1

HumanBeingasNoun?OrBeingHumanasPraxis?TowardstheAutopoetic
Turn/Overturn:AManifesto
The Greek roots and related roots of cosmogony are genos/genea (race, family, genealogy,
genesis), gonos (offspring), kosmos (cosmos, universe). Thus, cosmologia, or cosmology, the
study of the cosmos, and kosmos and gonos or cosmogony. In our creation myths we tell the
world,oratleastourselves,whoweare. [DavidLeeming, Myth:ABiographyofBelief, 2002].
A U.N. climate panel is set to release a smokinggunreport soon that confirms human activities
aretoblameforglobalwarmingandthatpredictscatastrophicglobaldisruptionsby2100.[Time,
AWarmingReport:Scientiststoshownewevidence,January,2007 Emphasisadded].
Butwho,we? [JacquesDerrida.TheEndsofManinMarginsofPhilosophy, 1982]
1
My life had its significance and its only deep significance because it was part of a Problem but
that problem was, as I continue to think, the central problem of the greatest of the worlds
democracies and so the Problem of the future of the world. [W.E.B. DuBois, Dusk of Dawn,
citedbyDeniseFerreiradaSilvainTowardaGlobalIdeaofRace,2007 Emphasisadded].
What if we did not know where we are and who we are? What if all previous answers to the
questionof who weareweremerelybasedupontheapplicationofananswergivenlongago,an
answerthatdoesnotcorrespondtowhatisperhapsaskedinthequestionnowtoucheduponofwho
weare?Forwedonotnowaskaboutourselvesashuman,assumingweunderstandthisnamein
its traditional meaning. According to this meaning, man is a kind of organism (animal), that
existsamongothersontheinhabitedearthandintheuniverse.Weknowthisorganism,especially
sinceweourselvesareofthistype.Thereisawholecontingentofsciencesthatgiveinformation
about this organismnamed manand we collect them together under the name
anthropology.[MartinHeidegger, BasicConcepts,1981/1998 Emphasisadded].
What is by common consent called the human sciences have their own drama[A]ll these
discoveries, allthese inquiries lead only in one direction: to make man admit thathe isnothing,
absolutelynothingandthathemustputanendtothenarcissismonwhichhereliesinorderto
imagine that he is different from the other animals.This amounts to nothing more nor less
thanmanssurrender.Havingreflectedonthat,IgraspmynarcissismwithbothhandsandIturn
mybackonthedegradationofthosewhowouldmakemanamere[biological]mechanism.And
trulywhatistobedoneistosetmanfree.[FrantzFanon, BlackSkin,WhiteMasks.1952/1967].
INTRODUCTORYNOTE
Almostaquarterofacenturyago,twentythreeyearsagotobeexact,Iwroteanessay
foraspecialissueof boundary2, editedandintroducedbyWilliamSpanosOnHumanism
andtheUniversity,1:TheDiscourseonHumanism
2
.BothSpanosfarreachingintroduction,as
wellastheessaysofindividualcontributors,canbeseenfromhindsight,tohavebeenwrittenin
1
Thisquotewasnotincludedinthedraftsenton6/7/07.
2
[Vol.XII,no.3/VolXIIIno.1.Spring/Fall1984]
2
thelingeringafterglowofwhathadbeenthedazzling,ifbrief,cognitivelyemancipatoryhiatus,
madepossiblebythesynergyofthemultipleformsofspontaneouslyeruptinguprisingsof
Otherness,thathademergedinthewakeofthesocialuprisingsduringthe1950sand60sin
theUS.
However,thesemovementsinternalbothtotheUnitedStatesandtoitsfellowWestern
European,andEuroAmericannationstates, werethemselvesonlyapartofthemore
comprehensiveplanetarily extendedseriesofanticolonialstruggles,which,initiatedbeforethe
SecondWorldWar,weretogathermomentumonlyinthewakeoftheendingofthatwar.These
asstrugglesdirectedagainstthethenstillimperialnationstatesofGreatBritain,France,the
NetherlandsandPortugal,allofwhomhadbetweenthem,ensuredthatby1900morethanhalf
ofAsia,98%ofAfrica(aswellasmostoftheexslaveplantationarchipelagoislandsofthe
Caribbean),wereunderdirectcolonialrule.Consequently iffromthemidnineteenthcentury
until1920,morethan450millionpeopleinAfricaandAsiahadbeenreducedtobeing
nativesubjectsoftheWest,theirreductiontosecondaryinferiorizedHuman Otherstatus,had
beeneffectedatthesametimeassome8.6millionsquaremilesinAfricaandAsiahadbeen
acquiredbyEuropeans(aswellasbyapost1898U.S.)inthenameofprogress
3
ofManifest
Destiny,itsbiocosmogonic/bioevolutionary andthereforenowpurely secularbehavior
necessitatingopiumofthepeoplebeliefsystem.
4
ItwasinthedynamiccontextofthevastselfmobilizingprocessesoftheAntiColonial
Revolution
5
asdirectedagainsttheempiricaleffectsofthisgiganticthingcalledcolonial
6
,that
notonlyhadtheemergenceofamultiplicity of formsofothernessinacontinuumofbeing
3
(Westad,2005
4
J.F.Danielli,citingMarxinhisseminal1980paper,AltruismandtheInternalRewardSystem,orTheOpiumof
thePeopleinJournalofSocialandBiologicalSciences,vol.3no.2(April1980).
5
(Westad,2005)
6
(Lamming,1953)
3
extendedacrosstheglobe,butthatthespecificlocalformofthiswhichhaderuptedinmyown
islandofJamaicabeginninginthelateThirties,hadcutacrossmychildhoodandearly
adolescencedeterminingwhatwastobethetrajectoryofmylife,andwork.
However,itwasonlytobeinthewakeoftheBlackAmericanstudentsFifties/Sixties
struggle,intheU.S.,fortheestablishmentofBlackStudiesintheU.S.Universitysystem,thatI
hadbeenprovidedwithaBlackperspectiveofOthernessfromwhichtoexploretheissueof
raceandwithitthewhyoftheWestsinstitutionalization,sincethenineteenthcenturyofthe
bioclimatically
7
phenotypicallydifferentiatedColorLine,onedrawnbetweeninW.E.B.
DuBoistermsthelighterandthedarkerracesofhumankind,
8
andatitsmostextreme
betweenWhiteandBlack. Thatis,asalinemadebothconceptuallyandinstitutionally
unbreachable,withthistherebygivingrisetoanissue,which asAimCsaireofthe
FrancophoneCaribbeanislandofMartiniquepointedoutinhisletterof resignationfrom the
FrenchCommunistParty,in1956,was onewhosehistorically institutedsingularity,thatto
whichwegavethenameof race,couldnotbemadeintoasubsetofanyotherissue,buthad
insteadtobetheoreticallyidentifiedandfoughtinitsownterms(Csaire,1956).
ItwastheinstitutionalizedperspectiveofBlackStudiesinthetermsofitsoriginal
Fifties/Sixtiesintentionality,whichbymakingtheexplorationofthisissueinitsownspecific
Othernesstermspossible,hadledtomyowncontributiontothestillmemorableDiscourseon
Humanismvolume.Theverytopic ofthevolume,asconceptualizedbyitseditor,William
Spanos,providedacollectiveconceptualframework,thatofthecritiqueofmainstream
academiaslegitimatingdiscourseofhumanismyetasadiscoursewhose,rolefromitsthen
emancipatory,secularizingRenaissanceOriginshadparadoxically,alsogivenriseto theissueof
7
Arsuaga,2002
8
DuBois,1903/2003
4
racewhenseenitsownterms.Thatis,toitsdiscursivenegationofcohumaness,onthebasis
ofitsprojectionoftheAristotelianconceptof bynaturedifference
9
betweenitsownWestern
humanityastheostensibleembodimentofthenormalcyofbeingsecularlyhuman,
10
andall
othergroups,whowerenowtobe,therefore,logicallyclassifiedandinstitutionalizedasthat
humanitysOthers,i.e.,ashomunculi(orlittlemen). The then titleofmyessay,asaprojected
negationof thatbynaturedifferenceformof negation,wastoalsoprovide,itsSartrean
fundamentalproject.Thetitlewastherefore takenfromtheveryfinepoem,Speakingof
Poetry,byJohnPealeBishop,apoeminwhichhemakesuseofthetragicallyfoiledoutcomeof
theloverelationandbriefmarriagebetween ShakespearesDesdemonaandOthello,togetatthe
heartofthehistoricallycharteredandinstitutionalized,U.S.andoverallWesterndilemma,its
bothdiscursivelyandempiricallyinstitutionalizedColorandcorrelatedRich/Poor(nowalso
developed/underdeveloped,North/South)Lines/Divides,andthehithertononfindabilityofa
ceremonytobreachthem.
Inhiseditorialintroductiontothe1984volume,WilliamSpanos,afterplacingmyessay
inthesectionentitledTheQuestionofOrigins,summarizedwhattheessayattemptedtodo.He
notedthatitprovidedarevisionaryinterpretationthattracesthehistoricalitineraryoftheStudia
HumanitatisfromitsprofoundlydisturbingoriginsintheRenaissancetoitsreconstitutionasa
9
TheSpanishmonarchywastolegitimateitsclaimtotheownershipofthevastexpropriatedterritoriesofthe
AmericasandtheCaribbeanonthebasisofthisAristotelianderivedconceptofabynaturedifferencebetween
Spaniards/EuropeansasAristotles naturalmastersontheonehand,andtheindigenouspeoplesontheAmericas
(classifiedgenericallyasIndians),asnaturalslaves.Thispoliticojuridicalclaimtolegitimacywasintendedbythe
monarchytodisplaceandreplacethe1493PapalBullwhichhadlegitimateditsclaiminreligiousChristiantermsas
thatoftherightofallChristiankingstoexpropriatethelandsofnonChristiankings,sincetheselandswere terra
nullius(thelandsofnoone).Inparallelhumanistterms,transportedBlackAfricanslaves,whose slave and trade
goodsstatushadbeeninitiallyreligiouslylegitimatedintermsoftheBiblicalOriginStoryofthecurselaidbyNoah
uponhissonHamsdescendants,to betheslavesofhisbrothersdescendants,werealsoclassifiedascivilslaves,
whosejustslavestatus,wasalsoduetotheirbynature differencei.e.,theyweredisobedientbynature.See
forthisAnthonyPagden, TheFallofNaturalMan,andJacobPandiansAnthropologyandTheWestern
Tradition:TowardsanAuthenticAnthropology(ProspectHeights,IL,WavelandPress,1985).
10
5
disablingorthodoxyinthenineteenthandtwentiethcenturies.Andthatitalsoproposedthe
needtoretrieveitshereticalessenceasrhetoricforthepostmodernhistoricalconjuncture.
Ifweaddtotheword postmodern,whichisitselfstillan intraWesternconception,the
word postcolonial,whichisnownecessarilyan intrahumanone,theessayi.e.,The
CeremonyMustbeFound:AfterHumanismlookedatfromhindsight,canindeedbeseento
haveputforwardsomemajorinsightswithrespecttobothaspectsoftheaboveproject.Inmy
attempt,however,toineffect,reenactRenaissancehumanismsoriginalheresyasithadbeen
effectedinasituation specific totheethnophenotypicpeoplesofthelatemedievalLatin
Christian(andtherebyWestern)Europe,andsoenactedbytheirthenlayorsecular
intelligentsiasbacktothepaganGrecoRomanclassics, inventionofrevalorizedMan,asa
nowentirelyseparateconcept/selfconceptionfromthatofthepostAdamicfallennaturalman
institutingofthemedievalChristiansubject,myownheresyhadremainedincomplete.Inthat,
whatrevalorizedMans(initsfirstformashomopoliticusorpoliticalruler/subjectofthestate)
newStudiaHumanitatishadthenbeen enacting/elaborating,wasanepochallynew,because
secularizing
11
(i.e.,degodded,desupernaturalized)answertothequestionofwhoweare.
12
Doing
so, overagainstwhathadnowcometobe,bythen,theossifiedScholasticorthodoxyof
medievalLatinChristianEuropesorderinstituting/orderlegitimatingtheologicallyabsolute
answertothesamequestion.Formetoreenactthisheresy completely,therefore,andnolonger
in intraWesternterms,but,instead,inthetermsofournowcontemporaryplanetarilyextended,
andthereby intrahumansituation,onebroughtintoexistenceoverthepast500yearsprecisely
11
Theterm secular isonespecifictoChristiantheology,asatermofOtherness,referringtothepostAdamicfallen
worldofTime. Degodding/desupernaturalizing arethereforeanalogicaltermsthatarenonChristiancentricand
therebyuniversallyapplicable.
12
Epigraph5
6
onthebasisof Renaissancehumanismsinitiallyenactedheresy, myessay canbeseeninthis
respecttohave,intheend,failed.Failedinthetermsofitstitle,tofindtheceremony.
This followingInterventionsetsouttoretrievethatfailurebymeansofthe elaboration
oftheproposalthatthe1984essaysCeremonynotquitefoundthen,isnowthedialectically
reenactedheresyoftheCeremonysFoundsnow narcissisticallyrevalorizing
13
thistherefore
outsidethelimitsofRenaissancehumanismsMan,initsnowsecondreinvented,and
transumptivelyinverted,biologicallyabsolute,
14
homooeconomicusform,thisformitselfinits
nowpostSixties,post1989,planetarilyinstitutionalized,neoLiberalfundamentalistexpression.
In effect,therefore,its(i.e.,theCeremonyFounds)ecumenicallyhuman,becauseFanonianly
hybrid,andassuch,epochallynewandemancipatoryanswertothequestionofwhoweare.
15
As
ananswer,therefore,abletoseparate thebeingofbeinghuman(initshithertoinnumerablelocal
particularities)from ourpresentgloballyhegemonic,andhomogenizedconceptionofbeing
humaninthenowpurelysecular,becausebiocentric
16
terms,of Man,initsnowsecond
reinvented,sincethenineteenth century,concept/selfconceptionasLiberal/NeoLiberal
humanismshomooeconomicus,inthereoccupiedplaceoftheRenaissancelayintelligentsias
originalinventionof Manincivichumanisttermsashomopoliticus).Yetlikethelatter,also
nowrhetoricallydiscursively,andinstitutionallyoverrepresentedandenactedasifits
13
SeeEpigraph6
14
HaroldBloompointsoutthattherhetoricalfigureoftransumptionormetalepsisisthelegitimateandtraditional
nameinrhetoricforwhatJohnHollandercallsthefigureofinterpretiveallusion.Transumptivechainspoint
towardthediachronicconceptofrhetoric,inwhichtheironyofoneagecanbecometheennobledsynecdoche of
another.Whilsttransumptivechainsabound,certaincentrallinkagesvitaltotradition,and thecrossingsoverin
andbetweentraditions,keeptothecontinuitygoingbymeansofitsretropingofearliertropes.(H.Bloom,The
BreakingoftheVessels,Chicago,1982emphasisadded).
15
Epigraph5and6
16
Biocentric termsinthetransumptivelyinvertedreoccupiedplaceofmedievalLatinChristianEuropestheocentric
onesthathadbeentheapriorigroundofitspreRenaissance,theoScholasticorderofknowledge.
7
prototypesmemberclassofbeinghuman wereisomorphicwiththeclassofclasses
17
ofour
speciesbeingitsreferentwetherebyalsoisomorphicwiththereferentweofthehorizon
ofhumanity.
18
Itisagainstthisbackground,thatIwritethismanifestooftheCeremonyFound.
TheInterventionasTheManifestooftheCeremonyFound
APREAMBLE
ThefirstpartofthetitleHumanasnoun?Orbeinghumanaspraxis?takesitspointof
departurefromJudithButlersseminalinsightputforwardfromtwooftheperspectivesof
OthernesswhichemergedoutoftheFifties/Sixtiesuprisings.Herinsightthatoncewedispense
withthepriorityof manandwomanasabidingsubstances,itisnolongerpossibletosubordinate
dissonantgenderedfeatures(suchasaman withfemininefeatureswhoneverthelessretains
theintegrityofhisgenderassomanyaccidentalcharacteristicsof agenderontologythatis
fundamentallyintact.Thisthereforemeansthatifthenotionofanabidingsubstanceisa
fictiveconstruction,onethatisthereforeproducedthroughthecompulsoryorderingof
attributesintocoherentgendersequences,thenitseemsthatgenderassubstance,theviability of
17
Seeforthis,theformulationmadebyWhiteheadandBertrandRussellwithrespecttothedifferencethatexists
betweenaclassofclasses(i.e.,machinery)andamerememberoftheclass(i.e.,tractors,cranes,etc.).Inthis
context,the rhetoricalstrategy,thatcitedearlier,andasdefinedbyPaoloValesioasthatofthe toposoficonicity,by
meansofwhichtheWestshumanistinventionoftheconceptof Man,atthesametimeoverrepresentedthat
conceptasifitsmemberclasswerea universallyapplicableone.Itisthisoverrepresentationthathasenabledthe
Westtoinstituteitsworldsystemicdominationonthebasisofitsconceptualandempiricalgloballyinstitutionalized
absolutizationofitsowngenrespecific memberclassasifitwereisomorphicwiththe classofclassesdefinition(s)
ofourspeciesbeing.Nevertheless,theWestitselfwastobenolessentrappedbytheJanusfacesconsequencesof
this toposoficonicity overrepresentation,thantherestofus,whomitwas tomakeintoHumanOtherstatus
functionsenacting(ifpostcolonially,andpostSixties,withourownmimeticintellectualcomplicity)ofthisover
representationoneasindispensableto Man initsspecifically bourgeoisrulingclass(orethnoclass)reinvented
form,asithadbeentothat,(initstheneighteenthcenturycivichumanist,and landedgentry rulinggroupform)of
homopoliticus,whichitsnewprototypeandcorrelatedNewStudiasbioepistemewastodisplace/replace.
18
Seeforthis,aswellasforEpigraph3,JacquesDerridas,brilliantcallinginquestionofthisoverrepresentationof
theWestsinventedconceptof Man,inhisTheEndsofMan,a1968ConferencetalkpublishedinTheMarginsof
Philosophy1982.
8
manandwomanasnoun,iscalledintoquestion,seeingthatsuchdissonantfeaturesresist
assimilationintotheready:madeframeworkof primarynounsandsubordinateadjectives.
Furthermore,ifthesesubstancesarenothingotherthanthecoherencescontingentlycreated
throughtheregulationofattributes,itwouldthereforesuggestthattheontologyofsubstances
itselfisanartificialeffect.Nevertheless,giventheimperativenatureoftheproductionofthe
ontologyofsubstanceasanartificialeffectthiswouldensurethatwhile[i]nthissensegender
isnotanoun,neithercanitbeasetoffreefloatingattributes.This,giventhatthesubstantive
effectofgenderisperformativelyproducedandcompelledbytheregulatorypracticesofgender
coherence.Asaresult,whilegenderroles(ofmenaswellasofwomen)provetobe
performativelyenacted,thatis,constitutingtheidentityitispurportedtobeand,onecanadd
herealsosubjectivelyexperiencedtobethisisonlymadepossiblebytheregulatorypractices
ofgendercoercionaseffectedwithinthetermsof theinherited[Western]discourseofthe
metaphysicsofsubstance.Withtheresultthatwhilegenderisalwaysadoingitisnota
doingbyasubjectwhomightbesaidtopreexistthedeed(Butler1990,2425).
Myownleapfrogginghypothesishere,putforwardwithinthetermsoftheCeremony
Foundsnewanswer,isthatButlersilluminatinginsightwithrespecttogenderrolesistruein
otherways.First,itistruewithrespecttoarangeofother,alsoperformativelyenactedroles,and
thereforeoftheirrespectiveontologiesof classsubstance,sexualorientationsubstance,andof
courseandcentrallyso,ofthecloselycorrelatedontologiesofracesubstance,andaswell,of
thealsoprojectedtobegeneticnonhomogeneity ofRich(eugenic)/Poor(dysgenic)
substance
19
withDarwinadvisinginthisrespect,thenonprocreationofthePoor,who
because,byimplication,naturallydysselectedarenotabletoavoidabjectpovertyfortheir
children.Whileataworldsystemiclevel,thealsoostensibleontologyof
19
(Darwin1871,1981,p.
9
developed/underdevelopedsubstance,correlatedwiththatofthealsoprojected
eugenic/dysgenicnonhomogeneityofsubstancebetweenwewhoinhabittheplanetofthe
suburbs/exurbsontheonehand,andthosewhoinhabittheplanetof theslums
20
ontheother.
Finally,however,itistrue,onlybecauseofthelargertruthofwhichallsuchperformatively
enactedrolesaremutuallyreinforcingfunctions.Thetruth,thatis,ofour beinghumanaspraxis.
Thisseeingfirstly,andingeneral,thatifasDavidLeemingpointsout,itisbymeansofour
cosmogonies,ororiginstoriesthatwetelltheworld,orourselveswhoweare,
21
weareableto
dosoonlybecauseitisalsobymeansofthem,thatweareenabledtobehaviorallyautoinstitute
andtherebyperformativelyenactourselvesasthewhoofthewe(orfictivemodeofkind)thatwe
are.Specifically,thereforethetruthofourbeinghumaninthenowplanetaryhomogenizedterms
oftheWestsMan,initssecond,biohumanisthomooeconomicusreinventedconcept/self
conception,therebywithinthetermsofitsnowpurelysecularifnolessalsofictively
constructed,(bymeansofthesociotechnologyofourhumanlyinvented,thenretroactively
projectedoriginstoriesorcosmogonies
22
andtherebyautopoeticallyinstituted,subjectively
experiencedandperformativelyenactedgenres
23
ofbeinghybridly,human.Thisinthetermsof
20
Davis
21
22
Inourcase,thepartscience,partmythcosmogonyofEvolutionaselaboratedinDarwins1871 TheDescent
ofMan.
23
Theterm genrewhichderivesfromthesamerootetymology,asgender,meaning kind, isherebeingusedto
denote,different,alwaysautopoeticallyinstitutedandfictivelyconstructedkindsofbeing andtherebyof
performativelyenactingoneselfasoptimallyagoodmanorwomanofoneskind,ingenrecoherent termsof
whichgendercoherence isitselfalwaysandeverywhereafunction.Specifically,therefore,thegenreofbeing
human,inthetermsof Manssecondreinvention,asbiohumanisthomooeconomicus (asareinventioninitiatedin
thelatereighteenthcenturybyAdamSmithandtheothermembersoftheScottishEnlightenment,evenifonenot
fullyactualizeduntilthenineteenth),asagenrewhosenewrulingclassstatuscodeofsymboliclifeoreconomyof
greatness[AdamSmith,])wasnowtheownershipandmarketaccumulationofthemobilepropertyof capital,
projectedasthethenmetaphysicalsourceoflife(Godelier,1999)inthereoccupiedplaceoftheearlierpre
bourgeoisrulinggroup,thelandedgentry,togetherwithitsslaveowningplantocracyintheCaribbeanforwhom
the oeconomyofGreatness(astheincarnationof Man initsstillfirstphaseas homopoliticusoftheState),hadbeen
theownershipofimmobilefreeholdlandedproperty,paripassu,intheCaribbean,withtheownershipofanalso
fixedlaborstock,thatofNegroslaves.Seeforthis,J.A.G.Pocock,Civic HumanismanditsRoleinAnglo
AmericanThought,inPolitics,LanguageandTime:EssaysonPoliticalThoughtandHistory.(Chicagoand
London,TheUniversityofChicagoPress,1989). Seealso,MauriceGodelier,TheEnigmaoftheGift.1999.
