Orientalism

I find this recap of Edvard Saids Orientalism interesting and nice with comments as well as photos/video clips.

Spivak

This is one of the philosophers that we have brought up within our philosophical science class. In my curiosity about her and thoughts about post-colonial theory and the context of subaltern...here is a lecture I found that she did. It's one hour long and then half an hour discussion with the audience. I find her talk especially captivating the last 20 mins (40th minute and onwards) when she starts to talk about the new subaltern as a transformation into property. Among other things, she notice the indigenous knowledge that turns into intellectual property, and the conversation of indigenous knowledge into data. She says that it is a difference between knowing and learning, between describing a card game and describing a card game well enough to lose in order to teach.

More quaokes from following lecture is;

"the de-trivialism of the humanities"

"logic does not belong to Europe alone"

"who will educate the educated"

"let us not accuse, let us not excuse"

"we must nurture the abstract read, transcendent it into reason by recognise that"

But let's listen to her....

For a shorter clip where Spivak comments the world of today, see this interview where she are asked upon the green movement in Iran.

Philosophy of sciences and Derrida

So I am in hard core study period for my exam...or atleast a bit more structured after I had my furnitures  to change places. It's funny how you always get creative just before a big writing up comes up, although it actually does help for my motivation.

Today we had a seminar on poststructuralism and postmodernism. Among others we discussed deconstructions and the French philosopher Derrida. He was very influential in the concept of post structuralism. In some way he appeals to me and I would like to know more about his discussions about language, inspired by the structuralist and linguist Saussure.

There was a documentary done in 2002 about Derrida, which I find appealing for those that as me are more curious about him.


But there is a short version of the movie here....

The books of Derrida that might one day belong to my book shelf is these two: 

This first one could be found digitally and be bought here.

The second one is this one, also in digitally version.