signified if the sign the signifier is completely
if the sign the signifier is completely absorbed by meaning by the signified
absorbed by meaning by the signified then language loses all its magic and
then language loses all its magic and splendor
splendor it becomes purely informational it
it becomes purely informational it Works instead of plays
Works instead of plays eloquence and linguistic Elegance also
eloquence and linguistic Elegance also derive from the luxury of the signifier
derive from the luxury of the signifier only through the overabundance the
only through the overabundance the excess of the signifier does language
excess of the signifier does language appear magical poetic and seductive
appear magical poetic and seductive this over-abundant order of the
this over-abundant order of the signifier is that of magic and poetry
signifier is that of magic and poetry the long work of joining signifier and
the long work of joining signifier and signified the work of Reason somehow
signified the work of Reason somehow breaks and absorbs this fatal profusion
breaks and absorbs this fatal profusion the magical seduction of the word must
the magical seduction of the word must be reduced annulled
be reduced annulled and it will be so the day when all
and it will be so the day when all signifiers receive their signifieds when
signifiers receive their signifieds when all has become meaning and reality
all has become meaning and reality what is mysterious is not the signified
what is mysterious is not the signified but the signifier without the signified
but the signifier without the signified magic spells do not convey any meaning
magic spells do not convey any meaning they are empty signs so to speak
they are empty signs so to speak that is why they appear magical like
that is why they appear magical like doors that lead nowhere
doors that lead nowhere ritual signs cannot be assigned a
ritual signs cannot be assigned a determinate meaning either
determinate meaning either thus they appear enigmatic
thus they appear enigmatic as language becomes increasingly
as language becomes increasingly functional and informational the
functional and informational the overabundance the excess of the
overabundance the excess of the signifier diminishes
signifier diminishes language is disenchanted
language is disenchanted pure information is nothing magical
pure information is nothing magical it does not seduce
it does not seduce language develops its magnificence its
language develops its magnificence its seductive power only thanks to the
seductive power only thanks to the overabundance of the signifier
overabundance of the signifier the culture of information has lost the
the culture of information has lost the magic that comes from the empty
magic that comes from the empty signifier
signifier we now live in a culture of the
we now live in a culture of the signified which dismisses the signifier
signified which dismisses the signifier form as something external
form as something external our culture is hostile to pleasure and
our culture is hostile to pleasure and form
form ritual is also characterized by an
ritual is also characterized by an overabundance of the signifier
overabundance of the signifier thus Roland barths idealizes Japan a
thus Roland barths idealizes Japan a thoroughly ritualized country as an
thoroughly ritualized country as an Empire of signs a
Empire of signs a ceremonial Empire of signifiers
ceremonial Empire of signifiers the Haiku poetic form for instance is
the Haiku poetic form for instance is determined by the overabundance of the
determined by the overabundance of the signifier
signifier haikus pay little attention to the
haikus pay little attention to the signified
signified they do not communicate anything
they do not communicate anything they are a pure play with language with
they are a pure play with language with signifiers that produces no meaning
signifiers that produces no meaning haikus are linguistic ceremonies
haikus are linguistic ceremonies in the Haiku the limitation of language
in the Haiku the limitation of language is the object of a concern which is
is the object of a concern which is inconceivable to us for it is not a
inconceivable to us for it is not a question of being concise I.E shortening
question of being concise I.E shortening the signifier without diminishing the
the signifier without diminishing the density of the signified but on the
density of the signified but on the contrary of acting on the very root of
contrary of acting on the very root of meaning so that this meaning will not
meaning so that this meaning will not melt run internalize become implicit
melt run internalize become implicit disconnect devicate
disconnect devicate the Haiku is not a rich thought reduced
the Haiku is not a rich thought reduced to a brief form but a brief event which
to a brief form but a brief event which immediately Finds Its proper form
immediately Finds Its proper form a haiku is subject to strict rules of
a haiku is subject to strict rules of play and thus it cannot really be
play and thus it cannot really be translated into another language
translated into another language forms which are proper to the Japanese
forms which are proper to the Japanese language resist any kind of translation
language resist any kind of translation old Panda frog jumps into the sound of
old Panda frog jumps into the sound of water
water the intense formalism and aestheticism
the intense formalism and aestheticism that characterizes rituals in general
that characterizes rituals in general also dominates everyday ritual practices
also dominates everyday ritual practices in Japan
in Japan take packaging for instance
take packaging for instance the Japanese put any trivial thing into
the Japanese put any trivial thing into a magnificent envelope
a magnificent envelope according to barths the idea behind a
according to barths the idea behind a Japanese parcel is that the triviality
Japanese parcel is that the triviality of the thing be disproportionate to the
of the thing be disproportionate to the luxury
luxury of the envelope
of the envelope in semiotic terms the signifier envelope
in semiotic terms the signifier envelope is more important than what it signifies
is more important than what it signifies namely the signified the content
namely the signified the content the Magnificent signifier delays the
the Magnificent signifier delays the revelation of the possibly insignificant
revelation of the possibly insignificant signify to a later time
signify to a later time it shines for itself independently of
it shines for itself independently of the truth the thing it contains what the
the truth the thing it contains what the Japanese carry with a formican energy
Japanese carry with a formican energy are actually empty signs
are actually empty signs the Liturgy of emptiness dispels the
the Liturgy of emptiness dispels the capitalist economy of the commodity
capitalist economy of the commodity the Japanese parcel does not reveal
the Japanese parcel does not reveal anything
anything it distracts us from the thing and in
it distracts us from the thing and in the first instance presents the
the first instance presents the Magnificent envelope
Magnificent envelope thus the Japanese parcel is opposed to
thus the Japanese parcel is opposed to the commodity for which the packaging is
the commodity for which the packaging is something purely external something that
something purely external something that only exists in order to be quickly
only exists in order to be quickly removed again
removed again in a similar way the kimono veils the
in a similar way the kimono veils the body with an overabundance of signifiers
body with an overabundance of signifiers a play of color and form
a play of color and form the body as a bearer of signifiers is
the body as a bearer of signifiers is opposed to the pornographic body which
opposed to the pornographic body which is unveiled and hence obscene
is unveiled and hence obscene the pornographic body free of signifiers
the pornographic body free of signifiers indicates only the naked signified the
indicates only the naked signified the Naked Truth namely the sexual organ
Naked Truth namely the sexual organ daska schlecht
daska schlecht a Japanese tea ceremony subjects us to a
a Japanese tea ceremony subjects us to a minutely detailed process of ritualized
minutely detailed process of ritualized gesture
gesture here there is no space for psychology
here there is no space for psychology participants are truly Regal rectus
participants are truly Regal rectus psychologized
psychologized the proper movements of the hands and
the proper movements of the hands and body have a Graphic Clarity and there is
body have a Graphic Clarity and there is no uncertainty about them deriving from
no uncertainty about them deriving from the influence of the mind or soul
the influence of the mind or soul the actors immerse themselves in ritual
the actors immerse themselves in ritual gestures and these gestures create an
gestures and these gestures create an absence a forgetfulness of self
absence a forgetfulness of self in a tea ceremony there is no
in a tea ceremony there is no communication
communication nothing is communicated
nothing is communicated there is ritual silence schwagen
there is ritual silence schwagen ritual gesture takes the place of
ritual gesture takes the place of communication
communication the soul Falls silent
the soul Falls silent in the Stillness participants Exchange
in the Stillness participants Exchange gestures which generate an intense being
gestures which generate an intense being with
with the soothing effect of a tea ceremony
the soothing effect of a tea ceremony results from the fact that its ritual
results from the fact that its ritual silence is so strongly opposed to
silence is so strongly opposed to today's communicative noise today's
today's communicative noise today's communication without community
communication without community the ceremony brings forth a community
the ceremony brings forth a community without communication