10
FrantzFanons1952epochalredefinitionofthehumanfromtheonlyperspectivefromwhich
suchredefinitionwastobegenerablethatoftheperspectiveofUltimateOtherness(tobeing
humaninthetermsbothoftheWestsfirstinventedandsecondreinventedconcepts of Man),
thisUltimateOthernessasoneexistentiallylivedbyalldescendantsoftheexslavearchipelago
ofthepost1492WesternNewWorld.Thisultimateothernessasconstructedfromtheearly
sixteenthcenturyonwardsasthefoundingundersideofwhatwastobecomeournowplanetarily
extended,andpurelysecularWesternandwesternizedworldsystem.Onethatwouldgiveriseto
theexistentialexperienceofaWEBDuBois,ahalfacenturyearlier,whenhehadrecognized
that,inordertorealizehimselfasfullyAmerican,andthereforeostensiblyasfullyhuman,he
hadalthoughbeingin classterms,anormativehighlyeducatedprofessional,andassuch,a
properWesternbourgeoisselfto,atthesametime,alsosubjectivelyexperiencehimselfasa
Negroandthereforetoexperiencethislatter,asadissonantanomalytobeinghumaninthe
termsofhisnormativeself,toexperiencehimself,therebyasaProblem
24
.Inotherwords,to
normallybereflexlyaversivenotonlytohisownphenotypic/physiognomy,butalsotothe
alternativeautopoeticfield(orcultureinWesternterminology)ofhisownpeople,aswellasto
itsquiteothersorrowsongs,itslumpenpoeticsoftheblues,ofjazz.Aworldthereforeas
proscribedthen,aswastobe,therottingwhitewashedhousedescribedbyDavidBradley,
severaldecadesafter, thatwastheBlackCultureCenterplacedonthenetheredgeofthe
campus
25
).Asanundersidereality,therefore,thatwouldhavetobesubjectivelyexperienced
byhim,as,thechosemaudite,centraltotheorderofsacrificeand/oroflanguage
26
instituting
ofthenormalcyofhisproperselfonthegenrespecificmodelofthatoftheWesternbourgeoisie.
24
Epigraph4
25
Bradley,1982,ascitedintheoriginal1984 Ceremony essay
26
JuliaKristeva,inWomen'sTimeinSigns,7.no1.
11
Parallely,forFanonasbothaFrenchimperialnativesubject,growingupintheisland
ofMartinique,andtherebyexistentially,likeallhispeers,experiencingitasnormaltobeanti
NegroDontbehavelikeanigger!,hismotherwouldadmonishhimwhengrowingupbut
alsoasaspecificintellectualinFoucaultssenseoftheterm,whowasalsoapsychiatristatthe
beginningofhisvocation,andtherebyhavingtopreparehimself todeal withtheprofoundself
alienationbothofhisblackpatientsaswellasofother tobecolonizednativepatients,ashe
wouldlaterhavetodowiththoseofathenstillsettlercolonialFrenchAlgeria.Atthesametime
however,hisown experienceoftheanomalyofbeinghuman,inWhiteandWesternbourgeois
terms,whilealsoaNegrowasreinforcedonthebasisof hisreadingofareligious/cum
ethnographicstudyofagroupofBlackAfricans
27
,whohadstillmanagedtoremain auto
centered,(thatis,withtheirsocietystillthenclosedofffromthehomogenizingfloodof
[Western]civilization,therebywiththeirstillbeingabletoexperiencethemselvesasbeing
human, withinthetermsoftheirownautopoesis,thatistheirownstillgenrespecificmodeof
mythicallyorcosmogonicallycharteredautoinstitution).AsFanonhadnoted,becausethelatter,
growingup,exactlylikeaFrenchbourgeoischild,asanormalchildatthecenterofhisown
family,ofhisownworld,althoughofthesamebiogeneticphenotype,whichwouldhaveledto
hisbeingclassifiedbytheWest, asaNegro orasNegroid,
28
couldneversubjectively
experiencehimselfasanegro thereby,asan anomalytobeinghuman,asheandhispeers,and
hispatientsbecauseallnowincorporatedintoWesterncivilization,andthereforeintoits
charteringcosmogoniccomplex,hadhad tocontinuetosoexperiencethemselves.This
comparisonhadthenhelpedFanontomakeanepistemologicalbreak,oneanalogousto
27
FatherTrilles,LamedePygmedAfriqueascitedbyFanon,inthechapter6,entitledTheNegroand
PsychopathologyinBlackSkin,WithMasks Trans.C.L.Markham(NewYork:GrovePress,1962)
28
SeeforthisLucaCavalloSforza,etal.TheHistoryandGeographyoftheHumanGenome.(Princeton,New
Jersey,PrincetonUniversityPress,1994).
12
Copernicus earlierandalsoprofoundlycounterintuitivestatementthatalthoughitmayseem
absurd,theearthalsomoves(thatis,thatitwasnot,asintheChristianCreationstory,divinely
condemnedtobefixedandmotionlessatthecenteroftheuniverse,asitsdregs,astheabodeof
thepostAdamicFallennaturalman,beingtherebyhavingtobeofacorruptiblephysical
substance,nonhomogenouswiththeincorruptiblephysicalsubstancesofthealways
harmoniouslymovingbodiesofthecelestialrealm)andtoproposethefollowinginhisbook
BlackSkin/WhiteMasks.
FirstlythattheselfalienationexperiencedbyhimselfandhisBlackandothercolored
patients(i.e.,thoseonthenegativesideoftheColorLine),couldinnowaybeanindividual
problem.Ratheritwasclear,thatoveragainstFreudsandindeedthehumansciences',asa
whole,purelyontogeneticperspective,thatistheirpurelybiologicalconceptionofthehuman,
thatinsteadbeinghuman,empiricallyentailedthatbesidesphylogenyandontogeny,there
standssociogeny.ItthereforefollowedthatifhimselfandhisBlackpeersand/orpatientshad
beeninstitutedassubjects,notintheirowncosmogonicallycharteredautocenteredterms,butin
thoseofthecontemporaryWestsgenrespecificmodeof sociogeny(inthetermstherefore,of
whatIshallfurtherdefinehereasthatofthelattersgoverning,replicatorsociogeniccodeof
symboliclife/death,orinLviStraussianterms,ofthecookedandtheraw
29
)andhadthereby
cometobe,and,therefore,topreconceptuallyexperienceourselvesintermsoftheWhitemasks,
thatwerephenotypicallynormal onlyforthespecificsubsethereditaryvariationofthehuman
speciesthatareEuropeans(ifatthesametime,normalinclasstermsforboththeEuropeanand
westernizednonEuropeanbourgeoisie),thisisonlysobecauseofalargeranduniversally
applicablephenomenon.Whichisthat,allhuman skinscanonly behuman,byperformatively
enactingthemselves/ourselvesashuman,inthealwaysalreadycosmogonicallycharteredterms
29
ClaudeLeviStrauss
13
oftheir/oursociogenic,andthereforesymbolicallyencoded,andfictivelyconstituted/genre
specificMasks,orreplicatorcodesofsymboliclife/death.Thisgiventhatif,unlikethePrimates,
humangroupsarealoneabletotranscendthenarrowgeneticallydeterminedpresetlimitsof
eusocialkinrecognizinginteraltruisticbehaviors,andtoattaininsteadtofarhigherlevelsof
cooperationandorganization,
30
they/weareabletodosoonlybymeansofourabilitythrough
theearliercoevolutionwiththebrainoftheemergentpropertiesoflanguageandnarrative,to
autopoeticallyinstituteourselves,throughthemediumofourretroactivelyprojectedorigin
storiesorcosmogonies,assymbolically madesimilarthatisbybeingrebornthatis,initiated,
inthetermsofeachsuchOriginStorysmandated/inscribed,sociogeniccodeofsymbolic
life/death,asnow,behaviorally,kinrecognizing,interaltruistic,andtherebycooperating
membersofthesamefictivekind,thatisofthesameartificially(i.e.,nongenetically)speciated
genreorMaskofbeinghuman.
Inthiscontext,therefore,theimperatively overall regulatorypracticeswhichcall,for
thesubsetregulatorypracticesinstitutingofalltheroles,includinggender,which together
constitutetheoverallmodeofautoinstitutionenactingofsuchagenreofbeinghuman,here
specificallyinthetermsofthesecondreinventionof Maninitsnowbiohumanisthomo
oeconomicus concept/selfconception,arepracticesthatatthesametimefunctiontoenactthe
latter'ssociogeniccodeof naturallyselected/naturallydysselectedand/oreugenictdysgenic
symboliclife/death.Withthis,therefore,makingitclearthat,whilebeinghumanisnotanoun,
30
Seewithrespecttocooperation,therebuttalbyMartinNovak,theDirectoroftheProgramforEvolutionary
DynamicsatHarvard,thattheprocessesofEvolutioncanberestrictedonlytoprocessesofSelection,asmaintained
byDarwinwho,definedthelatterasthe only directive agencyofchange.Novakaddsto selection,theadditional
processesof mutation and cooperation,arguingfurtherthatcooperationisessentialforlifetoevolvetoanewlevel
oforganization.Inthesameway,therefore,as[s]inglecelledprotozoahadtocooperate togiveriseto
multicellularanimals,so[h]umanshadtocooperateforcomplexsocietiestoarise[Ifinmyowntermsforall
humansocietiesbeginninginAfricawiththe nomadic formofsmallscalesocietiesweretobeinventedand
institutionalized].SeeforNovak,CarlZimmer,ScientistatWork,inScienceTimes,NewYorkTimes,July31,
2007.
14
neithercanitbe,toparaphraseButler,asetoffreefloatingattributes,iftheindividualsubject
istobemadetoexperienceher/himselfinthegenrespecifictermsofeachsociety'smodeof
autoinstitutionassuchasubjecttherebytoreflexlydesiretorealizeher/himselfinthetermsof
itsdiscursively,positivelymarked(andtherefore,opiaterewardactivating)codeofsymboliclife,
andatthesametimetobeaversiveto,andthereby,detachher/himselffromallthatisthe
negationofthatsociogenicselfthatis,fromthenegativelymarkedliminallydeviantoras(in
ourcase,nigger/nowghettonigger)
31
embodiment ofthenormalselfsLacanianLackofbeing,
itssymbolicdeath.
32
Thatis,therawtotheformer'scooked(inLviStraussianterms)or in
Aristotelianterms,thezoe orbarelifetothebiosasthegoodlifeforthelivingofwhichthe
polisexists.
33
Itwasinthiscontext,thereforethatFanon,likeDuBoisbeforehim,andEldridgeCleaver
afterhim,
34
hadcometorecognize,thatitwaspreciselybytheirreflexlydesiringasthe
regulatorypracticesofgenrecoherenceinducesthem/ustodotobeoptimallyhumaninthe
termsoftheWestsMan(initssecondinvented,nowbiohumanistphase,alsooverrepresented
31
InthewakeofthepostSixtiesincorporationoftheBlackmiddleclass,includingacademicsashonorary
membersofthenormativeWhitemiddleclass,andwiththeirformerliminallydeviantpathologicalOtherplaceasa
segregatedpopulation comingtobereoccupied,bytheinnercityurbanghettoesandtheirState/PrivateIndustrial
complexextension,newdefinitionshavecometoexpressthe separationofthemiddleclasspopulation,including
thenowstatusquointerestsoftheacademicsandintellectualshoweverradicaltheir/ourdiscoursefromthenow
totally damnsdelaterre populationsthosestrandedonarooftopsofKatrinasNewOrleans.Thuswhilethe
middleclassesselfascribedthemselvesinethnictermsi.e. AfricanAmericanthoseintheinnercities,andits
planetoftheslumsprisonextension,continuetodefinethemselvesasBlack.RecentlyhoweverevenBlack has
becomedivided,betweenthePoor,butrespectable,andthe ghettonigger astheultimatedeviantcategory,the
systemic production ofthe chaos ofwhosejobless/poverty,drugridden,criminalized,violentintergangwarfare
lives,islawlikelyindispensabletotheproductionofthenormativeWhiteandmiddleclassorder.Withthis
Order/Chaos dynamicbeing,asUspenskietal(citedintheoriginalessay)pointout,lawlikelyindispensabletothe
institutionof all humansocieties,asMaturanaandVarelasautopoeticlanguaginglivingsystems.
32
WhileitisJ.F.Danielli,whofirstidentifiedtheroleofdiscursivepractices,whetherreligiousorsecular,whose
semanticactivationoftheopiatereward/punishmentsystemofthebrainfunctiontoinduceandmotivateallournon
geneticallybasedinteraltruistic,kinrecognizingandthereforeorderintegratingbehaviorsinhisearliercited
essay,TheInternalRewardSystemortheOpiumofthePeople1980,thefunctioningofthissystemwithregard
tothemotivationanddemotivationofallspeciesinspeciesspecificbehavioralterms,hasbeenclearlylaidoutby
AvramGoldstein,inhisbook,Addiction:FromBiologytoPublicPolicy (NewYork:W.W.Freeman,1994).
33
Seeforthis,MalcolmBull,Vectorsofthe BiopoliticalsinNewLeftReviewno.45,MayJune2007,pp.727
34
InhisSoulonIce
15
asthefirsthadbeen,ifitwereasisomorphicwiththebeingofbeinghuman,thisbymeansofthe
sametoposoficonicity
35
), asif,thereforeitsethnoclassmodeofbeinghuman(giventhe
similarityof soundbetweentheword manandhuman)wereisomorphicwiththebeingofbeing
humaninthetermsofthewemen/[wewomen] ofDerridashorizonofhumanity
36
that
hadledtotheirbeinginducedtobereflexlyaversivetotheirown,andtheirpopulationsskin
colorandBantuphenotypicphysiognomy,itselfnowalwaysalreadyinstitutedtogetherwith
theirpopulation'sorigincontinentofBlackAfricaasthediscursively/semanticallynegatively
marked(andthereforeopiatepunishmentactivating)
37
embodiment,ofsymbolicdeath,within
thetermsofthesociogeniccodeofsymboliclife/death thatourcosmogonicallycharteredand
biologicallyabsoluteanswertothequestionofwhoweare,dynamicallyenacts.(Thisas
lawlikelyasthecategoryofthenoncelibateLaityhadbeenmadetoembody,beforethe
revolutionofRenaissancehumanism,thesymbolicdeath oftheFallenFlesh,astheOthertothe
symboliclife oftheRedeemedSpiritincarnatedinthecategoryoftheCelibateClergy,withinthe
thentermsofthatordersanswertothequestionofwhoweare,andasthentheocosmogonically
charteredbytheChristianversionoftheBiblicalCreationstory.
38
ThusFanon,likeDuBoisbeforehim,andEldridgeCleaverafterhim,weretoinitiatea
newheuristicsthatofthesystemicmistrustoftheirselfevident,subjectivelyexperienced,
ostensibly instinctiveandnaturalorderconsciousness,asoneinwhosetermstheyhadnotonly
foundthemselvesdesiringagainstandbeingaversivetotheirNegroselves,andthat,in
Cleaverscase,tooftheirpopulationoforigin,buthadfoundthemselvesdoingsoagainsttheir
35
(Valesio1980)
36
(Derrida1968,1982
37
(Danielli1980)
38
Seeforthis,JacquesLeGoff,TheMedievalImagination
16
owndeliberatelywilledintentionally.
39
ItisinthiscontextthatFanon,byidentifyingthecausal
principleofthissubjectively experiencedexistentialcontradiction,asthatoftheobjective
functioningofthehithertononrecognizedphenomenonof artificiallyinstitutedsociogenic
Masksthataredefiningofusasbeinghybridlyhuman(inourspecificcasethatoftheWhite or
WesternbourgeoisMaskofhisbookstitle)and,thereby,withthesystemicintentionality of its
replicatorcodeofsymboliclife/death,servingtostructureoursubjectivelyexperiencedordersof
consciousness,doingsohitherto,normally,outsideourconsciousawareness,canberecognized
tohavebeenthereby overturningoneofthefundamentalsoftheWestsinheritedphilosophical
traditionthatoftheostensibly indubitabilityandselfdeterminednatureofconsciousnessas
experiencedbytheCartesian egocogito.
Given,however,thatallsuchsociogeniccodesorMasksarealwaysalreadyinscribedin
thetermsofourcharteringcosmogoniesororiginnarrativesastheindispensableconditionofour
beingabletoautopoeticallyinstituteourselvesasgenrespecificfictivemodesofeusocialinter
altruistickinrecognizingkind,(asforexample,thoseofourpresentbourgeoismodalitiessuch
asthatoftheWhiteRaceontheonehand,withallotherracesbeingitsLack,andonthe
other,andpostcolonially,ourpresentpluralityofnationstatefictivemodesofkind,allof
whosemembersarethereby originnarrativelycoidentified,thiscoidentificationcanneverpre
existsucheachsocietysspecificmodeofautoinstitutionanditscomplexofsocio
technologies,bymeansofwhichalone,theIofeachindividualself,issymbolicallycodedto
preconceptuallyexperience,andtherebyperformativelyenactitselfinthesameclonedkin
recognizingtermsastheIofallothermembersofitsreferentwe.Therebywitheachsuch
39
SeeforthisalsoTimWise, WhiteLikeMe:Reflectionson RacefromaPrivilegedSon.(NewYork,SoftSkull
Press,2005),inwhicharadicalpoliticalactivist,whoexperiencedhimselfatmoments,reflexlyrespondinginthe
same, sotospeak,antiBlackway,thisagainsthis,ownpolitically willedintentionality.
17
groupsharingin,overagainstallothergroups,thesamemodeofcollectiveintentionality,
40
that of aspecificfictivemodeofkind,inpursuitorindefenceofwhoseactualization,they/we
areprepared,wherenecessary,tosacrificetheir/ourbiological lives.
41
Itisinthecontextoftheabovetherefore,thatasWesternandwesternized
academics/intellectuals,workinginthedisciplinaryfieldsofthehumansciences(or
HumanitiesandSocialSciences),thatwefindourselvesinthepredicamentidentifiedbyHans
Webersconceptofthewebsofsignificancethatashumans,wespinforourselves,andin
whichweremain(andmustsoremain)suspended.Thepredicamentisthis: Seeingthatsuch
cosmogonicwebsofsignificancethatwespinforourselves,areatthesametimethe
indispensableconditionofourbeingabletoperformativelyenactourselvesasbeing,and
therebytobe,humaninthegenrespecifictermsofanIanditsreferentwehow canwecometo
knowthesocialreality,ofwhichweareapartandwhichitselffunctionsasthe socializingmode
ofautoinstitution,inwhosefieldaloneweare,recursivelyenabledtoperformativelyenact
ourselvesinthegenrespecifictermsofourfictivemodesofkind?Howcanwecometoknow
thatsocialrealityoutsidethetermsalso,ofitssociogeniccodeofsymboliclife/death, asthe It
42
aboutwhichthatsocialrealityordersitshierarchiesandroleallocations, therebyself
organizingitselfasanautopoeticlanguaginglivingsystem?
43
Outside,thatis,thenecessarily
40
Seeforthis,JohnR.Searle,FreedomandNeurobiology:ReflectionsonFreeWill,LanguageandPoliticalPower
(NewYork,ColumbiaUniversityPress,2004).
41
Thus,thelogicbywhichiftoday,inIraq,Sunni,Shia,andAlQaedasuicidebomberssacrificetheirbiological
livestoactualizethemselvesintermoftheiroriginnarrativelycharteredsymbolic life asSunni,Shia,orinthecase
ofAlQaeda,asRadicalIslamists,thisisnolessthecaseofthe,forthemainpart,youngU.S.males,senttoinvade
Iraq,andwhoeverydayalsosacrificetheirbiologicallivesinordertoactualize,bydyingfortheflag,the
collectiveintentionalitywhichgivesexpressiontotheirsharedhistoricocosmogonicallycharteredsociogenic
codeofsymbolic life asAmericansandtherebyasbelongingtotheU.S.postCivilWar,fictivemodeofnation
statekind,toitsimaginedcommunityBenedictAnderson, ImaginedCommunities:ReflectionsontheOriginand
SpreadofNationalism,(NewYork:Verso,1983).
42
Beer,1980.
43
(Beer1980)
18
circularandtherebycognitivelyclosedtermsthatare(ifonlyinthelastinstance)lawlikely
indispensabletoitsexistentialenactmentandstablereplicationassuchasalivingsystem?
Itisin thiscontext,therefore, thatthehumansciencesofourpresentorderof
knowledge,whosedomain ofinquiryisprecisely thatofthesocialrealityofourpresentnation
stateworldsystem,aswellasofthatofitslocalnationstateunits,havetoberigorously
elaborated,andlawlikelyso,intermsgovernedbytheimperativeoftheenablingofitsstable
replicationassuchanautopoeticandsociogenicallyencodedlivingsystem,andassuch,thefirst
planetarilyextendedsuchsysteminhumanhistory.WiththisproblematichavingledtoLouis
Althussersrecognition,thatasacademics/intellectuals(i.e.,thegrammarians
44
)ofourorder,
whoarealsoitsnormativemiddleclasssubjects,wemustnecessarilyfunction toelaborate the
modeofknowledgeproduction,thatisindispensabletoitsreplicationassuchasystem.
45
For,
althoughAlthussercontinuestoidentifytheoverallsystem,anditsmodeofautopoetic
institutioninthetermsof oneoftheindispensable,butonlyproximateconditionsofits
functioning,assuchlivingsystemthatisonedefinedinAdamSmith/Marxsterms,asits
modeof economicproduction,(ratherthan,fromtheCeremonyFound'secumenicallyhuman
perspective,asthatofeachsuchsocietalsystem'sgenrespecificmodeofmaterialprovisioning,
thisdoesnotcontradicthiscorethesis.
Withasaresult,our biohumanisthumansciencesnecessarilycallingforoursocial
realityanditsthirdandhybridlevelofexistence,tocontinuetobeknowninthesamerigorously
abductive,
46
worldinlittle
47
orknowledgeorcategoriesterms
48
inwhichbothoftheother
levelsof reality,thephysicalandthepurelybiological,hadbeenmillenniallyandlawlikely
44
Legesse
45
AscitedbyWilliamSpanosinhis TheEndsofEducation.
46
Gregory Bateson, MindandNature:ANecessaryUnity(NewYork:E.P.Dutton) 1979.
47
(Hocart1934)
48
(MoraesFarias1980)
19
known,before,thatis, thebreachingoftheirrespectiveprojecteddivides or Lines
49
ontowhich
thesociogeniccodesofsymboliclife/death,firstlythatof themedievalorderofLatinChristian
Europe, itscodeof RedeemedSpirit/FallenFlesh,hadbeenprojected,(thisseeingthatasthe
foundationalprincipleof theirorders,suchcodescannotbelocatedin thesocietyatlargebut
mustbeprojectedontoaspaceofothernessbeyondthereachofhumandesireandtemptation
50
),upontheostensibleincorruptibleCelestial/corruptibleTerrestrial,Heaven/Earthdivide
secondlythatoftheprebourgeoislandedgentryorderofGreatBritain(itscivichumanistcode
of symboliclife/deathasthatof autonomousRationalhumannature/subjectedirrationalsensory
brutenature)asprojectedupon the, thenbelievedtobe,divinelydetermined,butnaturally
implementedChainofBeingDividebetweenHumans/Animals,andcorrelatedly theostensibly
perfectibility/degeneracydivideaselaboratedby EnlightenmentscholarslikeBuffon,and
projectedbetweenEuropeansasphenotypically normalhumansandnonEuropean
phenotypicallydifferentpopulationsastheirabnormalHumanOthers.
