Discipline & Institutions, Individuality & Desire: Foucault, Derrida, Jameson and Rorty

Presentation Aims and Outline To discuss the key terms and main arguments of the essays by Foucault, Derrida, Jameson and Rorty To question the relationships between these four essays through group discussion

Michel Foucault

“ Panopticism ” Taken from Surveiller et Punir (1975)

Key Terms for Foucault Panopticon - “ discipline ” –

Foucault ’ s Main Arguments

Jacques Derrida

“ The Principle of Reason: The University in the Eyes of Its Pupils ” Essay printed in Diacritics (1983) Cornell University, Ithaca

Key Terms for Derrida raison d ’ être – “ au large ” – gegrundet -

Derrida ’ s Main Arguments

Fredric Jameson

“ Postmodernism & Consumer Society ” Combination of “ Postmodernism and Consumer Society ” (1983) and “ Postmodernism: The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism ” (1984) The Bonaventure Hotel

Key Terms for Jameson postmodernism – pastiche (versus parody) –

la mode r é tro – “ postmodern hyperspace ” –

Jameson ’ s Main Arguments

Richard Rorty

“ The Inspirational Value of Great Works of Literature ” Taken from Achieving our Country (1998)

Key Terms for Rorty “ knowingness ” – “ analytic philosophy ” – “ inspirational value ” –

Rorty ’ s Main Arguments

Questions for Discussion Is Bentham ’ s Panopticon similar to Derrida ’ s university? How are sight or vision relevant in both Foucault ’ s and Derrida ’ s arguments? Is Rorty ’ s idea of the “ inspirational value ” of literature conservative? Does it conflict with Jameson ’ s definition of the postmodern in art? How does individuality figure in each of the four essays? What about power? What is the value of education or the university? What is the value of “ great works of literature ” ?

Works Cited Derrida, Jacques. “” The Principle of Reason: The University in the Eyes of Its Pupils. ” Everyday Theory. Eds. Becky McLaughlin and Bob Coleman. New York: Pearson Longman, Foucault, Michel. “ Panopticism. ” Everyday Theory. Eds. Becky McLaughlin and Bob Coleman. New York: Pearson Longman, Jameson, Fredric. “ Postmodernism and Consumer Society. ” Everyday Theory. Eds. Becky McLaughlin and Bob Coleman. New York: Pearson Longman, Rorty, Richard. “ The Inspirational Value of Great Works of Literature. ” Everyday Theory. Eds. Becky McLaughlin and Bob Coleman. New York: Pearson Longman, * Bibliographic Information Taken From:

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