without communication for barths the Japanese eye is not a
for barths the Japanese eye is not a place filled with soul
place filled with soul it is empty
it is empty barths is suspicious of the western
barths is suspicious of the western mythology of the soul the Western eye is
mythology of the soul the Western eye is subject to a whole mythology of the Soul
subject to a whole mythology of the Soul Central and secret whose fire sheltered
Central and secret whose fire sheltered in the orbital cavity radiates toward a
in the orbital cavity radiates toward a fleshy sensuous passionate exterior
fleshy sensuous passionate exterior the Japanese eye is flat without depth
the Japanese eye is flat without depth the pupils are not dramatized by the
the pupils are not dramatized by the Deep cavity of the eye
Deep cavity of the eye Hegel who does subscribe to the Western
Hegel who does subscribe to the Western mythology of the Soul says that the
mythology of the Soul says that the bones of the eye socket should be
bones of the eye socket should be emphasized such that the strength and
emphasized such that the strength and Shadow in the orbits gives us of itself
Shadow in the orbits gives us of itself a feeling of depth and indies-tracked
a feeling of depth and indies-tracked inner life
inner life the depth of the soul is emphasized by
the depth of the soul is emphasized by the sharply cut outline of the orbits
the sharply cut outline of the orbits thus the eye should not protrude or as
thus the eye should not protrude or as it were project itself into the external
it were project itself into the external world
world what might Hegel have said about those
what might Hegel have said about those flat eyes of the Far East that appear
flat eyes of the Far East that appear more like a fleeting stroke of the brush
more like a fleeting stroke of the brush on the face rather than being deeply set
on the face rather than being deeply set back in the orbital bones
back in the orbital bones the Empire of signs also dispenses with
the Empire of signs also dispenses with the moral signified
the moral signified it is dominated not by law but by Rules
it is dominated not by law but by Rules by signifiers without the signified
by signifiers without the signified ritual Society is a society of rules
ritual Society is a society of rules it is based not on virtues or conscience
it is based not on virtues or conscience but on a passion for rules
but on a passion for rules unlike the moral law rules are not
unlike the moral law rules are not internalized
internalized they are simply obeyed morality
they are simply obeyed morality presupposes a soul and a person who
presupposes a soul and a person who works on its perfection
works on its perfection the more a person advances on the path
the more a person advances on the path of morality the more self-respect
of morality the more self-respect she is due
she is due such narcissistic inwardness is wholly
such narcissistic inwardness is wholly absent from the ethics of politeness
absent from the ethics of politeness rules rest on agreement
rules rest on agreement they are formed through imminent
they are formed through imminent sequences of signs and therefore do not
sequences of signs and therefore do not possess deep truth or Transcendence
possess deep truth or Transcendence rules do not have a metaphysical or
rules do not have a metaphysical or theological Foundation
theological Foundation the law by contrast presupposes a
the law by contrast presupposes a Transcendent Authority such as God that
Transcendent Authority such as God that compels and prohibits
compels and prohibits the pleasure derived from obeying a rule
the pleasure derived from obeying a rule differs from the pleasure one takes in
differs from the pleasure one takes in obeying or violating a law
obeying or violating a law the former is owed to a passion for play
the former is owed to a passion for play and for rules
and for rules in order to understand the intensity of
in order to understand the intensity of ritual forms one must rid oneself of the
ritual forms one must rid oneself of the idea that all happiness derives from
idea that all happiness derives from nature and all pleasure from the
nature and all pleasure from the satisfaction of a desire
satisfaction of a desire on the contrary games the sphere of play
on the contrary games the sphere of play reveal a passion for rules a getting a
reveal a passion for rules a getting a sporn of rules and a force that comes
sporn of rules and a force that comes from ceremony and not desire
from ceremony and not desire capitalism is based on the economy of
capitalism is based on the economy of Desire
Desire thus it is incompatible with the ritual
thus it is incompatible with the ritual Society
Society the intensity of the ritual form arises
the intensity of the ritual form arises out of a passion for rules which creates
out of a passion for rules which creates an altogether different form of pleasure
an altogether different form of pleasure politeness is pure form
politeness is pure form nothing is intended by it
nothing is intended by it it is empty
it is empty as a ritual form it is devoid of any
as a ritual form it is devoid of any moral content
moral content it is a sign a signifier that differs
it is a sign a signifier that differs radically from politeness of the heart
radically from politeness of the heart which suggests a moral signified
which suggests a moral signified today we place the moral law above signs
today we place the moral law above signs the play of conventional forms is deemed
the play of conventional forms is deemed hypocritical and immoral we oppose it
hypocritical and immoral we oppose it with the politeness of the heart or even
with the politeness of the heart or even the radical impoliteness of Desire
the radical impoliteness of Desire it's true that ETI
it's true that ETI KET and politeness and ceremony in
KET and politeness and ceremony in general are no longer what they once
general are no longer what they once were
were as a form of ritual politeness is
as a form of ritual politeness is without heart and without desire without
without heart and without desire without wish
wish it is more art than morality
it is more art than morality it exhausts itself in the pure exchange
it exhausts itself in the pure exchange of ritual gestures
of ritual gestures within the topology of Japanese
within the topology of Japanese politeness as a ritual form there is no
politeness as a ritual form there is no inside no heart that would render the
inside no heart that would render the politeness of merely external etiquette
politeness of merely external etiquette it cannot be described using the
it cannot be described using the opposition of inside and outside
opposition of inside and outside it does not dwell in an outside that as
it does not dwell in an outside that as pure semblance could be juxtaposed with
pure semblance could be juxtaposed with the inside
the inside rather one is fully form fully outside
rather one is fully form fully outside in order to give a present I bow down
in order to give a present I bow down virtually to the level of the floor and
virtually to the level of the floor and to answer me my partner does the same
to answer me my partner does the same one and the same low line that of the
one and the same low line that of the ground joins The Giver the recipient and
ground joins The Giver the recipient and the stake of the protocol a box which
the stake of the protocol a box which may well contain nothing or virtually
may well contain nothing or virtually nothing
nothing a graphic form
a graphic form is thereby given to the act of Exchange
is thereby given to the act of Exchange in which by this form is erased any
in which by this form is erased any greediness the gift remains suspended
greediness the gift remains suspended between two disappearances
between two disappearances the present as a signifier without
the present as a signifier without signified is pure mediation a pure gift
signified is pure mediation a pure gift the gift is alone it is touched neither
the gift is alone it is touched neither by generosity nor by gratitude the soul
by generosity nor by gratitude the soul does not contaminate it
does not contaminate it in the Empire of signs the soul
in the Empire of signs the soul psychology is erased
psychology is erased there is no soul to infect the holy
there is no soul to infect the holy seriousness of ritual play
seriousness of ritual play the place of psychology is taken by a
the place of psychology is taken by a passion for rules a passion of form
passion for rules a passion of form this Empire of signs is opposed to
this Empire of signs is opposed to today's Empire of souls who expose
today's Empire of souls who expose themselves and constantly produce
themselves and constantly produce themselves
themselves the ceremonial Empire of signs makes it
the ceremonial Empire of signs makes it possible to conceive of another form of
possible to conceive of another form of life another society which would be free
life another society which would be free of narcissism because in it the ego
of narcissism because in it the ego dosage would immerse itself in the
dosage would immerse itself in the ritual play of signs
ritual play of signs the passion for rules to internalizes
the passion for rules to internalizes the self
the self contemporary Society is characterized by
contemporary Society is characterized by constant and relentless moralizing
constant and relentless moralizing but at the same time Society is becoming
but at the same time Society is becoming more and more brutal
more and more brutal forms of politeness are disappearing
forms of politeness are disappearing disregarded by The Cult of authenticity
disregarded by The Cult of authenticity beautiful forms of conduct are becoming
beautiful forms of conduct are becoming ever rarer
ever rarer in this respect 2. We are Becoming
in this respect 2. We are Becoming hostile towards form
hostile towards form apparently the ascendancy of morality is