51
Consequently,withboth
thephysicallevelofreality,inthecaseofthefirstandbiologicallevelofrealityinthecaseof
thesecond,becausethenhavingtobeputunderthesamerulesofsymbolicallyencoded
description,aswerealsothoseoftheirrespectivesocial sociohierarchicalrealities,havingtobe
knownabductivelyinthemodalityofamutuallyreinforcingsystemofpresuppositions,
52
with
thisthenservingtolegitimatetheirstructuresofdominationandsubordination.Consequently,in
whoseterms,astheindispensableconditionoftheirrespectiveorders, togetherwiththeanswers
whichtheirrespectivesociogeniccodesofsymboliclife/deathenacted to thequestion ofwhowe
49
WladGodzich.Forwardto Heterologies:DiscourseontheOtherbyM.deCerteau(Minnesota,Universityof
MinnesotaPress),1980.
50
51
SalaMolins,Luis,TheDarkSideofLight:SlaveryandtheFrenchEnlightenment.Trans.WithIntroductionby
JohnContehMorgan(Minneapolic,Universityof MinnesotaPress)2006.
52
See forthis, GregoryBateson, MindandNature:ANecessaryUnity (NewYork:E.P.Dutton,1979).
20
are,noceremonycouldhavebeenfoundbymeansofwhichtobreach,firstlythe
Celestial/TerrestrialorHeaven/EarthDivideinthecaseofthefirst,andinthatofthesecond,the
DividebetweentheprojectedtobedivinelycreatedRationalhumans/humannature ontheone
hand,andtheirrationalanimals/brutenatureon theotherthisasreinforcedbyEnlightenment
scholars SystemofNatureDividebetweenthenormalandtherebyperfectibleEuropeansonthe
onehand,andtheirHumanOtherswhohadallegedly degeneratedfromthenatural norm,which
hadcontinuedtobeembodiedintheformer.
Ineachcase,therefore,with theirrespectiveceremoniesonlyhavingeventuallybeen
madefindable,firstlybythenewcivichumanistanswerthat theRenaissancelayintelligentsia,
gavetothequestionofwhoweare,with theirinventionof[theconceptof]Man,andwith this
then providingthenewperspectivefrom which,inthewakeofCopernicusinitialchallengeto
theCelestial/TerrestrialDivide
53
/theceremonywouldeventuallybefoundbymeansof
NewtonslawofgravitationasalawapplicabletotheEarthastotheHeavens,sinceallmadeof
thesamehomogenoussubstance,ofthesamematterwiththisenablingone,asNewtonexulted,
toextrapolatefromthatwhichisneartous, towhat thatwhichisfarfromus,mustbe.
54
Secondly,bythenewanswerthatLiberal(orbiohumanist)humanism beginningwithAdam
SmithandothermembersoftheScottishSchooloftheEnlightenmentfollowedbyThomas
Malthusdemographiccosmogony gavetothequestionofwhoweare.
55
With,thereby,the
CeremonyabletobreachthehithertoprojectedspaceofOthernessHuman/Animal Divide
comingtobedefinitively effectedbyDarwinslawofEvolutionasputforwardinhis1859The
OriginoftheSpecies,etc.alawasapplicabletohumans(ifonlywith respecttothe
53
Seeforthis,FernandHallyn, ThePoeticStructureoftheWorld:CopernicusandKepler(NewYork:ZoneBooks,
1990).
54
AmosFinkelstein, TheologyandScientificImaginationfromtheMiddleAgestotheSeventeenthCentury
(Princeton,NJ:PrincetonUniversityPress,1986).
55
SeeforthisThomasMalthus1789 EssayonPopulation (CheckDate)
21
biological/neurophysiologicalimplementingconditionsofbeinghuman)astoanimals. (Ifinhis
partscience,partmythcase,
56
also,however,withtheEnlightenmentscorrelatedprojected
perfectibility/degeneracyDividebetweenEuropeansasNaturesperfectiblenormofbeing
human,anditsnonEuropeanothers,
57
nowcomingtobetransumed,beginningwithhis1871
TheDescentofManetc.intotheeugenic/dysgenicdividethatwouldcometobeprojectedonto
thespaceofOthernessoftheColorLine(orhigherraces/lowerraces)Line and,
concomitantly,ontotheRich/PoorLineorDivide,correlatedwiththeIntellectual/Corporeal
classDivide,itselfinturnascorrelatedwiththeintellectuallysuperior/intellectuallyinferior
GenderlineorDivideallasLinesorDivideswhosemutuallyreinforcingsystemof
presuppositionswouldnowcometofunctionasthespaceofOthernesscomplexontowhich
thecodeofsymboliclife/death,enactingof thethennewWesternbourgeoisprototypeofbeing
human,initssecondreinventedbiohumanistformof Man,ashomooeconomicus.
If,however,bothoftheselevelswerefromnowongraduallytobefreedfromhavingto
beknowninabductiveorderstabilizingterms,thiswasnot tobesoinourownhybridlyhuman
case.Sincegiventheexistentialimperativeofourhavingtocontinuetoknowoursocialreality
inthetermsthatweatpresentdothatis,inthetermsoftheanswerthatwenowgivetothe
questionofwhoweare,asan allegedlypurelybiologicalbeinginwhose,nevertheless,genre
specificnaturallyselected/dysselectedcodeofsymboliclife/death terms,wenowperformatively
enactourselves,assecular,andtherebynecessarily Westernandwesternizedbourgeois
academics,andassuch,thereforehavingtoknowourselves,intheprescriptive,sociogenically
encodedstructures,ofourpresentorderofconsciousness,onewhichpredefinesusasbeingof
56
GlynIsaacs, AspectsofEvolution
57
LouisSalaMolins,op.cit.
22
thistype,
58
thequestionwithwhichwefindourselvesconfrontedisthefollowing:howcanwe
cometoknowoursocialreality,nolongerinthetermsoftheabductiveorderlegitimating
knowledgeofcategoriessystemofthought(AlthussersIdeology)towhichthecodelawlikely
givesrise,but,heretically,inthetermsof knowledgeoftheworldasitis?
59
Thatis,inthe
samewayasWesternintellectualsfromtheautopoetic/cumintellectualrevolutionof
Renaissancehumanism anditsnewStudiaonwards,havecometoknow,andbrilliantlyso,the
physicalandbiologicallevelsofreality,in termsoftheimperatively openendedbecauseself
correcting(however,eventually),orderofcognitionthatasdistinctfromthenew
instrumentalist,marketorientedtechnosciences,includingthatofcontemporarybio
technologyisthatofthephysicalandbiologicalsciences?Toanswerthisquestionastohow
wecancometoknowthelevelofoursocialrealityinthetermsofknowledgeoftheworldasit
is,andtotherebyrealizewhathadbeentheoriginallyemancipatoryopeningsoftheAnti
colonial RevolutiontogetherwiththecorrelatedOthernesscontinuumofthesocialand
intellectualmovementsoftheSixties,beforetheywereaborted,wenowturntothecoreofthe
manifestooftheCeremonyFound.
TheConceptoftheAutopoeticTurn/Overturn:
ThinkingTowardsAutonomyandtheNonOpacityofAgency
58
Seefortheelaborationofbothofthesedivides,class,gender,aswellasthedividebetweenhigherraces/lower
races,Darwins TheDescentofMan, etc. Withthisbeingsoeventhoughhewasalsoverymuchfor theabolition
of Negroslavery.
59
Seeforthis,MoraesFarias,ModelsoftheWorldandCategoricalModels:theEnslavableBarbarian,asaMobile
ClassificatoryLabel,inSlaveryandAbolition 1(2):11531.
23
TheproposaloftheAutopoeticTurn/OverturnisintendedtoresolvethepredicamentIhave
outlined.Ihaveadaptedtheconceptof Turnfrom,andasafurtherprogressionon,theearlier
paradigmoftheLinguisticTurnasputforwardinthemidtwentiethcenturybyWestern
academics,andthatof Overturn,fromthelexiconcreativelygeneratedbytheredemptive
propheticintellectuals
60
oftheRastafari originallyJamaicanmillenarianpoliticoreligious
nowwidelyextendedtransnationalpopularplanetoftheslumsmovement.Specificallyfrom
thecountercosmogonythatunderliesthemovementinwhoselogic,wordsareturnedupside
downtheiruse,forexample,oftheinvertedterm downpressiontodefinetheexistential
perspectiveoftheirsystemicoppression,thisgiventheirlargelyjoblessexistence.TheFrench
theorist,Granel,makestheparallelpointwithrespecttothosecategoriesofthemodern techno
industrialnationstate,aswellasoftheWestsoverallsecularnationstateworldsystem,whoare
logicallyexcluded,fromallmodernpoliticophilosophicaldiscourse,because,assuch,the
wasteproductsofallmodernpoliticalpractice,whethercapitalistorMarxist.
61
Inaddition,however,Iusetheterm countercosmogonyinaspecificsenseadaptedfrom
ConradHyersbrilliantrereadingofthePriestlyversionoftheGenesisnarrativeoftheHebrew
Bible,aselaboratedbytheexiledJewishpriestswhohadbeencaptiveinBabylonattheheartof
thethenBabylonianempire,thisinthewakeoftheconquestofthekingdomofJudahandthe
destructionofJerusalemin587B.C.bytheBabylonians.Inhisstudy,
62
andbymeansofapoint
bypointreadingofthePriests'(orPriestly)version,Hyersrevealshowthethenentirelynew
monotheisticcosmogony,orOriginCreationstorythatitelaborated,functionedasacounter
cosmogonywhosenarrativestructuresservedtoutterlydelegitimatethethen polytheistic
60
Seeforthis,AnthonyBogues,BlackHereticsBlackProphets:RadicalPoliticalIntellectuals (NY:
Routledge,2003)
61
(Granel,ascitedby JFLyotard,HeideggerandtheJews.Trans.,MichelandRobertsIntro.ByD.
Carroll,Minneapolis,MinnesotaPress,1990,p.93).
62
ConradHyers,TheMeaningofCreation:GenesisandModernScience. (Atlanta,GAU.P.1984).
24
politicoreligiouscosmogoniccomplex,(togetherwithitspantheonofgodsandgoddesses,and
centralherofigurethegodMarduk),whichhadfunctionedtochartertheBabylonianempire,and
totherebylegitimateitspredatoryimperialconquestsofweakerpeoples.Notonlyisthisreading
anexampleofthekindproposedbytheAutopoeticTurn/Overturn,thatis,theapproachwhich
takescosmogoniesandtheirWebertypewebsofsignificancewhichcharterusasthewho
thatweare,astheobjectofourinquiry,butalsoitsidentificationasaspecificgenrei.e.,that
ofacountercosmogonyprojectedfrom,asMauriceGauchet
63
alsopointsout,theexiledcaptive
prieststhenuncompromisinggazefrombelowperspective.Thisastheperspectivethatled
themtoprojecttheInvisibleexistenceofanowallpowerfulsoleCreatorGod,oneforthefirst
timeinhumanhistory,nowplacedentirely outsidethecosmos,andassuch,theCreatornotonly
ofthestarsandplanets,(whichratherthanthey hadbeenmillenniallyheldtobe,i.e.,thereligio
polytheisticgodsandgoddessescharteringof,interalia,allthethenempires,including
Babylon's),wereinsteadmerely createdobjects,buttheCreatoralsoofallhumankind,including
therulersofthemightiestempires,therebyreducingthemtobeingmerelycreatedbeings.As
such,therefore,thesourceofanentirelynewparadigmofjusticeabletotranscendallimperial
paradigms,thosethenexistent,aswellasthosethatweretocome.
WithbothHyersandGauchetsreadingsofthePreistlyversionofGenesis,atthesame
timerevealingtheparallelswiththealsodesperategazefrombelownatureoftheRastafaris
ownprojectedcountercosmogony.Thereby,thelogicalsooftheregularitywith whichthe
RastafarisredemptivepropheticintellectualshavetakenoverandadaptedtheBiblical
terminologyoftheexiledJewishpriestsinBabylonasforexampletheReggaesingerprophet
BobMarley,inhissongBytheriversofBabylon/wherewesatdownandwherewewept
63
SeeEpigraph1,MauriceGauchet,TheDisenchantmentoftheWorld:APoliticalHistoryofReligion
(1997).
25
whenwerememberZionaswellasinothersongssuchashisExodusenablingananalogical
readingoftheircountercosmogony,soastoalsoidentify whatthemajorelementsofourpresent
worldsystemscharteringcosmogoniccomplex,mustnecessarily be,giventhatthesewouldalso
betheelementstowhichthenewgazefrombelow,ofthoseexiledinanewBabylonthatis,
asaliminallydeviantcategorywhich,cannotbeincludedwithintheparadigmofjustice
institutingofourpresentLiberaldemocraticnationstateWesternworldsystemanditsnow
purelysecularorderofthings,anymorethantheexiledcaptivepriestscouldhavebeenincluded
inthatinstitutingoftheBabylonianimperialorderindeedanymorethanBarbarian slavesof
ancientGreekdemocracycouldhavebeenincludedintheparadigmofjusticeinstitutingof
thatorder,
64
wouldhavenecessarilyhadtocounterposeitself.Thatis,in itsnowdynamic
contemporaryquestforaquiteotherandsuperiororderofjustice,tothenowpurelysecularone
whichmandates/legitimates,theirexclusion.
Nevertheless,theAutopoeticTurn/Overturnisalsoputforwardinitsowntermsasthe
praxisoftwoproposals.Firstly,thatofAimCsairesproposednew(1946)Scienceofthe
WordwhenataConferenceinHaiti,inasurrealistcumNegritudetalkentitledPoetryand
Knowledge,Csaire,hadbegunbypointingoutthatthenaturalsciences,foralltheir
achievementsinknowinghowtoutilizetheworld,remainpoorandhalfstarved
fundamentallythereforeanimpoverishedknowledgesincefromitsinceptiononwards,he
noted,whateveritsotherwealthmayhavebeen,therestandsanimpoverishedhumanity.
Nevertheless,hecontinued,itisoutofthisgreatsilenceof scientificknowledgewithrespect
64
AsmaronLegesseproposesthatbecauseoftheinjusticeinherentinhumansystems,thereisalwaysa
liminallydeviantcategorywhoseinclusion/exclusionismadetofunctionastheintegratingmechanismofeach
order.Sinceitisthroughtheirsystemicnegationthatthe normalsubjectsoftheorderareabletoexperiencetheir
shared normalcy.TheanalogywithGreekdemocracyanditsliminallydeviantcategorytheBarbarianslavesalso
excludedfromtheorderingparadigmsofjusticeinstitutingofthatfirstformofWesterndemocracyistakenfrom
thebrilliantinsightbythephilosopherBernardWilliams.Ishallhavetotrackdownthereference.
26
toourhumanpredicament,thatanewformofknowledge,poeticknowledgeonethatreturns
toandbeginswith theWord,asourfirstandlastchanceisnowpossibleoneinwhichthe
Wordpromisestobeanalgebraicequationthatmakestheworldintelligible.Inthat,[j]ustas
thenewCartesianalgebrapermittedtheconstructionofatheoreticalphysics,sotooanoriginal
handlingoftheWord,cangiveriseto...anewtheoreticalandheedlesssciencethatpoetry
couldalreadygiveanapproximatenotionof.OneinwhichthestudyoftheWordwill
conditionthestudyofnature.
Thatis,therefore,anew,becauseautopoetically hybridformofsciencewithscience
itselfthereforebeingredefinedbeyondthelimitsoftheNaturalSciencesrestrictednesstotheir
specificdomainsofinquiry,thephysicalandpurelybiologicallevelsofreality(withthelatter
including,ofcoursethephysiologicallyandneurophysiologicalimplementingconditions
enactingofouralwayscosmogonicallycharteredgenresofbeinghuman,oftheirrespective
sociogeniccodes(Csaire'sWord)ofsymboliclife/deathasone(thatis,ascience)whose
specificdomainofinquiryisthatofathirdlevelofreality,metabiologicalandbiological,yetas
onethathashithertofunctioned,assuch,outsideourconsciousawareness.Doingso,however,
accordingtowhatcanbenowrecognizedthiswithintheemancipatoryopeningsmadepossible
bythenewclassofclassesOriginAccountenactingoftheCeremonyFoundsprofoundly
revalorizing(becausebasedonthenegationofthenegationofourcohumannessand,therefore,
ontheapriorioftheirreducibleonenessofourspecies
65
),newanswertothequestionofwho
weareaslawsofautoinstitutionthatareasspecifictothefunctioningofthisthirdlevelof
realityasbiologicallawsarespecifictothefunctioningofthesecond.If,paradoxically,aslaws
65
SalaMolins, TheDarkSideoftheLight:SlaveryandtheFrenchEnlightenment. Trans..,Intro.,byJohn
ContehMorgan.(Minneapolis)Univ.ofMinnesotaPres,2006.
27
whichastheveryconditionoftheirfunctioningassuchlaws,havethemselvesalsodoneso
outsideourconsciousawareness.
Consequently,becausethetelosoraimwithrespecttothisthirddomainofinquiryisthat
also,astheindispensableconditionoffindingtheCeremonyabletobreachtheColorLine(in
effecttheraceorNegationofcohumannessLine)togetherwithitscorrelatedcomplexof
projectedspaceofOthernessLinesorDivides,isthereforethesameinthisrespectasthatof
theNaturalSciencesthatistoworktowardsaneworderofimperativelyselfcorrecting
(howevereventually)therebyopenendedmodeofcognitionthiswill entail thefollowing:that
Csaire'sproposedstudyoftheWord,onebasedonthestudyofnaturefrom its(theWord's)
nowdeterminantperspective,andthereforeasonewhosepraxisisthatof theAutopoetic
Turn/Overturn,willbeginbytransgressingourpresentorderofknowledgesnormally
conceptuallyunbreachabledividebetween,ontheonehand,thephysicalandbiologicalsciences
(togetherwiththerangeoftechnosciencestowhichtheyhavegivenrise),andontheother,the
disciplinesoftheHumanitiesandtheSocialSciences(Fanonshumansciences).Andwilldo
sobynotingthatCsaire'sstudyoftheWord/of Nature,isonethatisitselfisomorphicwiththe
studyofhisfellowcolonialMartiniquean,FrantzFanons,newobjectofknowledge,as
identifiedin1952,inthecontextofhisownthenepochalparallelredefinitionofbeinghumanin
thetermsalsoofourspeciesspecifichybriditythestudyoftheword/thestudyofnature,
thereby,asthestudyof,inFanonianterms,sociogeny.ThereforeasthestudyofwhatIhave
proposedisthealwaysalreadycosmogonicallycharteredsociogenicreplicatorcodeofsymbolic
life/death,inwhoseterms,wecanalonebothpreconceptuallyexperienceandperformatively
enactourselvesashumanstherefore,astheonlyautoinstitutingspeciesofhybridlivingbeings.
ThisgiventhatasPeterWinchalsoproposed,theonlylifethatwehumanslive,isour
28
prescriptiverepresentationsofwhatconstitutessymboliclife,andwhatconstitutesitsLackor
modeofsymbolicdeath.Consequently,becauseeachsuchregulatorycodefunctionsinGregory
Batesonsparallellyproposedterms,attheleveloftheindividualsubjectspsycheor soul, whose
descriptivestatement(asenactedbythecodes)mustthereforebeeverywhereimperatively
elaboratedandconserved,(thisasthelawlikecomplementofthegeneticallyenactedand
conserveddescriptivestatementoftheindividualsubjectsbody),byeachsocietyssystemof
learning,
66
togetherwiththeapparatusofitseducational(ineffect,initiation)institutions,
67
thenthestudyoftheWordasthatofthesociogeniccodesdescriptivestatement,must
necessarily,asCsaireproposed,notonlycorrelatewith,buteven determinethe[approachto]
thestudyofnature.
Thestudytherefore,inthecaseofthelatter,andwithinthetermoftheAutopoetic
Turn/Overturn,astheproposedpraxisofCsairesnewscience,ofthe
physiologically/neurophysiological implementingconditions(ratherthanthebasis)ofourbeing
abletolawlikelyperformativelyenactourselvesasbeing,hybridlyhumanthatisasbotha
sociogenicandtherefore,analreadysymbolicallyencodedI,onetherebyclonedormadesimilar
with,allothermembers(or Is)ofonesoriginnarrativelycoidentified,andthereforeinter
altruistic,kinrecognizing,eusociallybondedweorfictivemodeofkind.Whilecentralto
thestudyofthephysiologically/neurophysiologicallyimplementingconditions(notthebasis)of
ourbeinghybridlyhumanwillbethatofthecofunctioning ofeachsociogeniccodesorigin
narrativelycosmogonicallycharteredsystemof positive/negative,symboliclife/deathmeanings,
withthebiochemicaloropiaterewardandpunishment(behaviormotivating/demotivating)
66
GregoryBateson,ConsciousPurposevs.Nature, TheDialecticsof DavidCooper,ed.(London,
Penguin,1969).
67
RobertYoung, WhiteMythologies:WritingHistoryandtheWest(NewYork,Routledge1990).
29
systemofthebrain
68
Withthelatterssystemicactivationbythepositively/negativelymarked
meaningstherebyenactingofeachsuchsociogeniccodes,representationofsymboliclife(good)
anddeath(evil,thelackofbeinginthetermsofthatlife),therebydirectlyleadingtoour
performativeenactmentassubjectsinthealwaysalreadycosmogonicallyinscribedandchartered
genrespecifictermsofourfictivemodesofkind.Thisatthesametimeastheseobjectively
institutedsociogeniccodesofsymboliclife/death,cometobe,asthepraxisoftheAutopoetic
Turn/Overturnwillmakeclear,experiencedbyitssubjectsasextrahumanlyordainedwhether,
ontheonehand,by theAbsoluteDivineWill(asinthecaseoftheWestsevangelical
ChristianityoroftodaysRadicalIslam),orwhether,inoursecular,andthereforeWesternand
westernizedcase,comingtobeexperiencedasnatural,instinctive,theexpressionsof[thetrope
of]humannature.Assuch,therebyheldtobenolessextrahumanly,ordained,either,as
earlierbytheEnlightenmentsNaturesWillorlaterbytheWillofDarwinsEvolution,as
expressedinhisTheDescentofMans,asthatoftheunerringpowersofnaturalselection.
69
In
effect,byontheonehand,theArgumentfromDivineDesign,inreligiousterminology,andon
theother,insecularbutnolessdeterminedbyaprojectedextrahumanAgency,theArgument
fromtheDesignofNaturalSelectionandDysselection,inensuringthesurvivalofthefittest
andtheextinctionofthenonfit
70
Whichthereforemeansthatastheconditionoftheenactingofthecodeatbothlevels
(thatoftheWord,theordoverborum[orderofWords]andthatofnaturetheordonaturae,
68
SeeJ.F.Danielliob.cit.AvramGoldstein, Addiction:FromBiologytoPublicPolicy (NewYork:W.W.
Freeman,1994)SylviaWynter,TowardstheSociogenicPrinciple:Fanon,Identity,thePuzzleofConscious
Experience,andWhatItIsLiketoBeaBat,inM.F.DurnCoganandAntonioGmezMoriana, National
IdentitiesandSociopoliticalChange info inLatinAmerica (NewYork,London:Routledge,2001).
