Style wars pt 1: Postwar France and a new philosophical mode
Apr 18, 2024
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Exploring the emergence of a new philosophical style post-World War II in France with thinkers like Batais, Derrida, and Foucault. Debates on the significance of lucidity in philosophy and the shift towards experimental stylistic approaches. Challenging philosophical styles for clarity and controversies surrounding Jacques Derrida's work. Delving into language's indeterminacy and its impact on expressing truths in analytic philosophy.
French post-war philosophy saw a shift towards dense, experimental writing challenging traditional styles.
The review format played a pivotal role in facilitating the evolution of experimental philosophical ideas.
Deep dives
Shift in Philosophy After World War II
After World War II, a significant shift occurred in French philosophy following the collective trauma of the Holocaust and the occupation of France. Intellectual debates emerged surrounding the ethics and power of writing, especially in the aftermath of the trials of writers accused of collaboration. This period saw a reemergence of central figures like George Bataille, who transitioned to new intellectual directions, contributing to a transformative era of French philosophy.
Stylistic Rupture in Philosophy
The emergence of a new style in philosophical writing in post-war French thought led to a significant departure from traditional philosophical styles. Described as difficult to read and characterized by wordplay and complex structures, this style introduced a form of impersonal writing with a blending of voices, challenging conventional notions of philosophical expression and voice.
Transformation of Concepts in New Philosophy
The radical new style in philosophy not only altered the presentation of ideas but also prompted a shift towards exploring new metaphysical questions. With a focus on questioning the function of writing and signs in the world, this new philosophy delved into highly metaphysical inquiries, departing from traditional philosophical norms.
Review Form in Experimental Philosophy
The review form played a crucial role in facilitating the experimental stylistic approach of French philosophers post-World War II. Journals like 'Critique' prioritized review essays, providing an outlet for short-format work and serving as a scene for production and dissemination of new philosophical ideas. The review form's immediacy and closeness to contemporary critical scenes contributed to its experimental evolution in post-war French thought.
In the aftermath of the Second World War, France was in a state of creative ferment that affected politics, culture - and philosophy. A new mode of philosophical writing emerged in the form of the review, and it was being done in an idiom that we've since come to recognise as typical of modern French theory: dense, experimental, multivocal, open-ended, very much the opposite of traditional analytic philosophical style. It grabbed scholarly attention then, and is still controversial today.
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