apparently the ascendancy of morality is compatible with the barbarization of
compatible with the barbarization of society
society morality is formless
morality is formless moral inwardness dispenses with form
moral inwardness dispenses with form one might even say the more moralizing a
one might even say the more moralizing a society the more impolite it is
society the more impolite it is against this formless morality we must
against this formless morality we must defend an ethics of beautiful forms
defend an ethics of beautiful forms from dueling to drone Wars
from dueling to drone Wars in his treat is homo ludens huizinga
in his treat is homo ludens huizinga emphasizes the playful character of war
emphasizes the playful character of war in archaic cultures
in archaic cultures the strict rules to which war was
the strict rules to which war was subject in these societies made War
subject in these societies made War Aiken to play
Aiken to play huizinga does not deny that there was
huizinga does not deny that there was also extreme violence and brutal murder
also extreme violence and brutal murder in the ancient world but he positions
in the ancient world but he positions war in the sacral sphere of play
war in the sacral sphere of play a solemn compact in which the rules were
a solemn compact in which the rules were laid down was deposited beforehand in
laid down was deposited beforehand in the temple of Artemis
the temple of Artemis the time and place for the encounter
the time and place for the encounter were therein appointed
were therein appointed all missiles were forbidden Spears
all missiles were forbidden Spears arrows slang Stones Only The Sword and
arrows slang Stones Only The Sword and the Lance were allowed
the Lance were allowed the prohibition of certain weapons and
the prohibition of certain weapons and the agreement on the time and place of
the agreement on the time and place of battle underline the play-like character
battle underline the play-like character of war in the ancient world
of war in the ancient world the Battleground is
the Battleground is marked out with wooden pegs or Hazel
marked out with wooden pegs or Hazel switches
switches there is a level Battlefield to ensure
there is a level Battlefield to ensure an even contest between the belligerents
an even contest between the belligerents huizinga remarks that the ritualization
huizinga remarks that the ritualization of War certainly raised the tone that is
of War certainly raised the tone that is improved ethical standards
improved ethical standards the exchanging of civilities With the
the exchanging of civilities With the Enemy that is characteristic of ritual
Enemy that is characteristic of ritual combat presupposes the explicit
combat presupposes the explicit acknowledgment of the other party as an
acknowledgment of the other party as an equal opponent
equal opponent the belligerents honor one another in
the belligerents honor one another in all sorts of ways exchanging weapons as
all sorts of ways exchanging weapons as presence for instance
presence for instance rituals generally have a strong
rituals generally have a strong formative power
formative power as ritual combat harnesses Violence by
as ritual combat harnesses Violence by imposing a form strict rules of play on
imposing a form strict rules of play on its use
its use violence gives way to the passion of
violence gives way to the passion of play
play dueling is also a form of ritual combat
dueling is also a form of ritual combat deriving from the ancient practice of
deriving from the ancient practice of trial by combat
trial by combat there is a sacral Dimension inherent in
there is a sacral Dimension inherent in the duel
the duel the outcome resembles a Divine judgment
the outcome resembles a Divine judgment dike Greek right antic Greek fate
dike Greek right antic Greek fate accident Divine Providence blend into
accident Divine Providence blend into each other
each other as a form of trial by combat The Duel of
as a form of trial by combat The Duel of early modern times was also subject to
early modern times was also subject to specific legal rules
specific legal rules before the duel there were first
before the duel there were first proceedings at a so-called court of
proceedings at a so-called court of honor which did not differ significantly
honor which did not differ significantly from civil court proceedings
from civil court proceedings as a form of ritual combat The Duel was
as a form of ritual combat The Duel was subject to strict rules of play
subject to strict rules of play symmetry between the dualists was
symmetry between the dualists was meticulously insured
meticulously insured The Duel took the form of ritual play
The Duel took the form of ritual play the spot where the duel is fought Bears
the spot where the duel is fought Bears all the marks of a playground the
all the marks of a playground the weapons have to be exactly alike as in
weapons have to be exactly alike as in certain games there is a signal for the
certain games there is a signal for the start and the finish and the number of
start and the finish and the number of shots is prescribed
shots is prescribed anyone who refused to take part in a
anyone who refused to take part in a duel when challenged was considered to
duel when challenged was considered to have to see anuered himself
have to see anuered himself and was demoted from his rank
and was demoted from his rank in such ritual combat what is at stake
in such ritual combat what is at stake is not the destruction of the opponent
is not the destruction of the opponent but honor itself
but honor itself the Duelist proved their honor their
the Duelist proved their honor their manly Honor by facing the fight and
manly Honor by facing the fight and risking their lives
risking their lives regardless of the outcome a duel
regardless of the outcome a duel restored the Duelist honor
restored the Duelist honor after it Society adjudged them Men of
after it Society adjudged them Men of Honor according to the Cheval Rick code
Honor according to the Cheval Rick code which had a decisive influence on the
which had a decisive influence on the development of the notion of military
development of the notion of military honor in Europe it is not honorable to
honor in Europe it is not honorable to attack an enemy without putting yourself
attack an enemy without putting yourself at risk
at risk it is only honorable to attack the enemy
it is only honorable to attack the enemy on the battlefield
on the battlefield it is to see aneurable by contrast to
it is to see aneurable by contrast to kill the enemy in an underhanded Way by
kill the enemy in an underhanded Way by poisoning for instance
poisoning for instance Symmetry and reciprocity must be insured
Symmetry and reciprocity must be insured of particular importance when it comes
of particular importance when it comes to the fairness of War as ritual combat
to the fairness of War as ritual combat is the symmetry of means of battle
is the symmetry of means of battle if one's enemy only possesses a sword
if one's enemy only possesses a sword then one cannot use a crossbow
then one cannot use a crossbow throughout the history of warfare there
throughout the history of warfare there were repeated attempts at limiting the
were repeated attempts at limiting the use of lethal weapons
use of lethal weapons as Carl Schmidt would put it these
as Carl Schmidt would put it these attempts served the purpose of hedging
attempts served the purpose of hedging War
War in his treat is on war klausovitz
in his treat is on war klausovitz defines War as ritual combat I shall not
defines War as ritual combat I shall not begin by expounding a pedantic literary
begin by expounding a pedantic literary definition of War but go straight to the
definition of War but go straight to the heart of the matter to the duel
heart of the matter to the duel war is nothing but a duel on a larger
war is nothing but a duel on a larger scale
scale war is an orderly rule-guided duel
war is an orderly rule-guided duel according to klausovitz's famous
according to klausovitz's famous formulation it is the continuation of
formulation it is the continuation of political intercourse carried on with
political intercourse carried on with other means
other means the emphasis here is not as is generally
the emphasis here is not as is generally assumed on other means that is on
assumed on other means that is on violence but on the political
violence but on the political as war is a way of pursuing political
as war is a way of pursuing political ends it is possible to return to a
ends it is possible to return to a politics without violence after War has
politics without violence after War has ended
ended the rules of the game to which all
the rules of the game to which all belligerents commit
belligerents commit themselves ensure that after the war is
themselves ensure that after the war is over there is space left for politics
over there is space left for politics by contrast killing without rules pure
by contrast killing without rules pure violence destroys the political space
violence destroys the political space War as large-scale dueling differs
War as large-scale dueling differs fundamentally from the kind of military
fundamentally from the kind of military action we see today which is
action we see today which is increasingly degenerating into ruthless
increasingly degenerating into ruthless killing
killing modern Wars lack the character of play
modern Wars lack the character of play here 2. the basic formula applies the
here 2. the basic formula applies the compulsion of production destroys play
compulsion of production destroys play modern Wars are battles of production
modern Wars are battles of production they are therefore not led by Sovereign
they are therefore not led by Sovereign players but by soldiers who are lobbying
players but by soldiers who are lobbying slaves therefore the impotence of modern
slaves therefore the impotence of modern Wars of which I spoke the pathological
Wars of which I spoke the pathological excess of riches that cannot be