69
Darwin, TheDescentofMan,orSelectioninRelationtoSex.1871/1981.).HansBlumenberg, The
LegitimacyoftheModernAge. Trans.R.Wallace.1983
70
Seeinthisrespect,Darwinsspeculation(inhisTheDescentofMan,etc.)withrespecttotheostensible
teleologicalinevitabilityoftheextinctionofthe lowerraces suchas(theoriginalpresettler,preimmigrant)
Australians,andnegroesbythehigherraces.
30
eachlevelhastolawlikelyandintricatelycohere asaformoffinelycalibratednonlinear
coherence,inordertoactivateandtogetherimplementthegenrespecificorderofconsciousness
(ormodeof mind),integratingofeachhumangroupsspecificfictivemodeofkind,itsI orits
We.Asinthecaseofournowsecular,andthereforeWesternorwesternizedsecularnationstate
fictivemodeofkind,ontheonehand,orontheother,thatinstitutingoftheU.S.Evangelical
ChristianRightsbothreligiousandbourgeoisnationalmodeoffictivekindontheother,and
withthehybridlyconflictualyetalsoreinforcingnatureoftheirrespectiveOriginstories,thatof
CreationandthatofEvolution
71
alogicalcorollaryfollowsonethatcallsforthemeta
systemicfunctioningofCsairesproposedhybridscienceoftheWordasthatofthesociogenic
Fanoniancode,and/fortheAutopoeticTurn/Overturnasitspraxis.
Thiscorollaryisthatineachhumansocietalorder,asbasedonitscosmogonically
charteredandgenrespecificfictivemodeof kind,bothwhatAlthusserdefinesaseachsuch
ordersmodeofknowledgeproduction,andthearchaeologistMcNeill,asits(modeof)
representationalartsoraestheticproduction,mustnecessarilybecognitivelyandaesthetically
(i.e.,psychoaffectively)closed.Ifthatis,thepositive/negativelymarkedmeaningsofthecode
aretobestablyandsystemicallysynchronizedwiththefunctioningofthebiochemicaloropiate
rewardandpunishmentsystemofthebrain,astheconditionofthesubjectsoftheorder,
performativelyenactingthemselves/ourselvesasbeinghuman,inthegenrespecifictermsof
eachsuchcodespositive/negativesystemofmeanings.Formeaning,asthephysicistDavid
Bohminsists,isbecauseofitsabilitytodirectlyaffectmatter,positivelyornegatively,thatis,
bymeansofits,afterButler,genredpracticesofregulatorycoercion),being.
72
Itsability
thereforetomotivatethealwayscosmogonicallyinscribedandcharteredgenrespecific
71
Seeforthis,MichaelRuse,TheEvolutionCreationStruggle (Cambridge,Mass.,HarvardUniversity
Press,2005).
72
DavidBohm,InterviewinOmni,1987.
31
positive/negativeterms,ofeachsociogeniccodesmodeofsymboliclife/death,asthecode
whichstructuresournormativeordersofconsciousness,andthereby,eachordersensembleof
individualandcollectivebehaviors.Inthecaseofourown naturallyselected/dysselectedcode,
withbothVirginiaWoolfin1929andCarterG.Woodsonin1935comingtoparallel
conclusionseachfromtheirspecificperspectivesofOtherness,genderanomalyinthecaseof
thefirst,race/phenotypeanomalyinthecaseofthesecond,togetherwiththeBlackU.S.
populationtowhichhebelongswithrespecttothesystemicnatureofthetechnologiesof
positive/negativerepresentationsofthespecificorderofknowledge,
73
whichproducesthemas
such anomalies,eachintheirrespectiverelativelyinferiorizedandostensibly genetically,
thereforenaturallydysselected,determinedplaces.TheonewithrespecttoherBritishimperial
rulingupperclassmalepeers,allthendiscursivelyandempiricallyinstitutionalizedasostensibly
thegenericsex
74
andtherebythenormalgender,theother,liketherestofhisBlackU.S.,then
collectivelysegregated,systemicallysubordinatedandinferiorizedpopulation,withrespectto
theWhiteEuroamerican(optimallyWASPorAngloAmerican)population,thislatter
discursivelyandempiricallyinstitutionalized,asostensiblythegenerichumanphenotype,and
therebyassuch,theincarnation,atoneandthesametime,ofbeingboth normallyAmerican,and
byextrapolation,ofbeingostensibly,normallyhuman.
75
73
VirginiaWoolfactuallyusesthewordcocaine todescribetherushthatangrymaleprofessorsgetwhen
writingbookswhosepurposewastoassurethemoftheirownmaleintellectualsuperiority,withthisfurther
motivatingthemtowritemorebooks,asitmotivatedtheirnonacademicpeerstobuildempiresandcivilize
natives.SeeherARoomofOnesOwn(Orlando,Fl.,Harcout).
74
Seefortheconceptof generic,JaneGallop, ReadingLacan (YEAR),whereshepointsoutthattheuseof
thepronounhe torefertobothmenandwomenscholars,constitutesthemalesexasthe genericsex,byveilingits
maleattributes.EquallythesecularWestbyusing Man asinterchangeablewithhuman constitutesitsown
populationasthe generic humananditsownbourgeoisclass asthe generic class,byveilingontheonehandits
ethnophenotypicattributes,andontheotherthe class attributesofinbothcasesitsmodeofknowledgeproduction
aswellasof aestheticproduction.
75
Intheabovecontext,ifCarterG.Woodsonhadpointedout(inhisbook,TheMiseducationoftheNegro)
thatinthecurriculaofAmericanschools,thesystemicallynegativerepresentationsoftheBlackpopulationand
their/ourcontinentoforigin,Africa,ascontrastedwiththesystemicallypositiverepresentations,oftheWhite
populationandoftheirorigincontinentEurope,directlyfunctionedto motivate thelatterandto demotivate the
32
Whileifweseethesesystemicpositive/negativerepresentationsasthemselvesacentral
partofthemutuallyreinforcingsystemofpresuppositionsenactingandlawlikelyso,ofthe
WestsManinitssecond,sincethenineteenthcentury,Liberal/Biohumanistconception/self
conception,bothWoolf'sandWoodson'sinsightswithrespecttotheroleofknowledgeinthe
orderingandlegitimatingoftheirrespectiveandcorrelatedsubordinateroles,asrolesinstituting
oftheir/oursocieties,opensupontoauniversallyapplicablehypothesis.Inthatif,asthe
archaeologistMcNeillhasproposed,inallhumansocietiesfromthesmallest,andthereby,most
simple,tothemostextendedandthereby,morecomplextherolenormallyplayedbythe
representationalarts(themodeoftheiraestheticproduction),hasalwaysbeenthatofexplaining
theworld,notinthetermsoffactuality,butinstead,inthetermsofreligiousschemasofsome
mythology,(thatis,inthetermsoftheirrespectiveorderinstitutingcosmogoniesororigin
stories,whetherreligious,andasinourcase,secular),andasschemaswhichthenfunctionto
constitutetherealityofeachgenrespecificautopoeticfieldorlanguaginglivingsystemasthat
oftheindependentlyreal,this,isnolesstrueofourAlthusserianmodesofknowledge
production.Not,however,thelatter'sroleasostensiblydetermined,byAlthussersmodeof
economicproductionconceptadaptedfromMarxwho,inturn,adapteditfromthe
quintessentiallybourgeoisintellectualsoftheScottishEnlightenment,includingcentrallyAdam
Smith
76
butratheritssystemic,genrespecific,roleinexplaining/describingtheworldofits
former,ClaudeSteele,together withafellowsocialpsychologist,hascarriedoutaseriesoftests,whichprovesthe
rolethatnegativestereotypesplayindemotivatingBlackandotherstudents.UnlikeWoodson,however,Steeledoes
notrecognizethefactthatthenegativestereotypesarenotarbitrary,butarelawlikerepresentationsofourpresent
orderofknowledge.SeeClaudeSteeleandJoshuaAronson,StereotypeThreatandIntellectualTestPerformance
ofAfricanAmericansinJournalofPersonalityandSocialPsychology,1995.Vol.69,no.5,pp.797811.Seefor
Woodson,TheMiseducationofNegro. (Chicago,1933)
76
J.G.APocock,AngloAmericanCivicHumanisminPolitics,LanguageandTime:EssaysonPolitical
Thoughandhistory. ChacagoandLondon,UniversityofChicagoPress,1989,pp 101102.Whathedemonstrates
here,isthatbecauseeachmodeofproduction wasnowsupposedtoteleologicallydisplacetheonethatprecededit
withinthetermsoftheScottishSchoolinvented historicalcosmogony,itwasnolongerthe politicalstate thatwas
theinstitutiondeterminantofhumanhistorythatthereforetheprebourgeois,rulingcastelandedgentryscodeof
33
socialreality,togetherwiththelatter'sroleallocations,structuringhierarchies,andcorrelated
ratiosofdistributionofthecollectivelyproducedgoodsandthebadsinthelawlikelyrelative
quantitativedegreesnecessarytotheirstablereproduction,assuchroleallocations,and
hierarchies,notinthetermsof factuality,butinsteadinthetermsofareligious,(andinthecase
oftheWest,asecular)schema,specifictotheoriginstoryorcosmogonycharteringofeach
societysfictivemodesofkind,andcorrelatedsociogenicgenreofbeinghuman.
Overall,therefore,withinthetermsofthenewanswerthattheCeremonyFoundgivesto
thequestionofwhowearethatisasaFanonianlyhybriduniquelyautoinstitutingmode,of
livingbeing,wecannotashithertoalwaysrelativegenresofhybridlivingbeing,preexistour
cosmogonies,ororiginmyths/stories/narratives.Seeingthatif,asLeemingseminallypoints
out,
77
suchcosmogoniesfunctiontoenableustotelltheworldandourselveswhoweare,they
also,functionevenmorecrucially,toenableustoautopoeticallyinstituteourselvesasthegenre
specificWeorfictivemodeofkind,thateachofus(asatherebyalwaysalready
sociogenicallyandthereforesymbolicallyencodedandclonedI)
78
willfromnowon,
symbolic life,asthatof homopoliticus,anditsIdealidentity,as thatofthe virtuouscitizen abletomakeautonomous
decisionsforthecommongood,throughitscontrolofthestate,nowhadtobereplaced, paripassu,withtherise
ofthebourgeoisenterpriseofmanufacturing(andofwhatwastobetheIndustrialRevolution),whichintermsofthe
modeofproductionschema,hasbeenrepresentedas inevitablyfated todisplacetheAgrarianorlargescale
commercialagriculture,whichwastheenterpriseoftherulingcasteofthelandedgentry.Thisschemawastherefore
intendedtolegitimatethenewbourgeoisselfconceptioninventedasthatof homooeconomicustherebyasone
ostensibly,whose economicdecisionmakingandselfinterestedpursuitoftheaccumulationofcapitalasthemeans
ofproductionofmanufacturing/theIndustrialRevolution,wasnowinstitutionalizedasbeingisomorphicwiththe
commongoodredefinedinthetermsofSmithstitle,asTheWealthofNationsthisrepresentedmodeofthe
imaginedcommongoodtherebycomingtobeindispensabletotheWesternbourgeoisiessecuringandstable
replicationofitsrulingclassstatus,aswellasofthehegemonyoftheWesternworldsysteminitsnowethnoclass
configuration.
77
SeeEpigraph1
78
ThustheparadoxthatitisonlyinthetermsoftheWestssecularizingphilosophical cosmogonies thatan
ostensiblypresocialI orindividualsubjectinastateofnaturecanbeenabledtoautopoeticallyinstituteitselfas
suchasubjectatthesametimeas,inthecasesofLockeandHobbes,forexample,bothassuchsubjectswere
cosmogonicallycharteredas,membersoftheWeofathenpostmedievalpoliticallyabsolute monarchical
England/GreatBritain.
34
preconceptuallyexperienceandthereforeperformativelyenactourselvestobeandtherefore
are.
Consequently,ifasSylviaYaganisakoandCarolDelaneypropose,
79
giventhefactthat
such[o]riginstoriesare,theworldover,theprimelocusforasocietysnotionofitself,that
is,foritsidentityworldviewandsocialorganization,thenthewiderangeofallsuchorigin
stories,thisincludingboththenowdominant[religionChristian]originstoryofCreationas
narratedinGenesis,
80
aswellas,fromthenineteenthcenturyonwards,thesecularOriginstory
(and,therefore,theDarwinianpartscience,partmythbiocosmogony)ofEvolutionshould
allbetreatedneitherasfalsetales,noraspossiblewindowsintotherealtrueoriginsbutas
representationsoforigins.Withtheresultthat,giventhateachsuchrepresentationoforigins
onceenactedmustlawlikelyfunctionasthedeterminantofanonrecognizedprincipleof
cosmogonic/sociogeniccausality,thatis,asthesecondsymbolicallyencodedsetof
instructions,ofthegenrespecificbehavioralselfprogrammingschemastructuringofthe
normativeorderofconsciousnessofeachsuchfictivemodeofkind,whosetruth
81
isthen
circularlyandempiricallyverifiedbytheensembleofindividualbehaviors,whichthat
consciousnessservestoinduce/motivate,acorollaryfollows.Thisisthatitisonlybymeansof
theirgenrespecificopiateactivatingbehaviormotivating/demotivatingmagmaof
positive/negativemeanings,orImaginary,
82
asonesinducingoftheindividualandcollective
79
IntheIntroductiontotheireditedcollectionofessays,NaturalizingPower:EssaysinFeministCultural
Analysis (1995).
80
Onetherefore,astheyadd,commontobothJewsandChristians,andinaslightlydifferentwayto
Muslims.
81
Thatis,W.E.BDubois/McWhortersabstractgeneraltruth(1944,1968),PaulVeynesprogramof
truth,Foucaultsregimeoftruth(insertreference,dates).
82
CorneliusCastoriadis,definestheImaginaryofeachhumansociety,as,thatmagmaofimagesand
encodedpremises,whichwhileproviding,collectivevaluesofunitary meaningsarelogically unprovable.Inhis
talk/essay,ImaginaryCreationintheSocialhistoricalDomaininDisorderandOrder:Proceedingsofthe
StanfordInternationalSymposium (Sept.1416)Stanford,AnmaLibri,pp.14061.Anexcellentexampleofthe
35
behaviorsof theirsubjects,thateachsuchsociety,inturn,isenabledtoperformativelyenact
itselfasanautopoetic(languaging)livingsystem,inMaturanaandVarelasdefinitionofallsuch
systems
83
thisatthesametime,aseachlivingsystemselforganizesitselfabouttheItorgenre
specificsociogeniccodeofsymboliclife/death, inwhosetermsitssubjectspreconceptually
experienceandperformativelyenactthemselvesassuchgenrespecificsubjects.This
analogicallytothewayinwhich,atthepurelybiologicallevelofexistence,thelivingsystem
thatisthebeehivealsoselforganizesitselfaboutthespeciesspecificDNAcodeorgenomeof
thebee.
Given,therefore,thelawlikenatureoftheexistentiallydrivencircularityorrecursive
selfreferentialityofourcharteringandorderinstitutingcosmogonies,specificallywithrespectto
thefunctioningofourcosmogonies'representationoforigins,thisnecessarilyresults,forthe
subjectsofeachsuchorderinanormallyunresolvablecognitivedilemma.Onerecently
identifiedbyYaganisakoandDelaney,asithascometofunctioninourcontemporarycaseas
nowpurelysecular,andthereforeassuch,necessarilyeitherWesternorwesternizedacademics
and/orintellectualsifdoingsowithspecificreferencetoanthropologists.Forwhilethelatter,
theywrite,oftenincludeintheiraccounts,originstoriesofthepeopletheystudy,giventhat
theyhadcometorecognizeafterMalinowski,thatanintimateconnectionexistsbetween the
word,mythos,thesacredtalesofatribe,ontheonehand,andtheirbehaviors(i.e.,their
ritualacts,theirmoraldeeds,theirsocialorganization,andeventheirpracticalactivities)onthe
other,neverthelessthesesameanthropologistshesitateatthethresholdoftheirown,reluctantto
exploretheirownoriginmythswhetherreligiousorsecular.Heretheythengoontomakethe
above,wasthefailureofallattemptsbyotherscholarsto prove thepostSixties,orderrestabilizingneoDarwinian
biocosmogony,ofHernnsteinandMurraysTheBellCurveetc. tobewrong.
83
HumbertoMaturanaandFranciscoVarela,AutopoesisandCognition:TheRealizationoftheLiving.
ForewardbySrStaffordBeer(Boston:ReidelPublishingCo.,1980).
36
furtherpoint,thatthisreluctanceonthepartofanthropologistsisalawlikeone,sinceonewhich
theysharewiththepeoplestheystudy(andwhoareclassified,genericallyastheirnative
informants).Thisgiventhattheytoo,(i.e.,theanthropologists)treattheirownstoriesof
origin(i.e.thatofCreationandEvolution)astaboosetapartandsacred,asdoallhuman
groups.Ifdoingsointhecaseoftheformer,innownonreligiousterms,and,insteadembedding
thisviewin(theostensibleobjectivityof)anevolutionaryparadigm.Yetonewhichisitself
generatedfromtheirownpartscience,partmyth,
84
Darwinian biocosmogonicrepresentation
oforiginsofEvolutionthatis,asonewhosepartscienceaspectdoesindeed,notonly
correctlydescribetheoriginsofthephysiological/neurophysiologicalimplementingconditions
ofourbeinghybridlyhuman,buttheoriginsalsoofthecoevolutionoftheemergentproperties
oflanguageandnarrativewiththebrain,asthepropertiesthatweretobetheindispensable
conditionsofourcomingtobetheuniquelyautoinstitutingmodeoflivingbeingthatweare
withthisrepresentation,however,takenas,andmistakenlyso,tobe,truealsooftheoriginsof
ourbeing[hybridly]human,withthisnowservingtocharterandlegitimatetheirprojectionof
thenotionthattheirownoriginmythsareinsomesense,realandtrue.Thisgiventhatintheir
Originstoryofaprocesstowhichtheyabductively,
85
givethenamehumanevolution,
86
first
thereweremyths,thentherewerereligions(bothnowrelegatedtoadimpast),asstages
thatwehavenowoutgrown,inorder toreplacethembothwithscience.
Withthisgenrespecificbourgeoisorethnoclassrepresentationsoforiginsthereby
makinganthropologistlogicallyunable,normally,toseehimorherselfasinanyway coeval,as
84
GlynIsaccs,AspectsofEvolution,inD.S.Bendall. EvolutionfromMoleculestoMan (NewYork:
CambridgeUniversityPress,1983).
85
Seefortheconceptofabduction,asaformoftotemic(orknowledgeofcategoriesofthought)Gregory
Bateson,MindandNature:ANecessaryUnity,1970.
86
TheabductivetransferoftheprocessesofEvolutionfromthesecondlevelofpurelybiologicallifetothe
historicalprocessesofautopoetictransformationsspecifictothethirdlevelofourhybridlyhumanreality,functions
toteleologicallylegitimateourpresentWesternbourgeoisworldsystemastheostensibleclimax/endofhistory
37
JohannesFabianwastoseminallyobserve,
87
withtheotherhumangroupswhowere/arethe
objectsofstudyandtherebytobeseenasfullyif differently,cohumanwiththemselves.
Thisseeingthattodoso,wouldcallforthem/ustoaccepttherelativization oftheir/ourown
partscience,partmythoriginstorytogetherwithitsautopoeticallyinstitutedgenreofbeing
human,andnationstatecumWesterncivilizationalfictivemodeofkind,asthatempiricallyof
mankind,itselfrhetoricallyoverrepresented,inthebiocosmogonictermsof ourDarwinianpart
science,partmythOriginStoryrepresentationoforigins,asifitwerethatofhumankind(s).
Therefore,asif,toextrapolatefromJacquesDerridaspenetrating1968conferencepresentation,
TheEndsofMan,thereisanuninterruptedmetaphysicalfamiliaritywiththatwhich,so
naturallylinkstheWenotonlyofhisfellowphilosophers,aswellasofYaganisakoand
Delaneysfellowanthropologists,butalsotheweofallourselveswhoassecular,andtherefore
necessarily,eitherWesternorwesternizedmiddleclassacademicsand/orintellectuals,areall
cosmogonicallycharteredbythesameevolutionaryparadigmtothewemen,inthehorizon
ofhumanity(Derrida,p.116).
Further,therefore,withthisoverrepresentation(i.e.,ofourethnoclass[i.e.,Western
bourgeois]modeofreferentwe(anditsworldsystemicnationstatemodesof
Breadwinning/Investing/capitalaccumulating/consumingmiddleclasses),asbeingisomorphic
withthatoftheweoftheecumenicallyhuman,beingmadepossibleonlybythefactthat,as
Derridaalsopointout,inourdiscoursesthereislittlepracticeofthehistoryofconcepts,with
thismeaningthatthehistoryoftheconceptofmanitself isneverexaminedand,withit,the
historyalso,oftheconceptofsecularizingMansdiscursivelyinventedandobjectively
institutionalizedseriesofHumanOthers,asidentifiedbyJacobPandian(1988).Thatis,firstly,
87
JohannesFabian, TimeandtheOther:HowAnthropologyMakesItsObjects()
38
theconceptoftheNegro/theNegress(negros/negrasinSpanish,togetherwiththeconcept
of Indians/Indiansquaws(indios/indiasinSpanish),withthisinturnfollowedfromthelate
eighteenthcenturyonwards,byasecondseriesofHumanOthers,allclassifiedgenericallyas
natives(menandwomen)withallbeingmadetofunctionastheembodimentofthe(conceptof)
theNativeOthertotheTrueHumanSelfoftheWestssecondreinvented(conceptof)Man.
88
Whileitisthissystemicnonrecognitionoftheinventednatureoftheseconcepts,whichserves
toensure,asDerridafurthernotes,thateverythingcontinuestooccurasifthesignman had
noorigins,nohistorical,cultural,orlinguisticlimit.
89
AsifthereforeMansembodied
signifiersofOthernessasthenegationofitsselfconcept,whetherinitsoriginalRenaissance
civichumanistform,ashomopoliticus, orinitslaterbiohumanistformashomooeconomicus
thatis,asifthelattersHumanOtherinstitutionalizedsignifiersofsymbolicdeath,i.e.,Negro,
Indian,Natives,niggers,(indeed,WhiteTrashorTrailerparktrash),togetherwith Welfare
mom,ghettoBlack,astheextremeexpression oftheglobalcategory ofthenonBreadwinning
nontaxpayingplanetoftheslumsJoblessPoor,nottosayattheworldsystemiclevel,the
Othernesscategoryoftheunderdeveloped
90
alsoall themselveshadnohistorical,cultural,or
linguisticlimitthatis,nocosmogonic,andthereforenoautopoeticallyinstitutinglimits.
Theproposalhere,however,isthat,intheabovecontext,thisoversight,inourownnow
Westernandwesternizedcaseassecularmiddleclassacademics,isonewhichfunctionsforus,
accordingtothesamelawsofhumanautoinstitution,towhich,togetherwithallotherhuman
groups,wehavebeen(normally)subordinatedfromtheEventofourOriginthisasaformof
subordinationthathoweverneedstoberecognized,withinthetermsoftheCeremonyFounds
88
JacobPandian, AnthropologyandtheWesternTradition:TowardsanAuthenticAnthropology (1988)
89
(Derrida,1968,1982,p.116)
90
SeeforthisSylviaWynter,IsDevelopmentaPurelyEmpiricalConcept,oralsoTeleological?A
PerspectivefromWetheUnderdevelopedinAguibouYansane, RecoveryandSustainabledevelopmentinAfrica.
