The Image in French Philosophy (Consciousness, Literature and the Arts 5) (Consciousness Literture and the Arts)

'The Image in French Philosophy' challenges dominant interpretations of Bergson, Sartre, Lyotard, Baudrillard and Deleuze by arguing that their philosophy was not a critique but a 'revival' of metaphysics as a thinking pertaining to impersonal forces and distinguished by an aversion to subjectivity and an aversion of the philosophical gaze away from the discourse of vision, and thus away from the image. Insofar as the image was part of the discourse of subjectivity/representation, getting rid of the subject involved smuggling the concept of the image out of the discourse of subjectivity/representation into a newly revived and ethically flavored metaphysical discourse - a metaphysics of immanence, which was more interested in consciousness rather than subjectivity, in the inhuman rather than the human, in the virtual rather than the real, in Time rather than temporalization, in Memory rather than memory-images, in Imagination rather than images, in sum, in 'impersonal' forces, de-personalizing experiences, states of dis-embodiment characterized by the breaking down of sensory-motor schemata (Bergson's pure memory, Sartre's image-consciousness, Deleuze's time-image) or, more generally, in that which remains beyond representation i.e. 'beyond' subjectivity (Lyotard's sublime, Baudrillard's fatal object). The book would be of interest to scholars and students of philosophy, aesthetics, and film theory. Contents -- Introduction: The New Metaphysics of Immanence -- Bergson's Matter-Image: The Degradation of the Impersonal -- Sartre's Image-Consciousness: The Allergic Reaction to Matter -- Lyotard's Sublime: The Ontologization of the Image -- Baudrillard's Simulacrum: The End of Visibility -- Deleuze's Time-Image: Getting Rid of Ourselves -- Imaginary Time in Contemporary Cinema -- Bibliography -- Index Contents......Page 6 The revival of metaphysics......Page 10 The unusual suspects......Page 14 The scholarship......Page 18 Organization......Page 23 Bergson and the problem of dualism......Page 26 Matter: an aggregate of images......Page 37 Bergson and associationism......Page 43 Memory and memory-images......Page 47 Pure memory and déjà-vu......Page 54 Sartre and the impersonal......Page 64 Sartre's dualism......Page 66 Sartre and the phenomenology of the image......Page 69 Sartre's fantasy of 'natural signification'......Page 71 Husserl and Sartre......Page 74 The 'bastardization' of impersonal consciousness......Page 82 Imagination......Page 89 The Psychology of Imagination......Page 96 Image-consciousness......Page 108 Between Idealism and Realism......Page 112 The event......Page 124 From nausea to sublimity: Sartre and Lyotard......Page 126 The postmodern sublime: the image as event......Page 129 The Kantian sublime......Page 132 Lyotard's critique......Page 135 The sublime and time......Page 149 Barnett Newman......Page 152 The involuntary Platonist......Page 172 The real: Bergson and Baudrillard......Page 173 The real: Sartre and Baudrillard......Page 175 The virtual......Page 177 The impersonal......Page 184 The fatal......Page 185 Giacometti......Page 189 'Seduction' and 'production'......Page 190 The real and the hyperreal......Page 197 The event......Page 200 Nostalgia for the subject......Page 210 The ontologization of the film image......Page 222 Representation and point of view......Page 224 Deleuze and the fantasy of 'natural signification'......Page 227 Types of images......Page 230 The time-image: between ontology and history......Page 233 Deleuze and Kant......Page 235 Deleuze and Baudrillard......Page 238 The impersonal: banal, nauseating or sublime?......Page 242 The falsification of time......Page 247 Signification and a-signification......Page 254 Getting rid of ourselves?......Page 255 Prolegomena to a 'metaphysical' cinema......Page 262 The impersonal, the infinite and the virtual......Page 266 Time and point of view......Page 271 Bibliography......Page 308 D......Page 314 M......Page 315 S......Page 316 Z......Page 317 Contents 6 Introduction: The New Metaphysics of Immanence 10 The revival of metaphysics 10 The unusual suspects 14 The scholarship 18 Organization 23 Bergson's Matter-Image: The Degradation of the Impersonal 26 Bergson and the problem of dualism 26 Matter: an aggregate of images 37 Bergson and associationism 43 Memory and memory-images 47 Pure memory and déjà-vu 54 Sartre's Image-Consciousness: The Allergic Reaction to Matter 64 Sartre and the impersonal 64 Sartre's dualism 66 Sartre and the phenomenology of the image 69 Sartre's fantasy of 'natural signification' 71 Husserl and Sartre 74 The 'bastardization' of impersonal consciousness 82 Imagination 89 The Psychology of Imagination 96 Image-consciousness 108 Between Idealism and Realism 112 Lyotard's Sublime: The Ontologization of the Image 124 The event 124 From nausea to sublimity: Sartre and Lyotard 126 The postmodern sublime: the image as event 129 The Kantian sublime 132 Lyotard's critique 135 The sublime and time 149 Barnett Newman 152 Baudrillard's Simulacrum: The End of Visibility 172 The involuntary Platonist 172 The real: Bergson and Baudrillard 173 The real: Sartre and Baudrillard 175 The virtual 177 The impersonal 184 The fatal 185 Giacometti 189 'Seduction' and 'production' 190 The real and the hyperreal 197 The event 200 Nostalgia for the subject 210 Deleuze's Time-Image: Getting Rid of Ourselves 222 The ontologization of the film image 222 Representation and point of view 224 Deleuze and the fantasy of 'natural signification' 227 Types of images 230 The time-image: between ontology and history 233 Deleuze and Kant 235 Deleuze and Baudrillard 238 The impersonal: banal, nauseating or sublime? 242 The falsification of time 247 Signification and a-signification 254 Getting rid of ourselves? 255 Imaginary Time in Contemporary Cinema 262 Prolegomena to a 'metaphysical' cinema 262 The impersonal, the infinite and the virtual 266 Time and point of view 271 Bibliography 308 Index 314 A 314 B 314 C 314 D 314 E 315 F 315 G 315 H 315 I 315 K 315 L 315 M 315 N 316 O 316 P 316 R 316 S 316 T 317 V 317 W 317 Z 317

the Image In French Philosophy Challenges Dominant Interpretations Of Bergson, Sartre, Lyotard, Baudrillard And Deleuze By Arguing That Their Philosophy Was Not A Critique But A revival Of Metaphysics As A Thinking Pertaining To Impersonal Forces And Distinguished By An Aversion To Subjectivity And An Aversion Of The Philosophical Gaze Away From The Discourse Of Vision, And Thus Away From The Image. Insofar As The Image Was Part Of The Discourse Of Subjectivity/representation, Getting Rid Of The Subject Involved Smuggling The Concept Of The Image Out Of The Discourse Of Subjectivity/representation Into A Newly Revived And Ethically Flavored Metaphysical Discourse-a Metaphysics Of Immanence, Which Was More Interested In Consciousness Rather Than Subjectivity, In The Inhuman Rather Than The Human, In The Virtual Rather Than The Real, In Time Rather Than Temporalization, In Memory Rather Than Memory-images, In Imagination Rather Than Images, In Sum, In impersonal Forces, De-personalizing Experiences, States Of Dis-embodiment Characterized By The Breaking Down Of Sensory-motor Schemata (bergson's Pure Memory, Sartre's Image-consciousness, Deleuze's Time-image) Or, More Generally, In That Which Remains Beyond Representation I.e. beyond Subjectivity (lyotard's Sublime, Baudrillard's Fatal Object). The Book Would Be Of Interest To Scholars And Students Of Philosophy, Aesthetics, And Film Theory.