excess of riches that cannot be endlessly accumulated is expended by
endlessly accumulated is expended by slaves who are afraid of death and
slaves who are afraid of death and cannot play except in a wretched way
cannot play except in a wretched way Walter Benjamin also derives the logic
Walter Benjamin also derives the logic of modern war from the destructive logic
of modern war from the destructive logic of production
of production if the natural use of productive forces
if the natural use of productive forces is impeded by the property system then
is impeded by the property system then the increase in technological means in
the increase in technological means in speed in sources of energy will press
speed in sources of energy will press toward an unnatural use
toward an unnatural use this is found in war
this is found in war the most horrifying features of
the most horrifying features of imperialist War are determined by the
imperialist War are determined by the discrepancy between the enormous means
discrepancy between the enormous means of production and their inadequate use
of production and their inadequate use in the process of production in other
in the process of production in other words by unemployment and the lack of
words by unemployment and the lack of markets
markets Marshall mcluhan's thesis the medium is
Marshall mcluhan's thesis the medium is the message also applies to weapons as
the message also applies to weapons as media
media a medium is not merely the bearer of a
a medium is not merely the bearer of a message rather the message is produced
message rather the message is produced by the medium itself
by the medium itself a medium is not a neutral container
a medium is not a neutral container carrying different contents
carrying different contents rather
rather a new medium creates a specific content
a new medium creates a specific content for instance a new perception
for instance a new perception the deployment of a radically different
the deployment of a radically different medium of Destruction is therefore not
medium of Destruction is therefore not simply a technological issue rather it
simply a technological issue rather it changes the character of War itself
changes the character of War itself Schmidt ruminates on the deployment of
Schmidt ruminates on the deployment of fighter planes for instance which seemed
fighter planes for instance which seemed to make war as a duel impossible
to make war as a duel impossible the head-to-head confrontation between
the head-to-head confrontation between warring parties reflects the fact that
warring parties reflects the fact that they are illegally even morally of equal
they are illegally even morally of equal standing
standing the opponent is explicitly recognized as
the opponent is explicitly recognized as an enemy Isis hostess
an enemy Isis hostess but the use of fighter planes does not
but the use of fighter planes does not permit any face-to-face confrontation
permit any face-to-face confrontation superiority in the topological sense
superiority in the topological sense that is in the sense of being above the
that is in the sense of being above the enemy generates a different mental
enemy generates a different mental attitude towards the enemy
attitude towards the enemy the asymmetry in the means of
the asymmetry in the means of Destruction at each party's disposal
Destruction at each party's disposal leads the superior one to adopt an
leads the superior one to adopt an altogether different estimation of the
altogether different estimation of the enemy
enemy the enemy is degraded into the criminal
the enemy is degraded into the criminal the superior Force considers its
the superior Force considers its superiority in Weaponry to be proof of
superiority in Weaponry to be proof of its eyes to kausa and declares the enemy
its eyes to kausa and declares the enemy to be a criminal because it is no longer
to be a criminal because it is no longer possible to realize the concept of
possible to realize the concept of iostos hostess
iostos hostess hence the medium is the message
hence the medium is the message technological superiority turns into
technological superiority turns into moral superiority
moral superiority technology and ethics condition each
technology and ethics condition each other
other an enemy in a war is not a criminal who
an enemy in a war is not a criminal who must be destroyed at any cost
must be destroyed at any cost rather he is an equal opponent a
rather he is an equal opponent a competing player
competing player such an enemy is afforded equal rights
such an enemy is afforded equal rights with drone Warfare we reach the Pinnacle
with drone Warfare we reach the Pinnacle of asymmetry
of asymmetry the degradation and transformation of
the degradation and transformation of the opponent into a criminal is the
the opponent into a criminal is the precondition of targeted killing which
precondition of targeted killing which resembles a kind of policing
resembles a kind of policing drone Warfare completely dispenses with
drone Warfare completely dispenses with the reciprocity the reciprocal
the reciprocity the reciprocal relationship that constitutes War as
relationship that constitutes War as ritual combat
ritual combat the attacker is wholly invisible
the attacker is wholly invisible a screen is not an opponent
a screen is not an opponent killing with the click of a mouse is a
killing with the click of a mouse is a haunting of criminals that is more
haunting of criminals that is more brutal than the haunting of game
brutal than the haunting of game a true hunt is not mindless killing it
a true hunt is not mindless killing it is subject to strict rules
is subject to strict rules rituals are performed before during and
rituals are performed before during and after a Chase
after a Chase between Hunter and Quarry there is a
between Hunter and Quarry there is a kind of reciprocity a symmetry
kind of reciprocity a symmetry the animal must be killed face to face
the animal must be killed face to face before the killing it must be addressed
before the killing it must be addressed an animal must never be killed while
an animal must never be killed while asleep
asleep it is asked to wake up
it is asked to wake up it must also only be wounded in
it must also only be wounded in particular places
particular places it is prohibited for instance to injure
it is prohibited for instance to injure the animal's eyes and it thus retains
the animal's eyes and it thus retains its gaze until the end
its gaze until the end even in the case of hunting then there
even in the case of hunting then there is a reciprocal relationship
is a reciprocal relationship the other after all is the Gaze
the other after all is the Gaze the total asymmetry of drone Warfare
the total asymmetry of drone Warfare renders the concept of War obsolete
renders the concept of War obsolete with regard to air War Schmidt speaks of
with regard to air War Schmidt speaks of a violent measures Wong's maznam to war
a violent measures Wong's maznam to war on both sides belongs a certain chance a
on both sides belongs a certain chance a minimum a possibility for victory
minimum a possibility for victory once that ceases to be the case the
once that ceases to be the case the opponent becomes nothing more than an
opponent becomes nothing more than an object of violent measures
object of violent measures War as ritual combat is anything but the
War as ritual combat is anything but the mere enforcement of such violent
mere enforcement of such violent measures against the opponent
measures against the opponent it is a game characterized by
it is a game characterized by reciprocity
reciprocity drone Warfare as the enforcement of
drone Warfare as the enforcement of violent measures against the opponent as
violent measures against the opponent as the haunting of criminals lacks any
the haunting of criminals lacks any playful character
playful character here death is produced mechanically
here death is produced mechanically drone Pilots work shifts
drone Pilots work shifts for them killing is mainly work
for them killing is mainly work after they have performed their Duty
after they have performed their Duty they are ceremoniously handed a
they are ceremoniously handed a scorecard that confirms how many people
scorecard that confirms how many people they have killed
they have killed as in the case of any other work what
as in the case of any other work what counts above all else is performance
counts above all else is performance even when it Con
even when it Con es the killing of other humans
es the killing of other humans algorithms facilitate the mechanical
algorithms facilitate the mechanical production of death
production of death there is something pornographic
there is something pornographic something obscene about killing as a
something obscene about killing as a data-driven operation
data-driven operation the opponent is dissolved into Data as a
the opponent is dissolved into Data as a former director of the U.S National
former director of the U.S National Security Agency put it we kill people
Security Agency put it we kill people based on metadata
based on metadata the opponent who is to be destroyed is
the opponent who is to be destroyed is now no more than a set of data drone
now no more than a set of data drone Warfare is day-tastic killing
Warfare is day-tastic killing The Killing takes place without any
The Killing takes place without any fighting is devoid of any drama any fate
fighting is devoid of any drama any fate it is carried out mechanically under the
it is carried out mechanically under the merciless guidance of data streams
merciless guidance of data streams the goal is statistically transparent
the goal is statistically transparent killing
killing today everything is made to fit the form
today everything is made to fit the form of production
of production the form of war that produces death is
the form of war that produces death is diametrically opposed to War as ritual
diametrically opposed to War as ritual combat
combat production and ritual are mutually