(GreenwoodPress,1996).
39
newpostDarwinianOriginAccount,enactingofitsnewanswertothequestionofwhoweare,
ashavingbeenprecisely thepricepaidforthatemancipatoryFirstEmergencethatwasdefining
oftheEventofouroriginasauniquelyhybridmodeoflivingbeingonthesavannasoftodays
BlackAfrica.Sothat,when,forexample,theanthropologistPeterWilsondescribestheeventof
oneprimategenuscomingtodevelop(whathedefinesinWesternsethnotaxonomicterms
asculture),bymeansofwhichthehumanpopulationsofthespecieswereto,fromnowon
makethemselvestheobjectoftheirownthought, andsubjectthemselvestotheirownhumanly
devisedprocedures,
91
thisisthesameprocessidentifiedbyNietzscheasthatofmanslabor
uponhimselfbymeansofwhich,throughthemoralityofmoreshewouldmakehisbehaviors
calculableandtobedependedupon,
92
(hisbehaviors,ineffect,lawlike),bothrefertothesame
phenomenon.Thatis,tothefactthatourownnowcontinuedsubordinationtoourownnow
humanlyinventedrules,hadhaditsorigininanEventthatwasbothbiologicalandmeta
biologicalandassuch,inadditiontotheFirstEventoftheoriginofthephysicaluniverse,and
thesecondoftheoriginofpurelybiologicalformsoflife,onethatwasnowtheThirdEvent.
Consequently,giventhatthisisalsotheEventthatthepaleontologistJuanLuisArsuaga
describesinhisbook, TheNeanderthalsNecklace:InSearchoftheFirstThinkers(2002)as
theonebywhich[t]hefirstmodernhumansinAfrica,althoughsurroundedbyother[hominid]
populationsasrobustastheNeanderthalsofEurope,tookadifferentevolutionaryroute,an
alternativestrategytosolveecologicalproblemsbydevelopingabrainspecializedinthe
manipulationofsymbolstogetherwitharticulatedlanguageattheserviceofaunique
capacitytotellstoriesandcreatefictitiousworlds
93
theseaswere/arethestoriesinwhose
91
PeterJ.Wilson:Man,ThePromisingPrimate:TheConditionsofHumanEvolution(1983).
92
Neitzche,ref.Kaufman,ed.
93
JuanLuisArsuaga, TheNeanderthalsNecklace:InSearchofTheFirstThinkers trans.A.Klatt(New
York,FourWallsTwoWindows,2002)p.307
40
charteringintegratingschemaand/orfictitiousworldsthey/weweretobeenabledto
autopoeticallyinstitutethemselves/ourselvesasnowsymbolicallyencoded,andthereby
artificiallymadesimilarasinteraltruistic,eusociallykinrecognizing,andtherebycooperating
fictivemodesofkindthisbeyondthenarrowpresetlimitsofallformsofpurelygenetically
determinedeusocialconspecificity.Therebywithourstoriesbeingasmuchapartofour
being,astheimperativelyartificiallycoidentifyingeusocialspeciesthatweare,asforexample,
areourbipedalism,andtheuseofourhands.This,thenas,theEventoftheoriginasspecifically
humanmodesoflivingbeing,asanowhybrid(i.e.biological andmetabiological)species,as
onetherefore,nolongerbehaving,onlyaccordingtothelawsregulatoryof[purely]biological
life,butalsoaccordingtolawsofhumanautoinstitutionspecifictoouralsothirdandhybrid
levelofexistence.
Thecaveathere,however,isthefollowing:thatwithourFirstEmergencefromwhat
wouldhavebeen otherwise,ourtotalPrimatemodesubordination,asfarasthelimitsofour
interaltruistickinrecognizingbonding,andcooperatingeusocialbehaviors,areconcernedto
theDNAcodeofourspeciesgenome,hadimperativelycalledforatwoprongedpricetobepaid.
Thefirstthatofthefactthatbecauseournowcosmogonicallycharteringcodesofsymbolic
life/death,asthenewlyhegemonicdeterminantofoureusocialbehaviors,thisintheoverall
contextofeachsuchstoryorcosmogonys,(intheirthenfirstmatrixform),religiouslyenacted
behaviornecessitating(i.e.motivating/demotivating)schemasorprograms,hadtobeable to
activatetheopiaterewardandpunishmentbiochemicalimplementingmechanismsofthebrain
94
94
SeeAvramGoldstein, Addiction:FromBiologytoDrugPolicy,[NewYork:W.H.Freeman,994],where
hewrites,
Insummary,anaturalopioidsystemexistsforsignalingbothreward(probably by beta
endorphin) and punishment (by dynorphins)We can speculate that reward systems drive
adaptive behavior in the following way. They signal good when food is found and eaten by a
hungry animal, when water is found and drunk by a thirsty animal, when sexual activity is
41
(inthetermsappropriatetoeachsuchcodesgenrespecificreligiouscreedswhatistobesaid
aswellastoitsritualsprescriptionsastowhatistobedone),
95
thishadthereforecalledforthe
subjectsofeachsuchcreedsanditscharteringoriginstorytonormallyremainsubjectedtoits
schemaastheconditionofbeingwhothey/weare.Concomitantly,withthisalsocallingasa
function ofinducting/motivatingtherequisiteformsofinteraltruistickinrecognizingbehaviors,
institutingofeachsuchcreedsfictivemodeofkindforthelawsregulatoryofsuchbehaviors
tobeonesabletoensurethatthestructuringofourcharteringcosmogonicnarrativesororigin
stories,andtherebyofthenowgenrespecifichumansociogeniccodeofsymboliclifeanddeath
whichtheyinscribe/mandate,be onesrigorouslyanalogous(withrespecttoeachsuchorigin
narrativesbehaviormotivating/demotivatingstoryline)tothepurelybiologicallaws
regulatoryofwhatGoldsteindefinesasthisdelicatelyregulated[naturalopioidsystem]
perfectedbyevolutionoverthousandsofyearstoservethesurvivalofallspecies.Thereby,as
schemasabletoensurethesystemicallyactivatedcofunctioning ofthegood/reward,
bad/punishmentnaturalopioidmechanismofthebrain,withthepositive/negativemagmaof
meaningsenactingofitsgenrespecificsociogeniccodeofsymboliclife/deathineffect,the
systemiccofunctioningofthecodesregulatory secondsetofinstructions,withthefirstsetof
promised and consummated, when a threatening situation is averted. They signal bad when
harmfulbehaviorisengagedinorwhenpainisexperienced.Thesesignalsbecomeassociatedwith
the situation in which they are generated, and they are remembered. Thus, the
conditioningseemstorepresentthenecessaryprocessbywhichananimallearnstoseekwhatis
beneficialandavoidwhatisharmful.Thisdelicatelyregulatedsystemwasperfectedbyevolution
overmillionsofyearstoservethesurvivalofallspecies(Goldstein,ibis.,p.60,Emphasisadded).
95
SeeErnestoGrassi, RhetoricasPhilosophy:TheHumanistTradition(UniversityPark,Univ.of
PennsylvaniaPress,1980).Here,howeverGrassisthesismakesitclearoveragainstGoldsteinsthesisthatthe
biochemicalbehaviorregulatorysystemfunctionsforhumansinthesame speciesspecific appropriate/non
appropriatetermsasitdoesforpurelybiologicalspecies,byshowingthatthespecifically humancode wouldhave
functionedincreedspecific (thereforegenrespecific)termsforhumansasitnowdoesinthetermsofournow
purelysecularLiberalhumanistbiocosmogonicallycharteredcreedenactingoftheWestssecondreinvented
conceptof Man innowbourgeois,homooeconomicusBreadwinner/taxpayer,Liberaldemocraticterms.
42
instructionsofourspeciesDNAcoderegulatoryofthefunctioningofourbrainsnaturalopioid
system.
ItisinthiscontextthatN.J.Girardot,byhisidentificationofthe[behavior
motivating/demotivatingschema]definingofallreligionsthatis,asaschemabasedonthe
projectionofageneralorderofexistencetogetherwith,firstlyapostulateofasignificantill,
oraffliction thisfollowed,inturn,bythespecificcreedsprescribedbehavioralpathwaysput
forwardasthecureofeachsuchill,thenfurthergivingasanexample,Christianitys
postulateofasignificantillasthatofpostAdamicmankindsenslavementtoOriginalSin,
therefore,withredemptionorsalvationfromthisill,onlybeingattainablebymeansof
Christianbaptism,followedbytheChristian convert/subjectsadheringtotheprescriptive
behavioralpathwaylaiddown,bytheChristianChurchcanbeseentohave,alsoidentifiedthe
lawlikewayinwhicheachsuchcosmogonys,anditsbehaviorprogrammingschema(whether,I
shalladdhere,religious,orasinourcasesecularwiththetransumedpostulateofMalthusian
NaturalScarcityandDarwinian NaturalSelectionreoccupyingtheplaceofenslavementto
OriginalSin
96
) must therefore,benarrativelyelaborated,accordingtospecificrules.Thatis,
accordingtothesamegood/bad(storyline)terms,bymeansofwhichthenaturalopioid
system,asdefinedbyAvramGoldstein,functionsdirectlyandunmediatedly,to
motivate/demotivate,thespeciesspecificbehaviorsofallformsof[purely]biologicallife.This
thereforemeansthatwhatGirardothasidentified,ifnotintheseterms,
97
istherealityofthe
empiricalfunctioningoflawsspecifictoourthirdlevelandhybridlevelofreality,asthelevel
96
SeeforthisMaxStackhouse,inhisForewordtoRobertH.Nelson, EconomicsasReligion:From
SamuelsontoChicagoandBeyond.(UniversityPark:PennsylvaniaUniversityPress,2001).SeealsoH.G.Brennan
andA.M.C.Watermaneds. EconomicsandReligion:AreTheyDistinct? (KlowerAcademicPublisher,1994).
97
Girardotputsforwardhisthesis,intermsadaptedfromtheanthropologist,CliffordGeertz,inhisreligious
studiesapproachtothestudyofTaoism,aChinesereligion.Seeforthis,N.J.Girardot, MythandMeaninginEarly
Taoism,(Berkeley,UniversityofCaliforniaPress,1983).Ihavefreelyparaphrasedhismajorthesis.
43
itselfonlybroughtintoexistencebymeansofourbehavioralpraxisofbeinghybridlyhuman.
These,therefore,asthelawsofautoinstitution,whichhavehithertofunctionedtoensure,thatas
thefirstpricepaidfor ourrupturewithpurelyorganiclife,inordertoautoinstituteourselvesas
human,inbehaviorallyselfprogramming,andthereforeFanonianlyhybridbiosand
mythos/logos(theologos,nowbiologos)terms,wecontinue,andimperativelyso,toremain,
normally,assubordinatedtoourhumanlyinventedcosmogonicallychartered,sociogeniccodes
ofsymboliclife/death,theseasthenewreplicatorcodesenactingofour genrespecificfictive(or
artificiallyspeciated)modesofkind,asallformsofpurelybiologicallivingbeingsmustremain
subordinatedtothebiologicallaws,andDNAreplicatorcodes
98
governingoftheirspecies
specificbehaviorsthisincludingtheireusocialcooperativekinrecognizingbehaviors.
Inconsequence,thesecondpricethathadhadtobepaidfortheruptureofourFirst
Emergence,hasbeenfromthenuntiltoday,thefactthatthelimitsofeach genrespecificorigin
story,becausethelimitsalsoofthelimitsofthedegreesofsubjectivelyexperiencedpsycho
affectiveinclusivenessdefiningofeachsuchinteraltruisticmodeoffictivemodeof kind,also
functionsatthesametime,astheimperativeboundaryof psychoaffectiveclosuredefiningof
eachsuchreferentwe,ofitsus,asoveragainstthetheyandthenotus.Consequentlywithallthe
wars,whethersmallscaleorlargescale,beingwagedfromthenonuntilnow,not intermsof
purely biologicalpreservation,butinsteadinthoseof,ontheonehand,theimperative
preservation,orontheother,theexaltedmagnification,(thislatterasinthecaseofall imperial
wars)ofeachgenrespecificgroupsmodeofsymboliclife/death,institutingof itsfictivemode
ofkind,overagainstthatofothergroups. Atthesametime,aslawlikelycorrelatedwiththe
genrespecificmodeofpsychoaffectiveclosure,definingofthelimitsofthereferentWeofeach
98
Seefortheconceptof replicator codes,RichardDawkinsessayUniversalDarwinisim,inD.S.Berdall
ed.EvolutionfromMoleculestoMan,(Cambridge)CambridgeUniversityPress,1983.
44
suchgroup,anditsfictivemodeofkind,hasbeenthenolessimperativefunctioningalso,of
whatcanbedefinedasthatofthelawof cognitiveclosure.Thatis,asthislawfunctionsatboth
thelevelofpurelybiologicallyspeciesspecificmodesoflivingbeing,andaswellas,
analogically,atthatofthehybridlevelofthegenrespecificmodesoflivingbeingthatareour
own.This,therefore,asthealsosupplementary pricepaidfortheruptureeffectedbymeansof
ourFirstEmergence,from thesubordinationofthelimitsofoureusocialcooperativeinter
altruistickinrecognizingbehaviorstothegeneticallypresetlimitsdefiningoftheprimate
familytowhichwe,partly,belong.
99
Asaresult,therefore,if,asthecognitivescientist,GeraldEdelmanhaspointedoutwith
respecttothefunctioningofthepurelybiologicallawswhichgovernallspeciesspecific
behaviors,thatbecauseeachorganismmust,lawlikely knowitsenvironmentintermswhich
conserveitsgeneticallydetermined,descriptivestatementof whatitistobe thatorganism,
and,musttherefore,selectively,bothcategorizeandknowitsenvironmentinthespeciesspecific
good/badtermsthatareadaptivelyadvantageoustoitsrealizationandsurvivalassuchan
organism,thismeansthatthewayeachsuchorganismknowsandexperiencesreality,through
itsspeciesspecificperceptualcategorizationsystem,caninnowaybeconcordantwiththe
waythatrealityisoutsideitsspeciesspecificviewpoint,
100
thiswasalsotobethecasewith
respecttothelawsofhumanautoinstitutionthatgovernour genrespecificbehaviors.Inthatwe
too,fromtheEventofourorigin,must,ifnowdoingso,asanowhybridmodeoflivingbeing,
alsoselectivelyknowandcategorizeourenvironmentinthegood/badtermswhichensurethe
conservationofourcosmogonicallycharteredcodeofsymboliclife/death,anditssecondsetof
99
Seeforanexcellentdescriptionoftheoriginofthislaw,thatofcognitiveclosure,evenwhere hedoesnot
defineitassuch,NicholasHumphrey,AHistoryoftheMind:EvolutionandtheBirthofConsciousness (NewYork:
SimonandSchuster,1992).
100
GeraldEdelman,inNeuralDarwinism:TheTheoryofNeuronalGroupSelection(NewYork,Basic
Books.1987).
45
instructions descriptivestatementofwhatitisliketobe thatgenrespecificmodeofliving
beinginterms,therefore,thatareadaptivelyadvantageoustoitsrealizationandsurvival assuch
abeing.Thusthefactthatthewayinwhichwehumansknowandexperienceoursocial
environmentthroughourcosmogonicallycharteredsociogeniccodesgenrespecificperceptual
categorizationsystem(AlthussersIdeology),canalsobeinnowayconcordantwiththeway
thatrealityisoutside oursociogeniccodesgenrespecificviewpoint.Whichthereforemeant
thatinresponsetoanexistentiallyimperativereasonsofbeingwetoohave,hithertoasfaras
ourknowledgeofthesocialrealityoftheautopoetic(languaging)livingsystem,whichcalledfor
ustoknowthatrealityinthegood/badtermsofourgenrespecificcodescorrelatedbehavior
motivating/demotivatingschemathatistheconditionofourbehavioralperformativeenactment
aseachsuchcosmogonicallycharteredmodeofbeinghumananditsfictivemodeofkindor
referentwehadtoalsotoremain,normally,subordinatedtothelawofcognitiveclosure
definingofallformsoflivingbeing.
Thisisthereforethefundamentalcauseofthecognitivedilemmaidentifiedbothby
YaganisakoandDelaney,andDerrida,inthecaseof Westernsecularacademics,likeourselves.
Inthat,onceaccordingtothelawsofhumanautoinstitutionthecosmogonically
inscribed/chartered,sociogeniccodeofsymboliclife/death,autopoeticallyinstitutingofour
genrespecificfictivemodeofkindhasbeeninstitutionalized,therebydeterminingthemodeof
institutionofthesocialrealityofthespecificautopoeticlanguaginglivingsystem,whichis
reciprocally,thatiscircularlyandrecursively,thatgenrespecificcodesconditionofexistence,
astheformerisofits,wemustnecessarilyknowthatsocialreality notinthetermsthatare
concordantwiththewaythatrealityis,outsideourpresentgenrespecificcodesviewpoint,but
instead,asitmustrigorouslybeknown(fromtheinside)in theadaptivelyadvantageous
46
good/badperceptualcategorizationsystem(AlthussersIdeology)termsindispensabletothe
dynamicenactmentandstablereplication,bothofourcontemporarylocalnationstatesub
unites,andtheirfictivemodesofkind,andaswell,ofthemacroworldsystemoftheWestinits
nowbourgeoisorethnoclassconfigurationthatis,initsplanetarilyextended,andnoless
fictivemodeofLiberal/NeoLiberaldemocratic,civilizationalkind.
Itisthereforeinthiscontext, thatoftheoverallpricepaidfortheEventofourFirst
Emergenceasanautopoeticallyinstitutinghybridmodeoflivingbeing,thatthefarreaching
hypothesisputforwardin1999bytheFrenchanthropologist,MauriceGodelierwhenlinked
ontheonehand,totheparticularwrongputforwardbyW.E.B.DuboisinEpigraph4thatis,
tothewrongofhimself,liketherestof theBlackU.S.populationatthatpreSixtiestime,having
toexperiencethemselves,asathendisenfranchised,andapartheid/segregatedanomaliestobeing
[White]Americaninthegreatest[Liberal]democracyonearth(onedefinedinWestern
bourgeois[orethnoclass]terms,asademocracyof equalBreadwinnerscumjobholding
taxpayers)andtherebycorrelatedly,withinthosesameterms,asalsoanomaliestobeingfully
human,andontheother, tothegeneralwrong,
101
identifiedinEpigraph3,thatofthe
catastrophicthreatnowposedtoourverysurvivalasaspeciesbytheongoingandaccelerating
processesof nonnaturallydrivenprocessesofglobalwarmingandclimatechangealertsusto
thedimensionsofthenewmutationthatisnowurgentlycalledfor.Thatis,thatofourSecond
Emergencethistimeround,from ourcontinuedsubordination,asthepricepaidforthatofthe
Eventofour FirstEmergencetoourown humanlyinventedautopoeticallyinstitutedOrigin
narratives,andtherebytothelattersmandated/prescribedreplicatorsociogeniccodesof
symboliclife/deathitselfasanEmergencewhosemutationcanonlybeeffected,from within
thetermsoftheCeremonyFoundsnewposthumanistOriginaccountandanswer(onebeyond
101
47
thelimitsthereforeof,ourpresentworldsystemsnowgloballyhegemonicandhomogenized
answerandthereforeinteralia,itsempiricallyenacted,orderinstitutingbiocosmogonically
charteredLiberaldemocraticandethnoclassparadigmofjustice,againstwhichthe
redemptivepropheticRastafarianintellectualsofJamaicahavealsoprojectedtheirgazefrom
belowreligiopoliticalmillenariancountercosmogonyasoneinwhich,Jah,theirblackGod,
asanewfountofjustice,assuresthem (inoneofMarleyssongs)thatassonsanddaughtersof
Jah,noonewillsitonthesidewalkandbegbread,notheywont!
Inhisbook,TheEnigmaoftheGift,Godelier,onthebasisofhisindepthstudyofthe
BaruyapeopleofNewGuinea,
102
putsforwardthehybpothesisthatalthoughashumanswehave,
fromourorigins,had,aboveallelse,tofirstproduceourssocieties,outsideofwhichwecannot
liveas(norindeedbe)humans
103
nevertheless,whilewehavealwaysdoneso,wehaveatthe
sametime,consistentlyprojectedourowncollectiveagencybymeansof(thesocio
technologies)ofourfoundationalmyths,i.e.,ourorigin/storycosmologies,ontomillennially
varyingformsof supernaturalagentswhetherasnaturespirits,deified ancestors,gods,
goddesses,orwhetherastherelativelylate,historicallyspeaking,respectiveInvisibleSoleand
SingleGod(s),ofthethreeAbrahamicmonotheisms.Yetin allcases,doingsoforthesame
purpose thatofmakingourownempiricalhumanagencyopaquetoourselves.
Whythisimperative?HereGodeliersexcellentindepthanalysisbothofthe
foundationalmythormythiccomplexofOriginstoriesinstitutingoftheBaruyapeople(and
thereforeofinmyownterms,theirfictivemode ofBaruyakind),andaswell,ofthewayin
102
TranslatedbyNorahScott,(Chicago,ChicagoUniversityPress,1999).
103
ThusasthehistorianBillChristianpointsout, thefirstformof(nomadic)socialorganizationhavebeenfoundon
thecontinentofAfrica,where almosthalfofhumanhistorywaslived,beforethefirstsmallgroups,(carryingwith
themalreadyinventedmatrixformsofautopoetictechnologiesinstitutingofhumanformsofsocialorganizationleft
Africasome65,000yearsago,goingontopeopletheplanet).SeeforChristian,hisTheMapsofTime:
AnIintroductiontoBigHistory (Berkeley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,2004).
48
whichwhatisnarratedintheirmythologylawlikelycorrelateswithwhatgoeson
[empirically]in[their]societyuncoversamajorcorollary ofthecognitivepriceoriginallypaid
forthemutationeffectedbytheThirdEventofourOriginasdefinedbyourFirstEmergence a
corollarythatcontinuestofunctionforus(ifinthenownewterms,ofourpresentWesternand
westernizedandthereby purelysecularbiocosmogonicallycharteredworldsystem)inthesame
analogicallylawliketerms,thatitdoes,asheshows,fortheBaruyapeopleandwhatwouldhave
been,beforetheircolonizationbytheWest,theirthentotallyautocentered cosmogonically
charteredsociety.
Therebyashisanalysisoftheirsocietyenablesustosee,thiscorollary,isthatofthe
existentialimperativeofthesubjects ofeachhumansociety,havingtomake theempirical
realityofourowncollectivehumanagency(evenmoreso, therealityofourempirically being
directlyresponsibleforthegoodandthebadofeachsuchorder,togetherwiththe
distributedratiosof rewardandpunishment,andcentrally,therefore,for itssystemically
functioningorderinstituting paradigmsofjustice), opaquetothemselves/ourselves.Thisasthe
nonnegotiableconditionoftheircontinuedexistenceassuchgenrespecific[sociogenic]
subjectsandfictivemodesofkindandcorrelatedly, thatofthecontinueddynamicenactmentand
stablereplicationoftheir/ourrespectivesocietalordersasautopoeticlivingsystems.Withthis
existentialimperative,beingabletobenowrecognizedasthelawlikelycausalprincipleofthe
specificcognitivedilemmaobservedinourcontemporary casebyYaganisakoandDelaneyas
wellasbyDerrida atthesametime,asthatdilemmacannowberecognized,inturn,asthe
expressionoftheuniqueformthatthisdilemmahastakeninthecaseoftheWest.Thatisasa
dilemmawhichinthewakebothof GodeliershypothesisandofhisanalysisoftheBaruya
peopleandtheirsociety,canitselfbenowidentifiedasthatoftheWestshithertotheoretically
49
unresolvableaporiaofthesecularthisastheaporia,whoseconceptualnonresolvability,isalso
itself directlycausal,attheempiricallevelbothofthenonresolvabilityoftheparticularwrong
ofEpigraph4
104
asoftheonlyrelativelyrecentlyrecognizedgeneralwrongofEpigraph 2.
