Dead Theory: Derrida, Death, and the Afterlife of Theory

What is the legacy of Theory after the deaths of so many of its leading lights, from Jacques Derrida to Roland Barthes? Bringing together reflections by leading contemporary scholars, Dead Theory explores the afterlives of the work of the great theorists and the current state of Theory today. Considering the work of thinkers such as Derrida, Deleuze, and Levinas, the book explores the ways in which Theory has long been haunted by death and how it might endure for the future. Cover......Page 1 Half Title......Page 2 Also available from Bloomsbury......Page 3 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Epigraph......Page 6 Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Introduction: Notes from Underground......Page 12 Applied theory......Page 15 Double death......Page 17 Alone together......Page 20 Double feeling......Page 21 Dead theory......Page 23 1 The Heirs to Jacques Derrida and Deconstruction......Page 36 2 The Humanists Strike Back......Page 64 3 The Afterlife of Critics......Page 84 Afterlives and symbolic networks......Page 85 Writing and virtuality......Page 90 Blanchot: Virtual spaces of literature......Page 92 Deleuze/.Guattari: The philosophy of “lower-.level processing”......Page 97 Sub-.syllabic deconstructive “dots”......Page 105 4 Thanatographies of the Future......Page 112 5 Ghosts in the Politics of Friendship......Page 122 6 Death, Survival, and Translation......Page 144 Parables of the poem......Page 146 Saving the poem......Page 156 Mourning the poem......Page 160 Protecting the “poem”......Page 161 7 Theory’s Autoimmunity......Page 166 8 Eclipse of the Gaze......Page 184 9 Deleuze, Kerouac, Fascism, and Death......Page 202 10 Theory’s Ruins......Page 216 Absent ruins and broken vases......Page 217 Ironic enchantments......Page 219 Theory, death, ethics......Page 228 Thinking things......Page 230 Place, technology, and theoretical debt......Page 236 Notes on Contributors......Page 244 Index......Page 248 Cover 1 Half Title 2 Also available from Bloomsbury 3 Title 4 Copyright 5 Epigraph 6 Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 Introduction: Notes from Underground 12 Applied theory 15 Double death 17 Alone together 20 Double feeling 21 Dead theory 23 1 The Heirs to Jacques Derrida and Deconstruction 36 2 The Humanists Strike Back 64 3 The Afterlife of Critics 84 Afterlives and symbolic networks 85 Writing and virtuality 90 Blanchot: Virtual spaces of literature 92 Deleuze/.Guattari: The philosophy of “lower-.level processing” 97 Sub-.syllabic deconstructive “dots” 105 4 Thanatographies of the Future 112 5 Ghosts in the Politics of Friendship 122 6 Death, Survival, and Translation 144 Parables of the poem 146 Saving the poem 156 Mourning the poem 160 Protecting the “poem” 161 7 Theory’s Autoimmunity 166 8 Eclipse of the Gaze 184 9 Deleuze, Kerouac, Fascism, and Death 202 10 Theory’s Ruins 216 Absent ruins and broken vases 217 Ironic enchantments 219 11 Undying Theory 228 Theory, death, ethics 228 Thinking things 230 Place, technology, and theoretical debt 236 Notes on Contributors 244 Index 248