production and ritual are mutually exclusive
exclusive drone Warfare is an image of the society
drone Warfare is an image of the society in which everything has become a matter
in which everything has become a matter of work production and performance
of work production and performance from myth to dataism
from myth to dataism in the ancient world not only War but
in the ancient world not only War but also the transfer of knowledge took the
also the transfer of knowledge took the form of play
form of play sacral riddle-solving competitions were
sacral riddle-solving competitions were an essential part of sacrificial Cults
an essential part of sacrificial Cults as important as the sacrifice itself
as important as the sacrifice itself they vivified and solidified myth as the
they vivified and solidified myth as the foundational knowledge of a community
foundational knowledge of a community huizinga suspects that the very
huizinga suspects that the very beginnings of philosophy are to be found
beginnings of philosophy are to be found in ritual games of riddle solving
in ritual games of riddle solving the earliest philosophers speak in tones
the earliest philosophers speak in tones of Prophecy and rapture
of Prophecy and rapture their Sublime self-assurance is that of
their Sublime self-assurance is that of the sacrificial priest or mystog
the sacrificial priest or mystog their problems deal with the Fonz E.T
their problems deal with the Fonz E.T irigo of things with rokai the beginning
irigo of things with rokai the beginning and Phi Sigma Iota nature
and Phi Sigma Iota nature it is always the same old cosmoginic
it is always the same old cosmoginic teasers propounded since time immemorial
teasers propounded since time immemorial in riddle form and solved in myth
in riddle form and solved in myth early Greek philosophy displays an
early Greek philosophy displays an agonistic character
agonistic character it is all game and competition
it is all game and competition we can say with certainty that the
we can say with certainty that the philosopher from the earliest times to
philosopher from the earliest times to the late sophists and readers always
the late sophists and readers always appeared as a typical champion
appeared as a typical champion he challenged his Rivals he attacked
he challenged his Rivals he attacked them with vehement criticism and
them with vehement criticism and extolled his own opinions as the only
extolled his own opinions as the only true ones with all the boyish [ __ ]
true ones with all the boyish [ __ ] sureness of archaic man
sureness of archaic man in style and form the earliest samples
in style and form the earliest samples of philosophy are polemical and
of philosophy are polemical and agonistic
agonistic they invariably speak in the first
they invariably speak in the first person singular
person singular when Zeno of Elia attacks his
when Zeno of Elia attacks his adversaries he does it with aporias that
adversaries he does it with aporias that is he starts ostensibly from their
is he starts ostensibly from their premises only to arrive at two
premises only to arrive at two contradictory and mutually exclusive
contradictory and mutually exclusive conclusions
conclusions the form points as clearly as anything
the form points as clearly as anything can to the riddle
can to the riddle Zeno asks if space is something what can
Zeno asks if space is something what can it be in
it be in for heraclitus the dark philosopher
for heraclitus the dark philosopher nature and life are agrifos and Enigma
nature and life are agrifos and Enigma and he himself is the riddle solver
and he himself is the riddle solver the sophist stage in art of argument a
the sophist stage in art of argument a play of astuteness the point of which is
play of astuteness the point of which is to snare one's opponent
to snare one's opponent the term problem from the Greek
the term problem from the Greek problemata originally meant the question
problemata originally meant the question presented to the opponent for a solution
presented to the opponent for a solution solving in this context should be taken
solving in this context should be taken literally
literally it means to free oneself from ropes and
it means to free oneself from ropes and snares
snares the agonistic character of philosophy
the agonistic character of philosophy represents the cosmic process understood
represents the cosmic process understood as the Eternal Strife between primordial
as the Eternal Strife between primordial oppositions
oppositions for heraclitus war is father of all and
for heraclitus war is father of all and according to empidocals affection Greek
according to empidocals affection Greek philia and strive Greek niacos are the
philia and strive Greek niacos are the two fundamental principles that
two fundamental principles that determine the course of the world
determine the course of the world the platonic dialogue still exhibit
the platonic dialogue still exhibit elements of play
elements of play the Symposium is structured like a
the Symposium is structured like a ritual competition the participants in
ritual competition the participants in the conversation compete with speeches
the conversation compete with speeches praising the god arrows
praising the god arrows Plato speaks of a judge
Plato speaks of a judge now you've gone too far Socrates agathon
now you've gone too far Socrates agathon replied
replied well eat your dinner
well eat your dinner Dionysus will soon enough be the judge
Dionysus will soon enough be the judge of our claims to wisdom
of our claims to wisdom Socrates took his seat after that and
Socrates took his seat after that and had his meal according to Aristo Demis
had his meal according to Aristo Demis when dinner was over they poured a
when dinner was over they poured a libation to the God sang A him and in
libation to the God sang A him and in short followed the whole ritual
short followed the whole ritual then they turned their attention to
then they turned their attention to drinking
drinking in the gorgias Socrates and calicles
in the gorgias Socrates and calicles behave more like two duelers than like
behave more like two duelers than like two engaged in a dialogue it is more
two engaged in a dialogue it is more confrontation than discussion
confrontation than discussion it resembles a dramatic form of ritual
it resembles a dramatic form of ritual combat
combat indeed between two incompatible
indeed between two incompatible positions on Power and Justice no
positions on Power and Justice no mediation is possible it is only a
mediation is possible it is only a question of winning or losing
question of winning or losing the agonistic character of the dialogue
the agonistic character of the dialogue is plain
is plain and what becomes clear to any reader of
and what becomes clear to any reader of the text is not that one interlocutor
the text is not that one interlocutor will convince the other but that there
will convince the other but that there will be a Victor and a vanquished
will be a Victor and a vanquished this is after all what explains why
this is after all what explains why socrates's methods in this dialogue are
socrates's methods in this dialogue are hardly fairer than those of calicles
hardly fairer than those of calicles wanting the ends means wanting the means
wanting the ends means wanting the means and it is a matter of winning especially
and it is a matter of winning especially of winning in the eyes of young men who
of winning in the eyes of young men who witnessed the scene
witnessed the scene Plato's dialogues are theatrical and the
Plato's dialogues are theatrical and the joys of the theater determine the course
joys of the theater determine the course of the game
of the game despite the obvious elements of play in
despite the obvious elements of play in his dialogues Plato inaugurates the
his dialogues Plato inaugurates the transition from myth to truth
transition from myth to truth In The Name Of Truth he distances
In The Name Of Truth he distances himself from the play to which the
himself from the play to which the sophists are devoted
sophists are devoted Plato's Socrates accuses them of lacking
Plato's Socrates accuses them of lacking seriousness
seriousness these things are the frivolous part of
these things are the frivolous part of study which is why I also tell you that
study which is why I also tell you that the men are jesting and I call these
the men are jesting and I call these things frivolity because even if a man
things frivolity because even if a man were to learn many or even all such
were to learn many or even all such things he would be none the wiser as to
things he would be none the wiser as to how matters stand but would only be able
how matters stand but would only be able to make fun of people tripping them up
to make fun of people tripping them up and overturning them by means of the
and overturning them by means of the distinctions in words just like the
distinctions in words just like the people who pull the chair out from under
people who pull the chair out from under a man who is going to sit down and then
a man who is going to sit down and then laugh gleefully when they
laugh gleefully when they see him sprawling on his back
see him sprawling on his back the sophists are seen as mere traveling
the sophists are seen as mere traveling showmen who are occupied solely with the
showmen who are occupied solely with the playful
playful but play has now to give way to the work
but play has now to give way to the work of uncovering the truth
of uncovering the truth yuizinga is probably to be credited with
yuizinga is probably to be credited with having taught us about the playful
having taught us about the playful character Of Human Action in archaic
character Of Human Action in archaic cultures
cultures but he turns play into something
but he turns play into something absolute and he therefore misses the
absolute and he therefore misses the decisive Paradigm Shift within knowledge
decisive Paradigm Shift within knowledge transfer in the history of the occident