Therefore,allofwhosehithertoproposedwhatistobedonesolutions,mustthemselves
continuetofunctionwithinthelogicofourpresentworldsystemicsocietysvariantofthe
existentialimperativeidentifiedbyGodelier,asillustratedbyhisanalysisofthefoundational
mythinstitutingtheBaruyasociety,asoftheempiricalsocietysoinstituted.
HisanalysisoftheBaruyasocietyandpeoplethereforereveals,interalia,thefollowingwith
respecttothefunctioningoftheuniversallyapplicableexistentialimperative:
(i) Thatthefoundationalmyththatistheoverall BaruyamythiccomplexofOrigin
stories,functions,bythevery plotlingof theirnarration,tovalidate theprojectionbythe
Baruya,oftheirowncollectiveagencyontothemagmaofsupernaturalagents(including
centrally,theSun)whopeopletheirCastoriadistypeImaginary.
(ii) Thatitistheprojectionof theirown agency ontotheselatteragents,andascarried
outbytheirmythicOriginstoriescomplex,thatthenfunctionstomandateandlegitimate,not
onlytherespectiveroleallocationsstructuringoftheorder,butalsoaswelltheinequalities
betweenthemmostofall,giventhepolitically statelessorastatalnatureofBaruyasociety(and
therefore,therelativelyegalitarian[i.e.,nonstratified]relationshipsbetween malemembersof
thegroup), to thereforealsolegitimate,thelargescaleinequalitiesbetweenthemenandwomen
104
Thisseeingthat,ifinthewakeofwhileposttheSixtiesantiapartheidcivilrightsmovementa
contemporarymiddleclassintellectualslikeDuBoishasbeenelectorallyenfranchised,therebymadeintoanequal
BreadwinnertaxpayercitizenoftheLiberaldemocracyoftheU.S.,thispoliticalincorporationhasbeenmade
possible,onlyonthebasisofthecontinuedelectoraldisenfranchisementoftheBlack,Jobless,unskilled,non
Breadwinning,nontaxpayingcategoryoftheBlackPoor,whoselargescaleincarceration,largelyondrug
possessionchargesnotonlydeprivesthemofthevote,butenablestheBlackghettocumGulagarchipelagoprison
systemextension,toreoccupythepreSixtiesroleplayedbyasegregatedBlackpopulationofallclasses.Thatin
LegessestermoftheliminallydeviantcategoryofinstitutingofthenormativeorderoftheU.S.
50
thistogether,withinButlersterms,theregulatorycoercivepracticesof gendercoherencethat
empiricallyproducesthisalwaysalreadymythically charteredinequality.
(iii) Thatgiven,however,thatboththeinequalitiesaswellastheregulatorypracticesof
gendercoercion,towhichthewomenaresubjected,arethemselvesafunctionoftheoverall
regulatorypracticesof genrecoherence
105
indispensabletotheautopoeticinstitutionofthe
Baruyasmodeof fictivekind(whichisthetelosoftheeverydayfunctioningoftheempirical
society(aswellasofitsfoundingmythiccomplex,andtheir/itsnarrativestructures),servesto
enablethesubjectsoftheorder,toexperiencetheirrespectiveroleallocationsasoneswhich
becausesupernaturally,thatis,extrahumanly,ordainedcannotbequestioned(thisincludingthe
roleofthosewhomostloseout,thewomen),andtotherebycollectively continuetowork
towardsthedynamicenactmentandstablereplicationoftheBaruyasocietalorder, oneitself
madetobephenomenologicallyexperiencedbythem,throughthemediationofthemythic
complex,astherealizationofthetruebecause(untilthecomingoftheWesterncolonizers)
onlypossibleorder.
(iv) Thatbecause,ashisanalysisfurtherreveals,neithertheBaruyasocietyasawarriora
statalsociety(thatis,withoutthestatesagenciesofenforcement),norindeed,whatIshall
defineinmy ownterms,astheirBaruyafictivemodeofkind, (asbasedontheirgenrespecific
genderedsociogeniccodeofsymboliclife/death,itselfcharteredbythemythiccomplex),could
thereforehavepreexisted,norindeedcan existoutsidethatmythiccomplex,thereasonforthe
105
AlthoughGodelierdoesnotusetheseterms, heneverthelessdocumentsthedifferencebetweenthe gendered
formofthedivide(thatis,inmyownterms,ofthegenrespecificsociogeniccodeofsymbolic life/death)thattends
tobecentraltorelativelyegalitarianornonstratifiedsocietiessuchas thatoftheBaruya,ascontrastedwith,for
example,thatofthestratifiedsocietyofEastTimor,wherethegenderedformofthedivideorcode,istranscended
byanotherform.Oneinwhichaspecific clan becomesthe governingclan(menandwomen)overallotherclans
therefore,withthegenderedenactmentofthisnewcodenowplaying,onlyareinforcingrole:asitalsodoesfor
exampleinourcontemporaryWesternizedsecularsocieties,whereitistranscendedbythecodeof class,withboth
intermtranscendedbythesociogeniccodeofsymbolic life/death,enactingoftheWestsMan initssecond
reinventedform,andtowhichwegivetheethnotaxonomictermof race.
51
existentialimperativeoftheirprojectionoftheirownagency(thatistheprojection carriedout
bytheBaruyareligiouspractitionerswhoareallmen)ontosupernaturalagenciesinorderto
maketheirownagencyopaquetothemselves,becomesclear.
ForalthoughGodelierhimself,asatopflightanthropologist,butalsoasaWestern
bourgeoissubject,institutedassuchinthegenrespecificbiocosmogonicallycharteredterms
ofthenowbiologicallyabsolute(i.e.,onthemodel ofanaturalorganism)answerthatthe
Westssecond,reinventedconceptof Man, givestothequestionofwhoweare,and therefore,
asoneforwhichboththerealityandrelativityofourgenrespecificmodesof fictivekind,can
notberecognizedtoexist,giventhatthiswouldentailtherecognitionofthealsogenrespecific
relativityofitsownanswer)failstosee thatwhathesoexcellentlydescribesinhisbook,
was/ispreciselytheautopoeticproceduresandsociotechnologiesinstitutingofthegenre
specificBaruyamodeof fictivekind, assuchamodeofkind
106
nevertheless,hisanalysis
transcendsthisformofnonrecognition.Doingso,bythefarreachingdimensionofhisother
recognitionthattheexistentialimperativecentraltotheBaruyasritual ceremonies,thatoftheir
systemicmakingoftheirownempiricalagencyopaquetothemselves,and,evenmoreso, byhis
realizationoftheuniversallyapplicabilityofthisimperativetoallhumansocieties,hitherto.
For,ineffect,whathehascomeupon,althoughnotspecificallyidentifyingitassuch,is
106
As,forexample,hisexcellentdescriptionofthecentralmaleinitiationceremonieswhich,inanoriginally
warriorsocietyasthatoftheBaruya,functionstogiveasecondbirth/rebirthtothemaleagegroupinitiatesinthe
gendered formofsymbolic lifedefiningofthemnolongerasrawbiologicalmales,butasmenoftheBaruya
fictive modeofkind,thereforeforwhosedefenceorexaltation,theywillnowbepreparedtogiveuptheirbiological
life.This,atthesametime,asGodeliersdescriptionalsomakesclear,theinitiatesaremadeto experiencebymeans
ofthesameritualceremonies(includingtheirbeingfedwithmalesemen),theirbiologicallifeasaninferiorized
negatively markedformoflife,onegivenbirthto,bythesystemicallyinferiorizedcategoryofthewomen,together
withitsparticularisticweofthesamewombgenetic kinshiployalty,asa secondary formoflife,andthereforeof
kinshiployalty,ascontrastedwiththe political formofkinshipbasedonofsymbolic life,intowhichtheyarebeing
reengendered bythemen.Theformerlife,therefore,asdefinedbythebioinstinctualtendencytowardsbiological
selfpreservation,thedesireforwhich,hadtobe overridden bythemen,bymeansoftheirritualceremonies
artificial activationofGoldsteins naturalopioidsystemintermsofthesociogeniccodeofsymbolic life,asitself
mandatedbytheirfoundationalmythiccomplex,andbroughtintoexistencebymeansofthe initiation procedures,
oftheirpraxis.
52
preciselythefunctioningoftheregulatorylawsgoverningallprocessesof humanautopoesisor
of autoinstitution.Theseaslaws,whichhave,fromourorigin,prescriptivelycalledforthe
sociotechnologyoftheprojectionontoextrahumanagenciesofourownempiricallycollective
agency,withthemakingoftherealityofthatagencyopaquetoourselves,beingthevery
condition ofourbeingableasanimperatively eusocialspecies,dependingfor oursurvival,
realization,onlevelsofinteraltruistickinrecognizingcooperation,
107
thatnowhadtobe
artificiallyinducedtoeffectthemutation,thatwasthatofourrupturewithandfirst
Emergencefrom,thetotal subordinationofourbehaviors,tothenarrowpresetPrimatelimitsof
kinrecognition/cooperation,asbiologicallyprescribedbythefirstsetofinstructionsofthe
DNAcodeofourspeciesgenome.Ofourbeingableinstead,bymeansofourNietzscheantype
laborupon ourselves,
108
anditscorrelatedsecondsetofinstructionstoautoinstitute
ourselvesastheuniquelyhybridmodeoflivingbeingthatweare.Asaresult, becauseitwas
specificallybymeansaloneofourhumanlyinvented
109
andretroactivelyprojectedcosmogonies
orfoundationalmythsintheirfirstmatrixreligiousformsastheformswhich,formillennia
weretomandate/prescribethesecondsetofinstructionsofthegenrespecificsociogenic
codesofsymboliclife/deathinstitutingofour fictivemodesofinteraltruistickinrecognizing
kind,withthis,therefore,ensuringinthecaseoftheBaruyapopulationstudiedbyGodelier,the
motivationoftheirbehaviorsnotasbiologicalmales/females,butassymbolicallyencoded
Baruyamenandwomen,thewhyoftheexistentialimperativewastobethefollowing:
(v) Thatbecauseourfictivemodesofkind,togetherwiththecosmogonically
107
SeeearliertheNovaknotere:ThreeaspectsofEvolution,mutation,cooperation,andsselection,withthe
latterbeingonly oneofitsselforganizingprocesses.
108
NietzschesBasicWritings,Ed.,byKaufman.
109
E.O.Wilson,thebiologist/sociobiologists,whileagreeingthatasmythopoeticcreaturesweliveinstories,
proposesinstead,fromhisbiologicallyabsoluteperspective,asthatofethnoclassMan,thatisthebrainwhich
createsourcharteringstories,ratherthanmerelysettingconstraintsonthepatternsourcharteringOriginstories
mustfollowaccordingtothelawsofhumanautoinstitution.Seeforthishis ForewordtoLoyalRuesEverybodys
Story:WisingUptotheEpicofEvolution(NewYork,NYStateUniversityPress,2000).
53
mandatedcodesofsymboliclife/deathwhichinstitutethem/usassuch kinds,andcorrelated
genresofbeinghuman,areentities,suchasthatoftheBaruyaor,asitisalsoin thecaseofthe
imaginedcommunitiesofourpresentWesternandwesternized,purelyseculartonation
stateslocalmodesof fictivekind,togetherwiththatoftheWest'smacroworldsystemof
civilizationalkindinitsbourgeoisconfigurationintowhichthey/weareincorporatedwhichcan
innowayexistinNature,norbegivenorigintobybioevolutionaryprocesses(asonesthat
would,forexample,haveenabledsuchmodesofkindtobegeneticallydetermined,andthereby
stabilized),thisthereforemeant/andmeansthateachhumansocietysprojectionoftheir/ourown
collectiveagency,forimmeasurablylongmillenniaontosupernatural(andtherefore,extra
human)Agents,hadbeen,asinmanycases,itcontinuestobealawlikefunctionofthefollowing
existentialimperative.Thatis,theimperativetoguardagainsttheentropicfallingapart oftheir
artificiallyinstituted,symbolicallyencoded fictive modesofkindagainst,therefore,theentropic
disintegration oftheirsocieties,eachofwhichasautopoeticlivingsystems,areselforganized
abouttheItoftheirgenreofbeinghuman,thereforeabouttheiralso, fundamentallyhumanly
inventedreplicatorsociogeniccodesofsymboliclife/deaththisanalogously tothewayinwhich,
atthelevelofpurelybiologicallife,thebeehiveofthebeeselforganizesitselfabouttheItthatis
theDNAreplicatorcodeofthebee.Therefore,inourcase,withtheprojectionofeachcodes
originalsourceontoasupernaturalAgencies(havingtherebyservedasanindispensablefunction
ofthestabilizationofthecode,whosepositive/negative,symboliclife/deathsystemofmeanings,
onceimplementedbythebiochemistry,ofthenaturalopioidsystemwhichthatsystemof
meaningshasactivatedinitsgenrespecifictermshasbeentransformedintoalivingentity:into
wordsmadeflesh.
54
ItisinthecontextofbothofGodelier'sanalysisoftheBauruya,aswellofhisgeneral
hypothesisthatthefarreachingworldimplicationsofRenaissancehumanismsoriginalcounter
cosmogonicbacktothepaganclassicsinventionof Manasaseparatenotionfrom Christian,
andtherebyitsinitiationofwhatwastotherelativizationofChristianity'stheologicallyabsolute
answerasonewhichuntilthen therecouldhavebeennootherpossibleanswer,canbe
understood.
Inthat,inthecontextofGodelier'shypothesis,whatthatfirstactof
separation/relativizationof Renaissancehumanism'snewansweritsrelativization, thatis,
medievalLatinChristinaEurope'stheologicallyabsolute,andDivinelyguaranteedanswer,
togetherwithitsprojectedspaceofOthernesscomplexwhichhadmappedthesymbolic
life/death Dividesofitscodeuponthephysicallevelofreality
110
hadsetinmotion,was
nothinglessthantheinitiationoftheprocessesbymeansofwhichtheWestwasto
desupernaturalizeoftheextrahumanagenciesontowhichhumangroupshadmillennially
projectedtherealityoftheir/ourowncollectiveAgency,fromtheEventof ouroriginashybridly
human,andaccordingtothelawsofhumanautoinstitutionwhichhademergedconcomitantly
withthatEvent/Origin.Therebywiththisinitiatedprocess,of
relativization/desupernaturalization,onefurtherenforcedbytheWest'ssecondreinvented
LiberalhumanistanswerintheempiricalwakeoftheU.S.French (RightsofManvs.
nobleman)revolutions,togetherwiththeslaverevolutionofHaitiandasananswerthatwould
furtherleadtotheprivatization ofChristianity'ssupernaturallyguaranteedabsoluteanswer
comingtoeffectadiscontinuousrupturingintervention ofdiscontinuityintothemillennially
110
InadditiontotheHeaven/EarthDividethe"sacredgeography"ofthemedievalorder,hadalsoprojectedits
RedeemedSpirit/FallenFleshcode,ontoaDividebetweenthehabitableregionsoftheEarth,centeredonJerusalem,
representedastherealmwithintheChristianGodsProvidentialGraceandthe uninhabitable regionsoftheTorrid
Zone,andtheWesternHemisphere,bothrepresentedashavingbeencondemnedtobe outside thatGrace.
55
extendedorderofhumanhistoryhitherto.Thatis,ontothecontinuousprocessoftheprojectionof
therealityofourhumanagency ontothemagmaof humanlyinventedsupernaturalAgencies,as
projectionswhichfromourOrigin,hadfunctionedtoensuretheopacity,to ournormative
(alwaysalreadysymbolicallyencoded) ordersofconsciousness,(eachspecifictoitsgenreof
beinghuman andtoitsrespectivefictivemodeofkind),oftherealityofourownempiricalauto
institutinghumanagency.
Toensurethereforethecontinuednonautonomyofourcognitionwith respecttothe
empiricalreality ofallthreelevelsofexistence,withthistherebyenablingthemtobeknown(as
medievalLatinChristianEuropehadtoknowtheearthtobenonmovingbecausepost
adamicallydivinelycondemnedtobefixedatthecenteroftheuniverseasitsdregs,andasthe
Baruyahadtoknowthereality oftheSunasthatoftheGreatDonor/Ancestorofthemen,who
were/are theembodimentofthecode ofsymboliclife,inthesamelawlikelyabductivetermsof
amutuallyreinforcingsystem ofpresuppositions,thathadbeenindispensabletothecontinued
enactmentoftheirgenrespecificfictivemodeofkind,totheirstabilization,togetherwiththatof
theirrespectivesocialorders,asautopoeticlivingsystems.
UniquelyinthecaseofthepostmedievalWest,therefore, thesettinginmotion,by
meansofitstwonewanswers,ofthedesupernaturalizationofourprojectedAgency,wastolead
totherecognitionofthehithertononrecognizedprincipleof naturalcausality,inthereoccupied
placeofChristianity'shithertounchallengeableprincipleof DivineCausality,and,initswake,
withthegradualuncoveringofthereality of autonomouslyfunctioninglawsofnature,asall
processesofnaturecametoberecognizedasselforganizedlyfunctioningcursussolitus
naturae,
111
Withthisnewprincipleof causality havingmadepossiblethedevelopmentof,
firstly,thephysical sciences,secondlythebiological sciences,whoserespectiveneworders of
111
Intheaccustomedorcustomarycourseofnature.
56
selfcorrecting,openendedcognition,wouldgradually cometofreetheirrespectivelevelsof
existence'sappropriatedomainsofinquiry,fromhavingtocontinuetobeknowninthe
abductivetermshithertocalledforinorder toensuretheexistentialimperativeof guarding
againsttheentropicdisintegrationofour artificially,i.e.,autopoeticallyinstituted, sociogenically
encodedgenresofbeinghuman,andcorrelatedfictivemodesofkindtheagainsttheentropic
disintegration alsotherefore, oftheirrespectivesocietal ordersasautopoeticlivingsystems.
Nevertheless,becausetheWestwastoeffectthisepochal desupernaturalizationonly on
thebasisofitsreprojectionofitsownhumanagency, ontotwo,nownolongersupernatural,but
noless extrahuman agencies,bothcharteredassuchAgenciesbythetermsofthehumanist
countercosmogoniesinstitutingoftheirrespectiveinventionsof Manthefirstreprojectedonto
theextrahumanAgency of[thetropesof]Nature/HumanNature, thesecondontothat,not
merelyof Evolution (butof Evolution,asdefinedinthetermsofDarwinsbiocosmogonic
charterinstituting,inhis1871TheDescentofMan,etc.,oftheWestsManinitssecond
reinventedandspecificallybourgeoisform,asaprocessostensibly definedexclusivelyby the
unerringpowersofNaturalSelection/Dysselection,heldtofunction atthelevelofhuman
realityinexactlythesameway itisheldastodoatthepurelybiologicallevelofexistenceboth
formsofthisreprojection,were tohavespecificconsequences.Notonly,thatis,weretheyto
charterWesternhumanismstwosecularsociogeniccodesenactingofeachformof Man(asthe
incarnationofsymboliclife),and ofitsHumanOthers(astheembodimentofsymbolicdeath),as
codes, therefore, towhichwegivetheethnotaxonomictermof race,sincethey andwhichcan
belogicallyenactedonlyonthebasisoftheWestsnegationofequalcohumanness,withall
othergroups.But,inaddition,thevery dimensionsofthecontradictionenactedbytheWest's
humanlyemancipatorydesupernaturalizationofAgency,ontheonehand,andontheother,with
57
itseffectingoftheformerprocessonly onthebasisof whatwastobethehumanlysubjugating
reprojectionof itsownAgency,ontoalsoextrahumanones,thatwastoinitiatefromthen on
untilnow,thehithertotheoretically unresolvableaporiaofthesecular,uniquetotheWest.This
asanaporiathatwasnotonlytoleadtotheJanusfacedconsequencesofthepastfivehundred
yearsofitsimperial(nowneoimperialneoLiberal)expansions,butcontinuestobeexpressed
bythestillongoingindeedacceleratingnolessJanusfacedconsequencestowhichits
theoretical unresolvability,continuestogiverise.Thisincludingcentrallythealsohitherto
unresolvablenatureof theparticularwrongputforwardbyDuBoisinEpigraph4,aswellas,
correlatedly the"generalwrong"identifiedinEpigraph 2.
112
Withbothoftheirrespective
unresolvabilitiesthemselves(together,correlatedly,withthenonfindabilityoftheceremony to
fulfillingly wed,inBishopspoeticterms,theVenetian Desdemonatothe"HugeMoor"Othello)
beingdirectlyduetothecognitiveimpassetowhichitsaporiaofthesecularcontinuestogive
rise.
Thatis,asonebymeansofwhich,theWest,whilecomingoverthecenturiestoexercise
tothefullest,allof itsnewpowertoharnesstheforcesofnature, totheimperially expanding
purposesofitsrespectiverulinggroups, asaharnessingthathadbeen empirically madepossible,
bymeansofthenew,selfcorrectingnaturalscientificopenendedorderof cognitionbasedon
theprincipleof naturalcausalitywiththisincludingthelattersPandora'boxfeatof the
splittingtheatom,this leadingto,interalia, nuclearweaponry intheformof theatomicbomb,
ontheonehand,andtothatofthecrackingoftheDNAcode, thisalsoleadinginteraliato
biological weaponry ontheotherneverthelesswithrespecttoitsongoingorthodox cognitionof
theempiricalsocialrealityoftheplanetarily extendedworldsystemthatithasbroughtinto
112
ThereferencehereistotheMarxianthesisthatisonlywhenthe particularwrongexperiencedbyspecific
groups,coincidewithageneralwrongexperiencedbyall,thatrevolutionary transformations ofthenormative
socialorder,becomespossible.
