I attended Jaques Derrida's lecture in Reykjavík many years ago. The lecture was titled 'I have only one language and that language is not my own'. The most memorable comment was when he said that being invited somewhere by friend was in fact an act of violence - adding that he had nothing against violence.I have a curious and complex relationship with philosophy, as may possibly gleaned by checking out the very few posts in this blog devoted to the subject. I have tried reading Derrida but have found this to be quite excruciating. On the other hand, listening to him all those years ago; reading bits and pieces by others about him, and watching clips of him on YouTube I always feel strangely fascinated - I'm not sure why.
The most interesting and fulfilling way to do philosophy is in my opinion the conversation. I had the good fortune to have a conversation with someone who actually met Derrida and has read him extensively which to some extent was enlightening in other ways not.
In a way I think that what (some) philosophy, and authors like Derrida, in particular, can offer us is
-patience (you have to wait for it; and it may not come)
-respect (respect the fact that even if you do not understand this may be your problem and not the others)
-precision (A) (every single statement and avenue into thinking is already situated and based on assumptions that can, and will, be questioned, queried and eventually if really interesting deconstructed)
-mindfulness (staying with the flow of the arguments and ideas from all over with an acute feeling for the circumstantial, physical, psychological 'reality' at play)
-precision (B) (always defining your terms until you are maybe left with nothing)
-unfinished (the business of thinking and being is clearly, utterly and always open-ended, deeply fascinating and is a challenge we all must face as individuals)
... I think you could possibly connect a Buddhist idea of the non-binary; where dualism is rejected but not in favour of a clear monism - nevertheless non-binary....
.... the philosophy of Derrida is in this context firmly situated in the Platonic-Socratic traditions and thus anti-Aristotelean (not my theory - but it makes sense to me) .... there is clearly a hint of something a wee bit zen in his approach as well...
.... you do not have to read everything ever read to start writing (just almost everything) - you can always start with what you have read, pretend and also base your stuff on what you will read (avenir)....
... deconstruction is thus non-relativism....