transfer in the history of the occident namely the transition from myth to truth
namely the transition from myth to truth which coincides with the transition from
which coincides with the transition from Play to work
Play to work along the path towards work thinking
along the path towards work thinking gradually distances itself from its
gradually distances itself from its origin in play
origin in play the mistrust of play intensifies in the
the mistrust of play intensifies in the age of the Enlightenment
age of the Enlightenment can subordinates play to work
can subordinates play to work his Aesthetics for instance is
his Aesthetics for instance is characterized by the Primacy
characterized by the Primacy of work
of work in the face of beauty the cognitive
in the face of beauty the cognitive faculties namely imagination and
faculties namely imagination and understanding are in play mode
understanding are in play mode the subject likes what is beautiful the
the subject likes what is beautiful the beautiful creates a feeling of pleasure
beautiful creates a feeling of pleasure by triggering a harmonious interplay of
by triggering a harmonious interplay of the cognitive faculties
the cognitive faculties the beautiful does not by itself produce
the beautiful does not by itself produce knowledge but it entertains the
knowledge but it entertains the cognitive mechanisms and by doing so
cognitive mechanisms and by doing so promotes the production of knowledge
promotes the production of knowledge Kant is deeply irritated by the idea of
Kant is deeply irritated by the idea of pure play as an and in itself
pure play as an and in itself music is to be avoided insofar as it is
music is to be avoided insofar as it is incapable of performing any thinking
incapable of performing any thinking business because it merely plays with
business because it merely plays with Sensations
Sensations because music merely plays it is
because music merely plays it is incompatible with conceptual work
incompatible with conceptual work for Kant the pictorial Arts are to be
for Kant the pictorial Arts are to be preferred to music because they are
preferred to music because they are compatible with the business of thinking
compatible with the business of thinking that is the production of knowledge
that is the production of knowledge unlike music they set the imagination
unlike music they set the imagination into a free play that is nevertheless
into a free play that is nevertheless also suitable for the understanding and
also suitable for the understanding and at the same time they conduct a business
at the same time they conduct a business by bringing about a product that serves
by bringing about a product that serves the concepts of the understanding as a
the concepts of the understanding as a vehicle
vehicle In this passage can speaks explicitly of
In this passage can speaks explicitly of a product and as he often does of a
a product and as he often does of a business
business limits must be set to the imagination's
limits must be set to the imagination's urge to play so that play can serve the
urge to play so that play can serve the purposes of the understanding namely the
purposes of the understanding namely the production of knowledge
production of knowledge play is subordinated to work and
play is subordinated to work and production
production the enlightenment assumes the autonomy
the enlightenment assumes the autonomy of the subject of knowledge
of the subject of knowledge kant's copernican Revolution introduces
kant's copernican Revolution introduces this autonomy it is not we who revolve
this autonomy it is not we who revolve around the things the things must take
around the things the things must take their bearings from us
their bearings from us this would be just like the first
this would be just like the first thoughts of Copernicus who when he did
thoughts of Copernicus who when he did not make good progress in the Explorer
not make good progress in the Explorer nation of the celestial motions if he
nation of the celestial motions if he assumed that the entire Celestial host
assumed that the entire Celestial host revolves around the Observer try to see
revolves around the Observer try to see if he might not have greater success if
if he might not have greater success if he made the Observer revolve and left
he made the Observer revolve and left the stars at rest
the stars at rest now in metaphysics we can try in a
now in metaphysics we can try in a similar way regarding the intuition of
similar way regarding the intuition of objects
objects if intuition has to conform to the
if intuition has to conform to the Constitution of the objects then I do
Constitution of the objects then I do not see how we can know anything of them
not see how we can know anything of them a Priory but if the object as an object
a Priory but if the object as an object of the senses conforms to the
of the senses conforms to the constitution of our faculty of intuition
constitution of our faculty of intuition then I can very well represent this
then I can very well represent this possibility to myself
possibility to myself knowledge of the world is made possible
knowledge of the world is made possible by a Priory forms that is forms that are
by a Priory forms that is forms that are given in advance of any experience and
given in advance of any experience and are inherent in the subject of knowledge
are inherent in the subject of knowledge kant's idealism rests on the belief that
kant's idealism rests on the belief that the human subject is the master of the
the human subject is the master of the production of knowledge
production of knowledge kant's universe is centered around a
kant's universe is centered around a free autonomous subject as the
free autonomous subject as the institution that provides the forms and
institution that provides the forms and laws of knowledge
laws of knowledge today a further paradigm shift is
today a further paradigm shift is silently taking place
silently taking place the copernican anthropological turn
the copernican anthropological turn which made man an autonomous producer of
which made man an autonomous producer of knowledge is being superseded by the
knowledge is being superseded by the datastic turn
datastic turn the human being now has to comply with
the human being now has to comply with data
data no longer the producer of knowledge the
no longer the producer of knowledge the human being seeds its sovereignty to
human being seeds its sovereignty to data
data data ISM puts an end to the idealism and
data ISM puts an end to the idealism and humanism of the Enlightenment
humanism of the Enlightenment the human being is no longer The
the human being is no longer The Sovereign subject of knowledge the
Sovereign subject of knowledge the originator of knowledge
originator of knowledge knowledge is now produced mechanically
knowledge is now produced mechanically the data-driven production of knowledge
the data-driven production of knowledge takes place without the involvement of
takes place without the involvement of the human subject or consciousness
the human subject or consciousness enormous volumes of data displace the
enormous volumes of data displace the human being from its Central
human being from its Central position as producer of knowledge and
position as producer of knowledge and the human being itself is reduced to a
the human being itself is reduced to a data set a variable that can be
data set a variable that can be calculated and manipulated
calculated and manipulated the knowledge produced by Big Data
the knowledge produced by Big Data escapes understanding
escapes understanding human cognition is not powerful enough
human cognition is not powerful enough processors are faster than a human being
processors are faster than a human being precisely because they neither think nor
precisely because they neither think nor understand they only calculate
understand they only calculate the proponents of dataism would argue
the proponents of dataism would argue that humans invented thinking because
that humans invented thinking because they cannot calculate fast enough and
they cannot calculate fast enough and that the age of thinking will prove to
that the age of thinking will prove to be a short historical interlude
be a short historical interlude transparency the imperative of dataism
transparency the imperative of dataism is the source of the compulsion to
is the source of the compulsion to transform everything into data and
transform everything into data and information that is to make it visible
information that is to make it visible it is a compulsion of production
it is a compulsion of production transparency does not declare the human
transparency does not declare the human being to be free it declares data and
being to be free it declares data and information free
information free it is an efficient form of domination in
it is an efficient form of domination in which total communication and total
which total communication and total surveillance coincide
surveillance coincide this form of domination presents itself
this form of domination presents itself as freedom
as freedom Big Data produces a knowledge for
Big Data produces a knowledge for Domination that allows for the
Domination that allows for the manipulation and direction of the human
manipulation and direction of the human psyche
psyche from this perspective data ism's
from this perspective data ism's imperative of transparency represents
imperative of transparency represents not a continuation but the end of the
not a continuation but the end of the Enlightenment
Enlightenment the compulsion of production eliminates
the compulsion of production eliminates the space of games and narration
the space of games and narration algorithmic processes of calculation are
algorithmic processes of calculation are not narrative but only additive which is
not narrative but only additive which is why they can always be accelerated
why they can always be accelerated Thinking by contrast cannot be
Thinking by contrast cannot be accelerated