58
existence,itwastobe theinvertedly negative,andtherefore, humanlysubjugatingaspect, that
wouldcometothefore.Inthat,asaresultofitsreprojectionofitsown,andindeedofall
humankindscollectiveempiricalagency,ontotwoformsofnonsupernaturalbutnolessextra
humanagencies,notonlyitsownWesternacademicsandintellectualsbutalso,allofuswhom it
haswesternizedtheimageofitsown prototypeofbeinghuman,
113
would,withrespecttothe
cognitionofthesocialrealityoftheplanetarilyextendedworldsystemorderthatithasbrought
intoexistence,(andintowhichweareallWesternandnonwestern,secularandnonsecularnow
both biocosmogonicallyandempiricallyincorporated)continuetotakepartinandrigorouslyre
enact, themillennially,supramillenniallyconservedexistentialimperativeofthe making
opaquetoourselvesthereality ofourcollectivehumanagency.Yet,thislatterasthevery
existential imperative,thatif theWestwasto,ontheonehand,epochallychallengebymeansof
theinterventionistdiscontinuityofitsrelativization ofmedieval Christianity'theologically
absoluteanswer,thereby initiatingthedesupernaturalization oftheentitiesontowhichthereality
ofourhumanagencyhadbeenmillenniallyprojected,becauseitwasonethatwastobe, onthe
otherhand,andinthereferenceframeoftheaporiaofthesecular,effectedonlyonthebasisof
itsreprojectionofthatagencyontonew[secular]extrahumanones,it(theWest)wouldbe
compelledtocontinuetorecycleandreconfigure,atthelevelof thatsameexistentialimperative
113
Ifthemultiplechallengesoftheanticolonialstruggles,togetherwiththoseoftheSixtiesmovementsinthe
imperialcentersthemselves,hadoriginally,whenfunctioningtogether, calledinquestion,empiricallyand
intellectually,theWest'sprototypeofbeinghumaninitssecondreinventedandhegemonicallybourgeoisconceptof
Man,as,inbiohumanistterms, homo oeconomicus,FrantzFanonwastopreciselydiagnosethereasons,especially
inthecaseofthenonWesternanticolonialstruggles,forourfailure(asindeedformyownfailureinthe1894
essay)toreenactthedimensionoftheautopoeticheresy,nowcalledfor.Ashewroteinhis1963 LesDamnsdela
Terre:
WesternBourgeoisracialprejudiceasregardstheniggerandtheArabisaracismofcontemptit
isaracismwhichminimizeswhatithates.Bourgeoisideology,however,whichisthe
proclamationof anessentialequalitybetweenmen,managestoappearlogicalinitsowneyesby
inviting the submentobecomehuman,andtotakeastheirprototypeWesternhumanityas
incarnatedintheWesternbourgeoisie (Emphasisadded).
59
(thatofmakingourownagencyopaquetoourselves)ifnowdoingsoinnowfarmore
dangerousbecause(asinthenewwaveof neoLiberalthoughtincludingeconomicsand
evolutionarypsychology),
114
ostensiblynowdoingsoon naturalscientificgrounds.
Itisin thisoverall contextthatourcontinuedreenactmentofthesameexistential
imperative,identifiedby Godelier,inthecaseoftheBaruya,cannowbeseentodirectlycollide
withanotheranduniqueformofthatexistentialimperative,onehithertounimaginable,yetone
indirectresponsetoanow"generalwrong"one,asbrieflyindicatedinEpigraph2whichwe
areallnowbeingcalledupontoconfrontanddealwith,thisforthefirsttimeinhumanhistory,
asaspeciesandassuch,asthereferent"weofthehorizon ofhumanity.Ourultimate
predicamentthatis,asthatoftheacceleratinglythreateninglossoftheclimaticecological
habitatconditions,indispensabletoourspeciessurvival/realizationandcontinuedperformative
enactmentastheuniquelyautoinstituting,hybridmodeoflivingbeing,thatweare, and
thereforethroughwhomalone,theselforganizingmacrosystemthatisourplanet,Earth,now
hastheparadoxicalpossibilityofbecomingatlast,throughus,fullyconsciousofitself.If,that
is,weourselvesaretosurvive,inspiteofthefactthatwehavesolittletimelefttoactualizethe
natureofthehitherto(millenniallyprohibited)heresyofsecuringthenonopacity ofour own
agency,andwithit,thefull autonomyoftheneworder of cognition thatisnowimperatively
calledfor.Thislatteras onewithoutwhoserealizationnoeffectivewhatistobedone
solution,canbefoundeithertoDuboisparticularwrongontheonehand,(Epigraph4)norto
thegeneralwrong,assetoutabove,andbothofwhicharereciprocally,asresultsofthe
enactingofthesamesociogeniccode,thecausalconditionofeachother.Asis,thenon
114
SeeforthisSusanMcKinnon, NeoLiberalGenetics:TheMythsandMoralTalesofEvolutionaryPsychology
(Chicago,PricklyParadigmPress,2005).
60
findabilityofBishopsceremony,tobreachtheDividesenactingof thatverysamesociogenic
codeofsymboliclife/death, thatoftheWestsMan,initssecondreinventedform.
Forif,asTimemagazinereportedinJanuary2007(Epigraph2),aU.N.Inter
governmentalpanelofNaturalScientists,weresoontoreleaseasmokinggunreportwhich
confirmsthathumanactivitiesaretoblameforglobalwarming(andtherebyforclimate
change),andhadthereforepredictedcatastrophicdisruptionsby2100,byApril,theissued
Reportnotonlyconfirmedtheabove,butalsorepeatedthe majorcontradictionwhichtheTime
accounthadreechoed.
Thiscontradiction,however,hasnothingtodoinanywaywiththerigor,andprecisionof
theirnaturalscientificfindings,butratherwiththecontradiction referredtobyDerridas
questioninEpigraph3i.e.,Butwho,we? Thatis, theirattributionofthenonnatural factors
drivingglobalwarmingandclimatechangeto,generichumanactivities,and/orto
anthropocentricforcingswith whatis,ineffect,thismisattributionthendeterminingthe
natureoftheirpolicy recommendationstodealwiththealready ongoingreality ofglobal
warmingandclimatechange,tobeonescouchedlargelyineconomicterms.Thatis,intheterms
of ourpresentmodeofknowledgeproduction,anditsperceptualcategorizationsystemas
elaboratedbythedisciplinesoftheHumanitiesandSocial Sciences(orhumansciences)and
whicharereciprocally enactingofourpresentsociogenicgenreof beinghuman,asthatofthe
WestsManinitssecondLiberalorbiohumanistreinventedform,ashomooeconomicus as
optimallyvirtuous Breadwinner,taxpayer,consumer,andassystemicallyoverrepresentedasif
it,anditsbehavioral activitieswereisomorphicwith thebeingofbeinghuman,andtherebywith
activitiesthatwouldbedefinableasthehumanasaspeciesones.
61
Consequently,theReportsauthorsbecauselogicallytakingsuchan overrepresentation
asanempirical fact,giventhat,ashighlytrainednaturalscientistswhosedomainsofinquiryare
thephysicaland(purely)biologicallevelsofreality,althoughtheirownnaturalscientificorder
ofcognitionwithrespecttotheirappropriatenonhumandomainsofinquiry,isanimperatively
selfcorrectingandtherefore,necessarily,acognitivelyopen/openendedone,nevertheless,
becauseinordertobenaturalscientists,theyarethereforenecessarily,atthesametime,middle
classWesternorwesternizedsubjects,initiated
115
assuch,bymeansofourpresentoverall
educationsystemanditsmodeofknowledgeproductiontobetheoptimalsymbolicallyencoded
embodimentoftheWestsMan,ititssecondreinventedbiohumanisthomooeconomicus,and
thereforebourgeoisselfconception,overrepresentedasifitwereisomorphicwiththebeingof
beinghuman,theyalsofallintothetrapidentifiedbyDerridainthecaseofhisfellowFrench
philosophers.Thetrap,thatis,ofconflatingtheirownexistentiallyexperienced(Western
bourgeoisorethnoclass)referentwe,withtheweofthehorizonofhumanity.Thisthen
leadingthemtoattributetherealityof behavioralactivitiesthataregenrespecific totheWests
Maninitssecondreinventedconcept/selfconceptionashomooeconomicus, onesthatare
thereforeassuch,asahistoricallyoriginatedensembleofbehavioralactivitiesasbeing
ostensibly humanactivitiesingeneral.This,inspiteofthefactthattheydohistoricizetheorigin
oftheprocessesthatweretoleadtotheirrecentnaturalscientificfindingswithrespecttothe
realityofthenonnaturallycausedongoingaccelerationofglobalwarmingandclimatechange,
identifyingthisprocessashavingbegunwiththe[Wests]IndustrialRevolutionfromabout1750
115
Theinstitutionof initiation asoriginallyinventedbythesocalledprimitivepeoplesofthefirst nomadic human
societiesofBlackAfrica,isthe institutionspecifictoallhumansocieties,whethergiventheGreeknameof paideia
orofoureducationsystems.Seeinthisrespect,AnneSolomonsdescriptionoftheRockPaintingsoftheancient
SanoftheKalahari,someofwhosegroupshavebeenproventobegeneticallynearestto ourreallifeempirical
humanancestorsthatis,notAdamandEve.CentraltotheseRockPaintings,shefoundwere initiation
Ceremonies,manyofwhichwerespecifictothewomen.In ScientificAmericanNov.1990.
62
onwards.Thatis,therefore,asaprocess thatcanbeseentohavebeencorrelatedlyconcomitant
inGreatBritain,bothwiththegrowingexpansionofthelargelybourgeoisenterpriseoffactory
manufacturing,aswell withthefirststagesofthepoliticalandintellectualstrugglestheBritish
bourgeoisiewhoweretospearheadtheIndustrial Revolution,todisplacethethenrulinggroup
hegemonyofthelandedaristocracycum gentry,andtodoso,by interalia,theautopoetic
reinventionoftheearlierhomopoliticus/virtuouscitizencivichumanistconceptof Man,which
hadservedtolegitimate thelatterstraditionally landed,political,socialandeconomic
dominance,innewterms.ThisbeginningwithAdamSmithandtheScottishSchool of the
EnlightenmentinthegenerationbeforetheAmerican,French,andHaitian (slave)revolutions,as
areinventiontatwastobeeffectedin nowspecifically bourgeoistermsashomo
oeconomicus/andvirtuousBreadwinner.
116
Thatisasthenowpurelyseculargenreofbeing
human,whichalthoughnottobefully (i.e.,politically,intellectually,andeconomically)
institutionalizeduntilthemidnineteenth century,onwards,whenitsoptimal incarnation cameto
beactualizedintheBritish andWesternbourgeoisieasthenewrulingclass,was,fromthenon,
togenerateitsprototypespecificensembleofnewbehavioralactivities,thatweretoimpelboth
theIndustrialRevolution,aswellastheWestssecondwaveofimperialexpansion,thisbasedon
thecolonizedincorporationofalargemajorityoftheworldspeoples,allcoercively
homogenizedtoserveitsownredemptivematerialtelos,the telosinitiatingofglobalwarming
andclimatechange.
Consequently,iftheReportsauthorsnote thatabout1950,asteadyprocessofincreasing
accelerationoftheprocessesofglobal warmingandclimatechange,hadbegun totakeplace, this
wasnotonlytobeduetotheSovietRevolutions(from1917onwards)forcedmarchtowards
industrialization(ifinitsstill homooeconomicusconception,sinceamarch spearheadedby the
116
SeethealreadycitedessaybyJ.G.A.Pocock
63
symboliccapital,education credentialsowningandtechnicallyskilledEastern European
bourgeoisie)asastatedirectedformofcapitalism,norindeedbythatofMaosthenChina,but
wastobealsodue tothefactthatinthewakeoftherangeofsuccessfulanticolonialstruggles
forpolitical independence,whichhadacceleratedinthewakeoftheSecondWorldWar,because
thenewentrepreneurial andacademiceliteshadalreadybeen initiatedbytheWestern
educationalsysteminWestern termsashomooeconomicus,theytoowouldseepolitical
independenceascallingforindustrializeddevelopmentonthecollectivebovarysme
117
model
oftheWestern bourgeoisie.
Therefore,withtheacceleration ofglobalwormingandclimatechangegainingeven
moremomentumasallbegantoindustrializeonthemodelof homooeconomicus,withtheresult
thatbythetimeof thePanelsissuedApril2007Reporttheprocesswasnowbeingdrivenbya
nowplanetarilyhomogenized/standardizedtransnationalsystemofmaterial provisioningor
modeof technoindustrial economicproductionbasedontheaccumulationofcapitalasthe
meansof productionof everincreasingeconomicgrowth,definedasdevelopment withthis
callingforasinglemodel of normativebehavioralactivities,alldrivenbythenowglobally
(postcoloniallyandpostthe1989collapseoftheSovietUnion),homogenizeddesireofall
men(andwomen)to,realizethemselves/ourselves,in thetermsof homooeconomicus.Inthe
terms,therefore, ofitssingle(Westernbourgeoisorethnoclass)understandingof mans
humanity,overrepresentedasthatofthehuman withthewellbeingandcommongoodofits
referentwethat,notonlyofthetransnationalmiddleclassesbutevenmoreoptimally,ofthe
corporatemultinational businessindustriesandtheirfinancial networks,both indispensableto
117
SeethequotationformFanononp.39rethemimetictrapintowhichallofus,astheformercolonizednatives
orsubmen,hadfalleninthewakeofpoliticalindependence.Thephrase collectiveboarysme wascoinedbythe
HaitianscholarPriceMarsfortheHaitianelitestoidentifythenatureoftheirfailureinthewakeoftheHaitian
Revolution,untiltoday
64
thesecuringof theWesternbourgeoisconceptionofthecommongood,withintheoverall terms
of thebehaviorregulatory redemptivematerialtelosofeverincreasingeconomicgrowth,put
forwardastheGirardottypecurefortheprojectedMalthusianRicardotransumedpostulateof
asignificantillasthat,now,ostensibly,of mankindsthreatenedsubordinationto[thetrope]
of NaturalScarcity,thisinthereoccupiedplaceof Christianity ofitspostulateofthatillasthat
of enslavementtoOriginalSin.
118
Withtheresultthatthevery ensembleofbehavioralactivities
indispensable,ontheonehand,tothecontinuedhegemonyofthebourgeoisieasaWesternand
westernizedtransnationalrulingclass,isthesameensembleofbehaviorsthatisdirectlycausal
ofglobalwormingandclimatechange,astheyare,ontheother, tothecontinueddynamic
enactmentandstablereplication oftheWestssecondreinventedconceptof Man thislatterin
responsetothelattersexistentialimperativeofguardingagainsttheentropicdisintegrationofits
genreofbeinghuman andfictivenationstate modeof kind.Thereby againstthepossible
bringingtoanend,therefore, ofthesocietalorder,andautopoeticlivingWestern and
westernizedmacroworldsystem initbourgeoisconfiguration,whichisreciprocallytheformers
(i.e.,itsgenreofbeinghuman,andfictivemodesofkindscondition of realization,atanow
globallevel.
This,therefore,isthecognitivedilemma,onearisingdirectlyfromtheWestshitherto
unresolvableaporiaofthesecular,thathasbeenpreciselycapturedbySvenLuttickeninarecent
essay.Despite,hewrites,theconsensusthatglobalwarmingcannotbeascribedtonormal
118
SeeforthistheearliercitedreferencetotheForewordbyMaxStackhouse,ashewrites, interalia,[RobertH.
Nelsons]insightfulhistoricalanalysisshowedthat:
manyoftheclassicfoundersofthefieldofeconomicsnotonlywereguidedbytheological
assumptionsbutalsoviewedthefieldinmessianicterms.Thatis,theypresumedthattheprimary
reasonforhumanpain,suffering,anddeath(whattheologiansidentifyasaconsequenceofsinin
afallenworld)isthatweareinastateofscarcity.Moreover,wecanonlybedeliveredfromthis
perilousexistencebytheovercomingofmaterialdeprivationaprospectthatcanonlycomefrom
rightlyformulated,rightlybelieved,andrightlylivedprinciplesandpolicies.Economicscan
deliverus,bringaboutaredeemedstateofaffairsonearth,andledustoabundantlivingthe
materialincarnateformofsalvation(Emphasisadded).
65
fluctuationsintheearthstemperature[the]socialandpoliticalcomponentsofthisprocess
havebeenminimizedmanmadenatureisrenaturalized,thenew(un)naturalhistorypresented
asfate.Andwiththiscontinuingtobesobecause(withintheterms,Ishalladd,ofourpresent
singleunderstandingofmanshumanityandtheunresolvableaporiawhichitcontinuesto
enact),[t]hetrulyterrifyingnotion isnotthat[globalwarmingandclimatechange]is
irreversible,butthatitactuallymight bereversibleatthecostofradicallychangingthe
economicandsocialorder
119
Thechanging,thereby,ofthenowgloballyhegemonic
biologicallyabsoluteanswerthatweatpresentgivetothequestiontowhoweare,andofwhose
biohumanisthomooeconomicussymboliclife/death(i.e.,naturallyselected/dysselected)codes
intentionalityofdynamicenactmentandstablereplication, ourpresenteconomicandsocial
orderisitself theempiricalactualization.
Inthiscontext,andasGodeliersindepthstudyoftheBaruya(andthereforeinmyown
terms,of theautopoeticinstitutingprocessesbymeansof whichtheycollectivelyproduce
themselvesasmenandwomenoftheirfictivemodesofkind),revealstheirmodeofmaterial
provisioning(modeofeconomicproduction,inthetermsofourpresentbioepisteme,its
Foucauladianorderofwordsandthings)is,agenrespecificone,thatis,onewhosefunctionis
not tomateriallyprovisiontheBaruya,asbiologicalmenandwomen,butinsteadtomaterially
provisionthem as(thealwaysalready symbolicallyencoded)menandwomenoftheirfictive
modeofkind, thattheyare.Consequentlybecausethisitselfisafunctionalso,of theexistential
imperativeof ensuringthedynamicenactmentandstablereproductionofthemselvesandtheir
societythislatterasanautopoeticlivingsystem,selforganizedaboutthebiocosmogonically
charteredreplicatorsociogeniccodeofsymboliclife/death,astheBaruryasgenderedformof
theIt, whichisalsotheconditionoftheirperformativeenactmentofthemselvesandtheirmode
119
SvenLutticken,UnnaturalHistoryinNewLeftReview,45,May/June2007,pp.115132.
66
ofkindasthe(nonnaturalentity) Baruya,whatbecomesoverturninglyclearhere,isthe
following:thatwhatwedefineinournowethnoclassterminology asmodesofeconomic
production, rather, than beingthedeterminantfactortheyarenowtobeheldouttobe,are
insteadanindispensable,butonly proximatefunction, oftheoverridingtelosofBaruyasociety,
whichisthatofitsmodeofautoinstitutionineffect,thatofitsmodeof productionand
reproduction oftheBaruyasgenreofbeinghuman,and,thereby,ofitsfictivemodeofkind.
Inconsequence,becauseIpropose,accordingtothelawsofhumanautoinstitution
regulatoryofour thirdandhybridlevelof reality,thiscanbenodifferentwithrespectto,in
Lutticken terms,ourpresenteconomicandsocialorder, thismeansthatourpresenthegemonic
modeofmaterialprovisioning,(incontemporaryterms,ourpresentmodeofeconomic
production),must, aslawlikely,function(liketheBaruyas)not toprovision thehumanspecies
andtheirmultipleclassof classesmodesoffictive kind,butinsteadonly tomateriallyprovision
theWesternandwesternizedmembersofthebourgeoisie(i.e.,themiddleclasses),andtoso
provisionthem/us,notmerely asbiologicalmenandwomen,butratherasmenandwomenof
their/our fictivenationstatemodeofWestern(andwesternized)bourgeoiskind.Thatis,as
ethnoclasshomooeconomicusmenandwomenwhoareoptimally Breadwinnersandassuch,
abletoconsumeconsumers(andwhoalso,asBreadwinningtaxpayersarethenormal,citizens
of,andthereforeimperatively,thenormalelectoralmajoritysubjectsof, thebourgeoispolitical
orderofLiberaldemocracy).
120
Neverthelessbecauseourpresentmodeofknowledge
production,andcentrallyso,thedisciplineofeconomicsoverrepresentsourpresentgenre
specificmodeofmaterialprovisioning,thatof theFreemarketLiberal/neoLiberalcapitalism,
120
TheU.S.overthrowofAristidesHaitihadtodowiththefactthatwhileanelectoralmajorityofthePoorcan
exist(asin todaysSouthAfrica)thegovernmentofaLiberaldemocracy canonly respond totheinterestsofthe
middleclasses.Aristidesattempttorespondtohispoorelectoralmassbasethreatenedtherefore,the verylogic of
LiberaldemocracyhencehisU.S.France/Canadaoverthrow,withtheaidoftheHaitianmiddleclasses.
67
asifitwereamodeof standardized,homogenizedgloballyincorporated economicproduction,
abletomateriallyprovisionnotmerely Mansreferentmiddleclasswe,butalsothatofthe
ecumenicalweofthehorizonofhumanity,theReportsauthorslogical acceptanceofthis
normativeoverrepresentation,ledtoa secondderivativecontradiction.
Thisissointhat,althoughitdocumentsthefactthatasthecatastrophicdisruptionsbeing
broughtaboutbyglobalwarmingandclimatechange,havebeguntobefelt,theyhavebegunto
befeltunequally, thatiswiththemajorcosts,alreadybeingbornebythepoorerpeoplesand
regionsoftheplanet, thisatthesametimeastheircomparativedataalsomakeitclear, thatthe
unequaldifferentialsofthecosts,thatarealreadybeingborne,andthatareexpected torapidly
accelerateinthefuture,lawlikelyfollowtheWesternworldsystems(in,fromthenineteenth
centuryonwards,itsbourgeoisconfiguration),alreadyinstitutionalizedColorLinecum
developed/underdevelopedLines(asthemselvespartofthatsystemsorderstabilizingprojected
spaceofOthernesscomplexofDivides,includingcentrallyitsWhite/BlackandRich/Poor
Divides),andthereby withthehighestcostscomingtobebornebythoseonthenegativeside of
thedevelopment/underdevelopmentLine,
121122
neverthelesstheReportsisolation ofthe
processesofglobalwarmingandclimatechangefrom theinterconnectedsystemof underside
coststowhichitbelongs,(ifdueconceptually toourpresentepistemesdividebetweenthe
121
This, asinthecaseofBlackAfrica,whichalthoughonlyresponsibleastheleastdevelopedcontinentfor
3%ofthecontributiontotheprocessesdrivingglobalwarming,hasneverthelessalreadybeguntopaythepriceof
accelerateddroughtandlargescaledesertificationasareothercountriessuchlikeBangladesh,Nepal,Indiaand
China,whoarepayingthepricewithlargescalefloodstogetherwiththepoorerpartsoftheU.S.andtheCaribbean,
whopaythepriceofintensifiedhurricanes.Thispricealso includessocialconflicts,forexample,theongoingland
grabfrom,andgenocidalethniccleansingof,BlackAfricanMuslimagriculturalistsbyArabidentifiedIslamic
JanjaweedmilitiainDarfurSudan has also beenmadepossibleinpartbythespreadingdroughtdrivingprocessof
desertification, noweffectingthelatterwhoarecattlekeepingpastoralists.
122
Forexample,theongoinglandgrabfrom,andgenocidalethniccleansingof,BlackAfricanMuslim
agriculturalistsbyArabidentifiedIslamicJanjaweedmilitiainDarfurSudanisalsomadepossibleinpqrtbythe
spreadingdroughtdrivingprocessofdesertification.
68
naturalsciencesandwhatarecalledthehumansciences),necessarilyleadstothepartial,notto
saytheirrelevant,natureofitspolicyprescriptions.
Seeingthat,becausethisinterconnectedseriesofundersidecosts,can innowaybe
addressedbytheReportsprescriptionsfordealingwithonly oneif themostintractableof
thesecosts, thismeansthatthefundamentalprincipleofcausalitythatunderliestheoverall
systemof undersidecostsasystem recentlyidentifiedbytheenvironmentalistresearchscholar,
GeraldBarnleyasthatonaplanetaryscale,ofadynamicallyinteractingsingleglobal
problematique,mustnecessarilybeoverseen,indeed,remain,normally unseeable.Givethatitis
ourspecificmodeofmaterialprovisioning,thatofourpresenttechnoindustrialmodeof
economicproductioninitsFreeMarketcapitalistmodality,andthereforeassuch,one
indispensable,fromthemidnineteenthcenturyonwards,untiltoday, tothedynamicenactment
oftheWestssecondreinventedconceptof Maninitsnowbiohumanist,homooeconomicus
prototypeterms,togetherwithitssystemicoverrepresentationasbeingisomorphicwiththe
beingofbeinghuman,thathaslawlikelyledtoBarnleysglobalproblematiquesinterconnected
seriesofundersidecosts,includingcentrallythatofglobalwarmingandclimatechange.These
ascosts,thatarethelawlikeundersideconditionsofits(Mans) nowplanetarilyextended,
homogenized(nowpostSixtiesInternetstandardized) ongoingdynamicenactment(iniconic
AmericanDreamterms)andstablereplicationthecoststhereforeofourpresentsingle
povertyhungerhabitatenergytradepopulationatmospherewasteresourceglobal
problematique.
123
Yet,whosecontinuedenactment,whichmustremainnonrecognizedasthe
causeofitscosts.
123
PaulHawken,theenvironmentalactivist,documentsin arecentbookthedynamicrealityofBarnleys
interconnectedundersidecoststhatis,asasysteminwhichwhileontheonehand,speciesextinction,together
withdegreesofhumanpovertycontinuetoabound,profitsdialecticallycontinuetosoarforexample,today
(i.e.,2007)while[t]heworlds top200companieshavetwicetheassetsof80percentoftheworldspeople,the
69
Thisgiventhatbecauseaccordingtothelawsofhumanautoinstitution,astheyarecan
beseentofunctioninthecaseoftheBaruya,thetelos ofeachhuman society,isthemodeof
institution ofitscosmogonically charteredsociogenicgenreofbeinghuman(eachintermsofits
sociogeniccodeofsymboliclife/death),thiscorrelatedlywithitsfictivemodeofkind,therefore,
witheachsuchsocietysspecificmodeofmaterialprovisioning,havingtobeanindispensable
functionofthattelos, thismeansthatthisisnolessso,inthecaseofourcontemporaryeconomic
andsocialordershegemonicmodeofautopoeticinstitutioninthegenrespecifictermsofthe
biologically absolute,andbiocosmogonicallychartered answerthatManashomooeconomicus
mustgivetothequestionofwhoweare.
Itisthereforethegeneralwrongof thisglobalproblematiqueandtheimperativenature
of findingitssolution,bymeansofitsbringingtoanend,inresponsetowhich,togetherwiththe
correlatedparticularwrongofEpigraph4,(asthewrongwhich alsomakesBishopspoetic
Ceremonynonfindable),that theCeremonyFoundsnewrevalorizinganswertothequestionof
whoweare, initiates therecognition ofthishithertononrecognizedprincipleofcausality.That
is,asthatoftheautopoetic,becausecosmogonicsociogeniccausalprinciple,whichdrivesall
ourhumanbehaviors,ingenrespecifictermsthose, therefore, ofourcosmogonicallychartered,
symbolicallyencoded,prescriptivesociogenicallyencodedformsofsymboliclife/deathandtheir
correlatedfictivemodesof kinds,whoseautopoeticinstitutiontheymakepossible.Ineffect, the
retroactivecausalprincipleofeachgroups(YaganisakoandDelaneys)representationof
originsastheWeberian webthatwespinforourselves,andoutsideofwhich,ifwearetobe
samedynamicalsoensures thatthatassetbaseisgrowing50timesfasterthantheincomeoftheworldsmajority,
itself asanaccelerationproportionallylinkedtothatofincreasingglobalwarmingandclimatechange.Paul
Hawken, BlessedUnrest:HowtheLargestMovementintheWorldCameIntoBeing,andWhyNoOneSawIt
Coming (VikingPress,2007).
70
thewewhowearethatis,analwaysfictivemodeof areferentwe
124
wecannotlive.Nor
outsidethealwaysalready mandatedsociogenicallyencoded termsautopoetically institutingof
usasthatwe,canweevernormally knowournolessalwaysalreadycosmogonicallychartered
orderofsocial reality and/orautopoeticlivingsystem,outsidethegenrespecificperceptual
categorizationsystemormodeof knowledge,productionthatitneedsforitsownenactmentand
stablereplication,assuchanorderofsocialreality,and/orautopoeticlivingsystem.
Consequently,ifasGodeliersanalysisof theBaruyamakesclear,although he,asanon
Baruya,couldgain thekindof outsideknowledgeoftheirsocietalorder,and autopoeticliving
system,whichenableshimboth torecognizeoneofthecostspaidforitsenactment,thatof the
empirical realityoftheviolenceshowntothewomenbythemen,includingtheirdeprivation
fromany accesstotheleversofpower, andaswell, toseethatthisformofinjusticeinherentin
Baruyasociety,isitself,charteredandlegitimatedbythemythiccomplex,orrepresentationof
originsinstitutingoftheBaruyaasapeople,nevertheless,they(theBaruya)couldhave
knowledgeoftheirsocial reality onlyfromtheinside.Thatis,intheemic termsof themodeof
knowledgeproductionindispensabletotheenactmentandstablereplicationoftheirgenreof
beinghuman,theirfictivemodeofkind,andofthesocietal order/livingsystem,whichisthe
condition oftheirbeingwhotheyare,thisaccording tothelawsofhumanautoinstitution,thisis
nolessthecasewithrespecttothehumansciencesof ourpresentbioepistemicmodeof
knowledgeproduction.Thatis,asdisciplineswhosedomainof inquiry ispreciselyourpresent
planetarilyextendedorderofsocialrealityasthatoftheWestsmacroworldsystem,inits
bourgeoisconfiguration,andasanautopoeticlivingsystem,nowincorporating,willy/nilly,ofus
124
Yetwiththecaveat thatinallformsofhighlystratifiedsocietysuchasours,itisnotmerelythe rulingidealclass
asMarxproposed,thatarethoseoftherulingclass.Soalsoandmorecomprehensivelyso,arethe ruling
representationoforigins(whichgivesrisebothtothe rulingideas)arealways,asinthecaseoftheWestern
bourgeoisie,therepresentationoforiginscharteringoftherulinggroupsrulingstatusoroeconomyofgreatness
inAdamSmithsaptphrase.
71
all.ThusthespecifichithertotheoreticallyirresolvableissuethatIhavedefinedasthatofthe
Westsaporiaofthesecular.Inthatifbyitsuniquerelativizationanddesupernaturalization of
theformsofextrahumanagencyontowhichwehadmillenniallyprojectedourownagency,the
Westhadenabledthetwolevelsofnonhuman existenceandtheirdomainsof inquiry,tobe
freed,bymeansofthenaturalsciencesfromhavingtocontinuetobeknowninthecognitively
closed,abductivetermscalledforby theexistentialimperativehithertoinstitutingofusashybrid
livingbeingsandtherebyasathirdlevelofexistence,itsreprojection ofitsownhumanagency,
ontotwoother(invented)formsofnowpurelysecularextrahumanagency,andreenactmentof
thesamemillennialexistential imperativehadentailedacorollary.Thisthattheorderof
cognitionofourpresentdisciplinesoftheSocialSciencesandtheHumanities[Fanonshuman
sciencesinEpigraph6)hashadto,andlawlikely so, continuetofunctionasthecontemporary
expressionof thatfirstinventedandmillenniallyconservedorder ofcognition thatisasonefirst
invented,bythoseclassifiedbyourpresentsystem humansciencesorder ofknowledge,one
thatwehaveinheritedfromthem,asprimitive.
125
Thatis,asaformofcognitionwhichrespondedandrespondstothefactthatonce
accordingtothelawsofhumanautoinstitution,thecosmogonicallyinscribed/chartered,
sociogeniccodeofsymboliclife/death,autopoeticallyinstitutingofourgenrespecificfictive
125
PaulFeyerabendhasidentifiedthisfirstform oftraditional cognitioninhisbook,FarewelltoReason (London,
NewYork,Verso,1987),andwhichisthesameformofknowledgeproduction,identifiedbyA.M.Hocartasthatof
amacrocosmic/microcosmicsystemofthoughtcommontoallsocieties(inhis 1936/1970book,Kingsand
Councilors,etc.)andbyGregory Batesoninhis1979book, MindandNature,etc., asanabductiveorderofthought
alsocommontoallhumansocieties,butwhichistobeseeninitsmostpristineform,inthe totemic religiousthought
oftheindigenous(i.e.,presettler,preimmigrant)peoplesofAustralia.Whilethissameformofthoughtwas
identifiedbyP.F.MoraesFarias(ina1980essayasonethat isbasedonaknowledgeof[orderinstituting]
categories,ratherthanonknowledgeof theworldasitis).AsFeyerabendwriteswithrespecttothis:
Tosaythataprocedureorapointofviewisobjective(lytrue)istoclaimthatitisvalid
irrespectiveofhumanexpectations,ideas,attitudes,wishes.Thisisoneofthefundamentalclaims
whichtodaysscientistsandintellectualsmakeabouttheirwork. Theideaofobjectivity, however,
isolderthanscienceandindependentofit.Itarosewheneveranationortribeoracivilization
identifieditswayoflifewiththelawsof the(physicalandmoral)universe(Emphasisadded).
72
modeofkind,hasbeeninstitutionalized,therebydeterminingthemodeofinstitution alsoofthe
socialrealityofthespecificautopoeticlanguaginglivingsystem,whichisreciprocally,thatis,
circularlyandrecursively,thatgenrespecificcodesconditionofexistence,astheformerisof
its,thentheoverallsystem,becausenowselforganizingitselfabouttheItofthatspecific
sociogeniccodeof symboliclife/death,mustlawlikelyenactitself,asinFrancisoVarelas
terms,ahigherlevelsystem.
126
Therefore,onetowhich,giventhesystemicclosure,both
cognitive,aesthetic,andorganizational,thatistheconditionofeachsuchselforganizingliving
systemsautonomousfunctioning,itssubjects,whetheratthepurelybiologicallevel ofbeeswith
respecttotheirbeehive,orinthatof ourselveswithrespecttothehybridly Word/Nature
[logos/bios]humanlevel thatisowncannormallyhavenodirectlycognizingaccess. Access
thatis,fromametasystemicperspective,andtherefore,outside thetermsinwhichthesystem
mustbenormallyknown fromtheinside,byitssubjects,inthegood/badperceptual
categorizationtermsthatareadaptivelyadvantageoustothesecuringofthewellbeingofits
sociogeniccodeorprototypeofbeinghuman,togetherwiththatofitscorrelatedmodeoffictive
kindorreferentwetermsthereforethatareindispensabletoboththecodesandtheoverall
system'ssymbolicallyencodedintentionalityofstablereplication.
Therefore,withourinabilitytohavecognitiveaccesstothehigherlevelsystemofwhich
wearesubjectsasaninability,thatinoursecularcasewastoarisefromtheWests
reprojectionofourhumanagencyontoagenciesthatwerenolessextrahumanifnow
desupernaturalized,andthereforeassuch,aninabilitylinkedtothefactthatwetoo,assecular
Westernorwesternizedacademicsandintellectuals,mustneverthelessalsocontinuetomakethe
empiricalrealityof ourcollectivehuman agencyasopaquetoourselves,doingsoaslawlikely
126
FranciscoVarela.PrinciplesofBiologicalAutonomy.(1979)
73
astheBaruyasreligiousintellectualsorgrammarians,
127
continuetomakeopaquethereality
oftheirownagencytothemselves.Yet,asaninabilitythatinourcase,asinthatoftheBaruya,
leadstothereallifeconsequences,onesdirectlydueto ourpresentmodeofknowledge
production,whoseoverridingtelosisthatof(asisthat theBaruyas)therigorouselaboration,
(indeed,theworkofproviding
128
)thegenrespecificorderofknowledgeindispensabletothe
stablereplicationandenactmentofourpresentgenreofbeinghuman,itsfictive modesofkind,
andoverall,theglobalsocialrealityofitsautopoeticlivingmacroworldsystem.Withthistelos
therebyentailing,that, asinthecaseoftheBaruyasdynamicof genderedinequality,the
increasinginequalityreportedbyHawkens, togetherwiththatofBarnleysoverall global
problematique,includingthatof thealsoincreasingprocessesof globalwarmingandclimate
change,continue,onadailybasis,tosacrifice theinterestofthereferentweofourspecies
beingasthatoftheDerridasweofthehorizonofhumanitytotheexistentialimperativeof
securing,andstablyreplicatingthegenrespecificinterestsofethnoclassMan,itsprototypeof
beinghuman,of itsreferentwe.
Inthiscontext,ifitispreciselythemakingpossibleofsuchametasystemic,indeed
metacosmogonicperspective,asan outsideperspective thattheAutopoeticTurn/Overturn,as
theproposedpraxisofCsaire'snewandhybridscienceoftheWordastheFanonian
sociogeniccode,willsetouttoeffect,indeedwithsuch aperspectivecomingtobedefiningof
whatistonowbeitsnewStudia,itcanonlydosointheframeworkoftheCeremonyFounds
newposthumanistAccountofOrigin.Thatis,asonewhoseprojectedclassofclassesOrigin
ModelofAutoinstitution,becauseabletocontain themagmaofalllocalOrigin
stories/Accountsandtheirgenrespecificrespectiveautopoeticrepresentationsoforiginas
127
SeeforthisconceptAsmaromLegesse,Gada:ThreeapproachestotheStudyofAfricanSociety.1973.
128
Seeinthisrespect,thepathbreakingessaybyDemetriusEudell,ModernityandtheWorkofHistory,inA.
Bogues,ed. AfterMan,TowardstheHuman:CriticalEssayson SylviaWynter.
74
memberclassesofitsown,will thereby enableitsnewStudias,relativizingofourpresent
globallyhegemonicpartscience,partmythOriginModel/Accountorbiocosmogony of
DarwinianEvolution (asdefinedintermsof[thetropeof]theunerringpowersofNatural
Selection)by revealingittobebutone(ifthefirstpurelysecular)memberclass,of the
CeremonyFoundsown classesofclasses.
129
Asarelativization, thatwillthenfurtherenablethe
newStudiassystemicseparationofthebeingofbeinghumanasaspecies,from thatofournow
globallyhomogenized,conceptuallyandempiricallyinstitutionalizedhegemonicgenreand/or
prototypeofbeinghuman,asthatoftheWestsManititsnowsecondreinventedLiberal
humanisthomooeconomicus,conception.Specifically,inits bourgeoisorethnoclassself
conception asoptimallyvirtuousBreadwinnercumtaxpayercumhighworthInvestor,and,
morerecently,infundamentalistNeoLiberalterms,asoptimally asthe financial bourgeois,i.e.,
ascapitalaccumulatorandaffluentoverclasssavvyconsumer,yeteveninthispredatoryform,
still overrepresentedasifitsgenrespecificinterestsandconceptionofthecommongood(that
of,inthestilliconicrulingideastermsofAdam Smith,thewealthofnations),couldin
anywaybeisomorphicwithwhattheinterestsandcommongoodoftheclassofclassesofour
speciesbeingwhosereferentweisthatoftheweofthehorizonofhumanitywouldnecessarily
havetobe,astheStudiasfurtherdeconstructionofthisrhetoricalstrategyofoverrepresentation
willmakeapparent.
129
SeeforthistheformulationmadebyWhiteheadandBertrandRussellwithrespecttobedifferencethatexists
betweena classofclasses(i.e.,machinery)andamere memberoftheclass(i.e.,tractors,cranes,etc).Inthis
context,therhetoricalstrategy,thatcitedearlier,andasdefinedbyPaoloValesioasthatofthe toposoficonicity,by
meansof whichtheWestshumanistinventionoftheconceptof Man,atthesametimeoverrepresentedthat
conceptasifitsmemberclassanswers(i.e.,civichumanistandLiberalhumanist)wereisomorphicwiththe classof
classes ofalltheanswersgivenbyamultiplicityofhumangroupstothesamequestion,hasenabledtheWestto
instituteitsworldsystemicdominationonthebasisofitsconceptualandempiricalgloballyinstitutionalized
absolutizationofitsowngenrespecific memberclassasifitwereisomorphicwiththe classofclassesdefinition(s)
ofourspeciesbeing.
75
Consequently,giventhatthegoalof theCeremonysFoundsproposednewStudiaisa
goalortelosnowbeingsoughttobeimplemented,inresponsetoa historicallynew,extremeand
hithertounprecedentedform ofthesamemillennial existentialimperative,yetonewhichbecause
definednowbythealmostunthinkableyetloomingpossibilityofoureventual extinctionasa
species,nowcalls,evenmoreimperativelyforour AutopoeticTurn towardsthenonopacityof
our consciousness,totheempiricalrealityofourcollectivehumanagency,and,thereby,forour
nowourfullyrealizedcognitiveautonomyasaspecies.Therecognitiontherefore, thatwhichwe
havemade,wecanunmake,then,consciouslynow,remake.
Withthisemancipatoryrecognition,itselfbeingmakableonthebasisoftherecognition
ofthisnewprincipleofautopoeticsociogeniccausality,asitselfarecognition whichby
enablinginteralia,boththerelativizationandthedeconstructionof Mansbiocosmogonically
charterednaturallyselected/dysselectedcodeofsymboliclife/deathandcorrelatedspaceof
Othernesscomplex,asabductivelyprojectedontotheorderstabilizingDividesof the
Color/White/Black/Rich/Poor,developed/underdevelopedplanetofthesuburbs/planetofthe
slumsLines,willinitiatetheprocessesofthedeextrahumanizationofalltheentitiesand/or
conceptsontowhichwehavehithertoprojectedourownempiricalagencies,and,thereby,the
unblockingofthesystemicmechanismsbymeansofwhich ourpresentordersnowpurely
secularformofthetraditionalexistentialimperative,hasfunctionedtokeepourowncollective
agencyopaque, towhatisournownormativesymbolicallyencodedethnoclassorderof
consciousness,and,therefore, opaquetoourselves.
Itisinthisreferenceframe,thattheCeremonyFoundsnewansweranditsOrigin
Modlesprojectedlawsofhumanautoinstitution,thatareasspecifictoourthirdandhybrid
levelofreality,asNewtonslawsofgravitationarespecifictothephysical,andDarwins(now
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rethoughtandrevised)lawsofEvolutionarespecifictothe(purely)biologicallevel,because
alsorevealingsuchlawstofunctionforourcontemporaryWesternworldsystemicsocietalorder,
astheyhavedoneforallhumansocieties,ifsofunctioning,hitherto, outsideourconscious
awareness,servetofindtheceremonyabletobreachthedividebetweenWhiteandBlack,and,
morecomprehensively,between theWhite/nonWhiteColorLine,by revealingittobe,likeall
theothervariants,ofthecomplexof ourpresentprojectedspaceofOthernesscomplex,an
unbreachabledivide,whoseunbreachabilityisitselfonlyafunctionofthesystemicenactingof
thecodeofsymboliclife/death (asthatofthenaturallyselectedeugenic,humansasnaturally
dysselected/dysgenic)humans.Thatis,thecode, inwhoseterms,wehavehithertoautopoetically
institutedpreconceptuallyexperiencedandperformativelyenactedourselves,asgoodmenand
womenofourgenrespecific(Westernandwesternized)ethnoclasskinddoingsoin allgood
conscience/consciousness.
Consequentlyifthenowmetasystemicandmetacosmogonicperspectives,ofthe
CeremonyFoundsproposedNewStudia,willsetouttoprovidethenewcognizingbasisof,at
longlast,theautonomy ofourconsciousnessandthereforeitsnonopacity withrespecttothe
reality ofourhumanagency,thattheywill,assuchperspective,makepossible,indoingso,an
unprecedentedruptureinthedynamicofourmillenniallyextendedhumanhistory.
Thatis,thediscontinuitythatwillbenowthatofourSecondEmergencethistimenot
fromthePrimatetypemodeof thetotalsubordination/restrictionofourinteraltruisticeusocial
behaviorstoalevelofcooperation whosenarrowlimitshavebeenpresetbyourspeciesspecific
replicatorDNAcode,butinstead, fromourhithertosubordination,normally,toourown
autopoetically,andthereby humanlyinventedcosmogonicallycharteredreplicatorsociogenic
codesofsymboliclife/death theseascodeswhicheven when,atspecialaxialperiodsinhistory,
77
they haveindeedbeen transformatively reinvented,(asinthecasebothofthepostmedieval,
RenaissancehumanistWest,aswellasinthateffectedbyLiberalhumanistGreatBritain),have
neverthelessbeeneffectedaccordingtolawswhichfunctionedoutsideourconsciousawareness,
thereforeassuch,onesthathadcalledforthecontinuedopacitytoourselvesofourownagency.
ItisthereforethisunprecedentedSecondEmergencerupture,onereenactingoftheFirst
innewbutcomplementarilyemancipatoryterms,thatisthereforeintended,tobeeffectedby
meansofCsairesproposednewandhybridscienceoftheWordasthecode, andwhose
proposedpraxisisthatoftheAutopoeticTurn/Overturn.Thislatterasapraxisthatwill takeas
theobjectsof itsinquiry,ouralwayshumanlyinvented,sociogeniccodesofsymboliclife/death,
togetherwiththeirenactedsecondsetofinstructions,asmandatedandinscribedbyour(always,
alsohumanlyinventedthenretroactivelyprojected)cosmogonies,foundationalmythsor
representationsoforiginstories,whichhavehithertoservedtoalsoprojectourownautopoetic
agencyonto(alsohumanlyinvented)extrahumanAgenciesitsobjectofinquiry,therefore,as
thatoftheprocesses,andinventedsociotechnologies,by meansofwhichwehave,fromthe
ThirdEventofouroriginasauniquelyhybridspeciesoflivingbeing,autopoeticallyinstituted
our genresofbeinghumanandfictivemodes ofkind,doingsohowever,accordingtolawswhich
havehithertofunctionedoutsideourconsciousawarenessthereby,outsideanypossibility,
hitherto,of ourfullyrealizedautonomyofagency.
Andtrulywhatistobedoneistosetmanfree.
130
ThisasthetelosoftheNewStudiatherefore,whosehybrid(i.e.,thestudyofthecode, of
itscosmogonicallycharteredordoverborum)andthereby ofitssecondsetofinstruction,asnon
linearlyandintricatelycalibratedwiththestudyofnature/theordonaturae),asthatofthe
functioningofGoldsteinsnaturalopioidbehaviorregulatorysystem itself activated,in the
130
Fanon.Epigraph6.71.
78
termsofthespecificpositive/negativesystemofmeaningsofthecode, whichitthen implements
asalivingentity,thatofthecodemadeflesh,willcallforitspraxisoftheAutopoetic
Turn/Overturn tofunctioninahithertounsuspected, transdisciplinary,transepisteme,trans
cosmogonicmodality oneofwhich,asCsaireinsisted,onlypoetryanditsmodalityof
functioning,asinBishops:
Theceremonymustbefound
Traditional,withallitssymbols
ancientasthemetaphorsindreams
strangewiththeneverbeforeheardmusic,continuous
untilthetorchesdeadenatthebedroomdoor.
131
cangiveanapproximatenotionof.
SylviaWynter
August25,2007
131
JohnPealeBishop,SpeakingofPoetryinhiscollectionofpoems,NowwithHisLove,1933CsairesPoetry
andKnowledgeinEsilemanandSmithEds., Aim Csaire:LyricandDramaticPoetry,19461982byJ.A.Arnold
(Charlottesville,CaratBooks).