accelerated theories still contain elements of
theories still contain elements of narrative
narrative algorithms count but they do not recount
algorithms count but they do not recount the transition from myth to dataism is
the transition from myth to dataism is the transition from recounting to Pure
the transition from recounting to Pure Counting
Counting dataism turns the production of
dataism turns the production of knowledge into something pornographic
knowledge into something pornographic thinking is more erotic than calculating
thinking is more erotic than calculating it is Eros who gives Wings to thinking I
it is Eros who gives Wings to thinking I call it arrows the oldest of the Gods
call it arrows the oldest of the Gods according to parminids
according to parminids the beat of that God's Wings moves me
the beat of that God's Wings moves me every time I take a substantial step in
every time I take a substantial step in my thinking and Venture onto untrodden
my thinking and Venture onto untrodden paths
paths without Eros the steps of thinking
without Eros the steps of thinking degenerate into the steps of a
degenerate into the steps of a calculation that is the steps of work to
calculation that is the steps of work to be performed
be performed calculation is naked pornographic
calculation is naked pornographic thinking dresses itself in figures
thinking dresses itself in figures it is often squiggly
it is often squiggly calculations by contrast follow a linear
calculations by contrast follow a linear path
path thinking has the character of play
thinking has the character of play under the compulsion of work and
under the compulsion of work and production it becomes alienated from its
production it becomes alienated from its Essence the kind of thinking that
Essence the kind of thinking that provided the foundation for work and
provided the foundation for work and compulsion is bankrupt
compulsion is bankrupt having in the past assigned to work and
having in the past assigned to work and to the useful the egregious role with
to the useful the egregious role with which we are now all too familiar it is
which we are now all too familiar it is time that free thinking remembered that
time that free thinking remembered that it is play to the Core
it is play to the Core along the way from myth to dataism
along the way from myth to dataism thinking loses the element of play
thinking loses the element of play altogether
altogether it comes close to calculation
it comes close to calculation but the steps in thinking are not the
but the steps in thinking are not the steps of a calculation which simply
steps of a calculation which simply repeat the same operation over and over
repeat the same operation over and over again
again rather they are moves in a game or
rather they are moves in a game or dancing steps which create something
dancing steps which create something totally different introduce an
totally different introduce an altogether different order among things
altogether different order among things we are all players gamblers
we are all players gamblers in other words our most fervent hope is
in other words our most fervent hope is that rational sequences of events will
that rational sequences of events will unravel every now and again and be
unravel every now and again and be replaced if only for a short time by an
replaced if only for a short time by an unprecedented sequence of a different
unprecedented sequence of a different order a wonderfully tumultuous course of
order a wonderfully tumultuous course of events
events from seduction to porn
from seduction to porn seduction does not depend on gender
seduction does not depend on gender difference
difference in kierkegaards the seducer's diary
in kierkegaards the seducer's diary gender is altogether absent
gender is altogether absent the sexual act which is not even
the sexual act which is not even explicitly mentioned in the book plays a
explicitly mentioned in the book plays a subordinate role within the drama of
subordinate role within the drama of Seduction
Seduction seduction is a game
seduction is a game it belongs to the order of ritual
it belongs to the order of ritual sex by contrast is a function
sex by contrast is a function it is part of the order of the natural
it is part of the order of the natural seduction is structured like a ritual
seduction is structured like a ritual duel
duel everything takes place in an almost
everything takes place in an almost liturgical realm of Challenge and duel
liturgical realm of Challenge and duel Kierkegaard Compares seduction to
Kierkegaard Compares seduction to fencing
fencing be careful such a glance From Below is
be careful such a glance From Below is more dangerous than one that is jaredo's
more dangerous than one that is jaredo's direct
direct it is like fencing and what weapon is as
it is like fencing and what weapon is as sharp as penetrating as gleaming in its
sharp as penetrating as gleaming in its movement and thereby as elusive as the
movement and thereby as elusive as the eye
eye you faint a high card as the fencer says
you faint a high card as the fencer says and then
and then lunge instantaneously the more swiftly
lunge instantaneously the more swiftly the lunge can follow upon the faint the
the lunge can follow upon the faint the better
better it is an Indescribable moment the
it is an Indescribable moment the instant of the faint
instant of the faint the opponent feels as it were the cut he
the opponent feels as it were the cut he is struck and so he is but in a place
is struck and so he is but in a place quite different from what he thought
quite different from what he thought being a duel seduction implies a playful
being a duel seduction implies a playful use of power
use of power in this context we should distance
in this context we should distance ourselves from the common idea that
ourselves from the common idea that power is suppression something negative
power is suppression something negative or evil
or evil power is not just repressive it is also
power is not just repressive it is also seductive even erotic
seductive even erotic the play with power is characterized by
the play with power is characterized by reciprocity
reciprocity thus Foucault interprets power from the
thus Foucault interprets power from the perspective of the economy of pleasure
perspective of the economy of pleasure power is not evil
power is not evil power is games of strategy
power is games of strategy we all know that power is not evil
we all know that power is not evil for example let us take sexual or
for example let us take sexual or Amorous relationships to wield power
Amorous relationships to wield power over the other in a sort of open-ended
over the other in a sort of open-ended strategic game where the situation may
strategic game where the situation may be reversed is not evil it's a part of
be reversed is not evil it's a part of love a passion and sexual pleasure
love a passion and sexual pleasure seduction requires a Scenic playful
seduction requires a Scenic playful distance that leads me away from my
distance that leads me away from my personal psychology
personal psychology the intimacy of Love Falls outside the
the intimacy of Love Falls outside the sphere of Seduction
sphere of Seduction it represents the end of play and the
it represents the end of play and the beginning of psychology and confession
beginning of psychology and confession it distrusts the playful scenes
it distrusts the playful scenes eroticism in the form of Seduction is
eroticism in the form of Seduction is different from the intimacy of love for
different from the intimacy of love for in intimacy the playful aspect is lost
in intimacy the playful aspect is lost seduction is based on extimacy on the
seduction is based on extimacy on the exteriority of the other an exteriority
exteriority of the other an exteriority that escapes the sphere of the intimate
that escapes the sphere of the intimate constitutive of Seduction is a fantasy
constitutive of Seduction is a fantasy of the other
of the other porn finally marks the end of Seduction
porn finally marks the end of Seduction here the other is effaced altogether
here the other is effaced altogether pornographic pleasure is narcissistic
pornographic pleasure is narcissistic it derives from the immediate
it derives from the immediate consumption of an object that is offered
consumption of an object that is offered naked
naked today even Souls like genitals
today even Souls like genitals dosagelecht are offered unveiled
dosagelecht are offered unveiled the loss of any capacity for illusion
the loss of any capacity for illusion semblance theater play drama that
semblance theater play drama that signals the Triumph of pornography
signals the Triumph of pornography porn is a phenomenon of transparency
porn is a phenomenon of transparency the age of pornography is the age of
the age of pornography is the age of unambiguousness
unambiguousness today we no longer have a sense for
today we no longer have a sense for phenomena such as Secrets or riddles
phenomena such as Secrets or riddles ambiguities or ambivalences cause us
ambiguities or ambivalences cause us discomfort
discomfort because of their ambiguity jokes are
because of their ambiguity jokes are also frowned upon
also frowned upon seduction requires the negativity of the
seduction requires the negativity of the secret
secret the positivity of the unambiguous only
the positivity of the unambiguous only allows for sequential processes
allows for sequential processes even reading is acquiring a pornographic
even reading is acquiring a pornographic form
form the pleasure of reading a text resembles
the pleasure of reading a text resembles that of watching a striptease
that of watching a striptease it derives from a progressive unveiling
it derives from a progressive unveiling of Truth as though it were a sexual
of Truth as though it were a sexual organ or War at al-ska schlecht we
organ or War at al-ska schlecht we rarely read poems anymore
rarely read poems anymore unlike popular crime novels they do not
unlike popular crime novels they do not contain a final truth
contain a final truth poems play with fuzzy edges
poems play with fuzzy edges they do not admit a pornographic reading
they do not admit a pornographic reading they do not possess pornographic
they do not possess pornographic sharpness
sharpness they resist the production of meaning
they resist the production of meaning political correctness also condemns
political correctness also condemns ambiguity
ambiguity so-called politically correct practices
so-called politically correct practices request a form of transparency and lack
request a form of transparency and lack of ambiguity so as to
of ambiguity so as to neutralize the traditional rhetorical
neutralize the traditional rhetorical and emotional Halo of Seduction
and emotional Halo of Seduction ambiguities are essential to the
ambiguities are essential to the language of eroticism
language of eroticism the rigorous linguistic hygiene of
the rigorous linguistic hygiene of political correctness makes erotic
political correctness makes erotic seduction impossible
seduction impossible today the eroticism is stifled by
today the eroticism is stifled by political correctness as well as by porn
political correctness as well as by porn the compulsion of production and
the compulsion of production and performance today
performance today takes hold of all areas of life
takes hold of all areas of life including sexuality
including sexuality to produce originally meant to present
to produce originally meant to present and make visible
and make visible in porn the genitals geshlect are
in porn the genitals geshlect are produced presented made totally visible
produced presented made totally visible in today's pornography not even
in today's pornography not even ejaculation is hidden
ejaculation is hidden it is also produced
it is also produced the final result of the performance is
the final result of the performance is not meant to remain concealed
not meant to remain concealed the more there is of the product the
the more there is of the product the greater the producer's capacity to
greater the producer's capacity to perform
perform he produces himself in front of the eyes
he produces himself in front of the eyes of his female partner who is the
of his female partner who is the co-producer of the pornographic process
co-producer of the pornographic process the sexual act in today's porn film
the sexual act in today's porn film seems mechanical
seems mechanical the principle of performance has also
the principle of performance has also taken hold of sex giving the body the
taken hold of sex giving the body the function of a sexual machine
function of a sexual machine sex performance achievement libido and
sex performance achievement libido and production come to be bound up with one
production come to be bound up with one another
another vodriller derives the compulsion to
vodriller derives the compulsion to ejaculate from the compulsion of
ejaculate from the compulsion of production
production we remain perplexed and vaguely
we remain perplexed and vaguely compassionate when confronted with
compassionate when confronted with cultures for which the sexual act is not
cultures for which the sexual act is not a finality in itself for which sexuality
a finality in itself for which sexuality does not have the Mortal seriousness of
does not have the Mortal seriousness of an energy to be liberated of an
an energy to be liberated of an ejaculation to be forced a production at
ejaculation to be forced a production at any price or hygienic auditing of the
any price or hygienic auditing of the body
body cultures that preserve lengthy
cultures that preserve lengthy procedures of enticement and sensuality
procedures of enticement and sensuality long series of gifts and counter-gifts
long series of gifts and counter-gifts with sex being but one service amongst
with sex being but one service amongst others and the act of love one possible
others and the act of love one possible and term to a prescribed ritualistic
and term to a prescribed ritualistic interchange
interchange today the time-consuming play of
today the time-consuming play of Seduction is increasingly discarded in
Seduction is increasingly discarded in favor of the immediate gratification of
favor of the immediate gratification of Desire
Desire seduction and production are not
seduction and production are not compatible ours is a culture of
compatible ours is a culture of premature ejaculation
premature ejaculation increasingly all seduction all manner of
increasingly all seduction all manner of enticement which is always a highly
enticement which is always a highly ritualized process is a face behind a
ritualized process is a face behind a naturalized sexual imperative behind the
naturalized sexual imperative behind the immediate and imperative realization of
immediate and imperative realization of Desire
Desire playing is something altogether
playing is something altogether different from the gratification of
different from the gratification of Desire
Desire that libido which represents Capital at
that libido which represents Capital at the level of the body is hostile to play
the level of the body is hostile to play Capital not only brings with it the
Capital not only brings with it the labor power of the energetic body but
labor power of the energetic body but also the sexual power of the libidinal
also the sexual power of the libidinal body
body libido and drive are forms of production
libido and drive are forms of production they are opposed to the form of
they are opposed to the form of Seduction
Seduction porn pervades the neoliberal dispositive
porn pervades the neoliberal dispositive as its General principle
as its General principle under the compulsion of production
under the compulsion of production everything is being presented made
everything is being presented made visible exposed and exhibited
visible exposed and exhibited everything is subjected to the
everything is subjected to the Relentless light of transparency
Relentless light of transparency communication becomes pornographic when
communication becomes pornographic when it becomes transparent when it is
it becomes transparent when it is smoothed out into an accelerated
smoothed out into an accelerated exchange of information
exchange of information language becomes pornographic once it no
language becomes pornographic once it no longer plays once it only conveys
longer plays once it only conveys information
information the body becomes pornographic when it
the body becomes pornographic when it loses all its Scenic aspects when it is
loses all its Scenic aspects when it is simply required to function
simply required to function the pornographic body lacks any
the pornographic body lacks any symbolism
symbolism the ritualized body by contrast is a
the ritualized body by contrast is a splendid stage with secrets and deities
splendid stage with secrets and deities written into it
written into it sounds 2. become pornographic if they
sounds 2. become pornographic if they lose their subtlety and elusiveness and
lose their subtlety and elusiveness and are only there to produce effects and
are only there to produce effects and emotions
emotions digital tools for processing audio
digital tools for processing audio tracks include a setting called in your
tracks include a setting called in your face which gives sounds an impression of
face which gives sounds an impression of immediacy
immediacy the sounds are as it were poured
the sounds are as it were poured directly into the face a facial
directly into the face a facial images that affect the eye and the
images that affect the eye and the genitals dosage lect immediately before
genitals dosage lect immediately before any hermeneutic process are pornographic
any hermeneutic process are pornographic what is pornographic is the immediate
what is pornographic is the immediate contact the copulation of image ni
contact the copulation of image ni today we live in a post-sexual age
today we live in a post-sexual age the excessive visibility the
the excessive visibility the pornographic overproduction of sex puts
pornographic overproduction of sex puts an end to sex
an end to sex porn kills off sexuality and eroticism
porn kills off sexuality and eroticism more effectively than moral repression
more effectively than moral repression ever could have hoped to
ever could have hoped to Lars von trier's film nymphomaniac
Lars von trier's film nymphomaniac Heralds the post-sexual age
Heralds the post-sexual age as one critic says of the film
as one critic says of the film the message might as well be forget
the message might as well be forget about sex
about sex for at no point does the film show
for at no point does the film show sexuality in a seductive way
sexuality in a seductive way it is pornographic because it forces The
it is pornographic because it forces The Spectator to look closely and for long
Spectator to look closely and for long stretches of time at what is immediately
stretches of time at what is immediately presented
presented but what can be seen there is wrinkled
but what can be seen there is wrinkled crooked hairy and grayish yellow in
crooked hairy and grayish yellow in other words roughly as attractive as the
other words roughly as attractive as the sexual organ of any other mammal
sexual organ of any other mammal in Latin meat iscaro
in Latin meat iscaro in the post-sexual age pornography is so
in the post-sexual age pornography is so intensified as to become choreography
intensified as to become choreography what destroys sexuality is not the
what destroys sexuality is not the negativity of prohibition or deprivation
negativity of prohibition or deprivation but the positivity of overproduction
but the positivity of overproduction the pathology of today's society is the
the pathology of today's society is the excess of positivity
excess of positivity it is a too much not a too little that
it is a too much not a too little that is making us sick
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