Derrida vs.

Foucault-A Fragment
(Lruoi:si.c .c.rt ,ro Ciot.r 7 o, ti. Ic.oio, o, T,rorr,)

At t|c lcolc :o:ualc l:a:cc`s tatciacto:, oi i:tcllcctuals, Dc::ica ;1-!0!00+, |ac |cc: a:
acui:i:g a:c g:atciul ciscilc oi loucault.
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lut aitc: |uilci:g a uouc:tuu oi |is ow:, |c
:csolvcc to a:t i:ou t|c uastc: |, :c:cgi:g |iu i: u|lic, o: t|c occasio: oi a lcctu:c o: t|c
:clatio: |ctwcc: Dcsca:tcs a:c t|c |isto:, oi uac:css. I|is too| lacc i: t|c uicsixtics.
Di:ccti:g |is attac| agai:st Mo1-e o-1 c..!..o..-, Dc::ica a:gucc t|at to lct uac:css sca| io:
itscli was t|c o11e oe. oi loucault`s :o|cct.
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lc |ac acui:cc |is tcac|c:`s attcut to givc
\ac:css a voicc, |ut to |avc givc: \ac:css, i: t|c c:c, t|c to:guc oi !... was, i: t:ut|, to |ct:a,
t|c vc:, causc oi t|c sac:cc i:sa:it,. lccausc loll,, as t|c, all |:cw, was .!e-. A:c, t:ul,, Dc::ica
i:vcig|cc, it is w|c: wc wa:t to sca| t|c uacuc:`s silc:cc t|at wc ass ovc: to t|c sicc oi t|c
c:cu,, to t|c sicc oi o:cc:, cvc: ii, wit|i: o:cc:, wc iig|t it a:c qucstio: its o:igi:.
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I|is was:`t
a cisavowal oi t|c lataillca: :o|cct, oi cou:sc. lt sccucc :at|c: a olcuic c:ivc: |, c:v, a:c
:ival:,. Wa:ti:g to |:ca| i:cc oi loucault`s s|acow, Dc::ica was accusi:g |is tcac|c: oi :ot |ci:g
lataillca: c:oug|, |c |ac sti::cc o:c oi t|osc classic |ac|sta||i:g i:cicc:ts, w|c:c|, t|c |u:io:
:u::c:u cciics t|c sc:io: i:cuu|c:t |, cisuti:g |cio:c t|c co:clavc t|c u:it, oi |is :ival`s
o:t|ocox,. A:c it wo:|cc. Dc::ica was s|illiul.
Acco:ci:g to Dc::ica, loucault`s iu:ccisio: was to |avc cast ualac:oitl, t|c co:ilict
oosi:g sc:sc to :o:sc:sc as a |.....o! t|cuc. as ii t|c c|asu |ctwcc: t|c clca: :a,s oi :caso:
a:c t|c ca:| lig|t oi uac:css coulc o:l, |c g:ascc as a sig:iiica:t ccvclouc:t oi ou: tiucs.
Dc::ica co:tc:ccc t|at t|c:c cxistcc, i: iact, a vi:gi: soil souc so:t oi :iuo:cial g:ou:cs
uo: w|ic|, o|scu:cl,, t|is |attlc |ac io:cvc: u:iolccc.
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I|c uacua: |iuscli 1.e t|i:|. t|c
a:cic:t uac:css is t|c ultiuatc wiscou, |ut t|c ciiic:c:cc is t|at t|c uacua: ca::ot o...o!oe
;sca|, suc| uac:css. lis is t|c ga::ulous silc:cc oi a ui:c t|at ca::ot t|i:| its wo:cs.
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I|c:c
was:`t uac:css /e..e uocc::it,, a:c :caso: |e.eoe.. kat|c: t|c:c cxists a la:c, io: Dc::ica,
w|c:c t|c two actitcs lic i:cxt:ica|l,, t|oug| a:tago:isticall, twi:cc to cac| ot|c:, a:c t|c
altc::atc co:vulsio:s oi t|c o:c a:c t|c ot|c: a:c w|at wc ccsig:atc as t|c sig:s oi :caso: o:
u::caso:. lataillc`s :o|cct was t|c:c|, vigo:ousl, :caiii:ucc, Dc::ica :cic::cc to it a t|c
|,c:|olic :o|cct, w|ic| was to c:a|lc t|c violc:t :clcasc oi t|c wo:c a wo:c s|ccci:g its
alic: lig|t o: t|c i:cx:cssi|lc :calu oi t|c iuossi|lc, oi :ot|i:g:css. o, t|c:c was souct|i:g
cccc: a:c :io: to uac:css, a:c i: t|c visio: oi Dc::ica, t|is was a scucocivi:c :i:cilc oi
ciiic:c:cc ;!e 1.e.o-, t|at w|ic| uust ciiic:,. t|at is, a liic a:c uca:i:ggivi:g cssc:cc |,
w|ic| t|c la, oi oositcs li|c :caso: a:c u::caso:u:ctuatc a .o.e, a sc:i||lc, a tcxt.

i:cc lci:g |as :cvc: |ac a uca:i:g`, |as :cvc: |cc: t|oug|t o: saic as suc|,
cxcct |, cissiuulati:g itscli i: |ci:gs, t|c: 1.e.o-.e, i: a cc:tai: a:c vc:, st:a:gc
wa,, is olcc:` t|a: t|c o:tological ciiic:c:cc oi t|a: t|c t:ut| oi lci:g.
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I|c t:acc is, so t|c sca|, t|c ioot:i:t oi 1.e.o-.e, it is t|c c: st:o|c i:ciscc |, t|is
gcstu:c oi a|o:igi:al violc:cc. Violc:cc w|ic| oscillatcs i: t|c c:vi:o:s oi ciscou:sc. :ow
suiiicic:tl, closc, :ow suiiicic:tl, ia: i:ou :caso:, |ut :cvc: u:itcc to it. it is a lovc|atc aiiai:.
\ac:css |:cat|cs wit|i: :caso:, a:c vicc vc:sa, o:c ca::ot livc wit|, :o: ca: it livc wit|out t|c
ot|c:.

I|c :cig: oi ii:itct|oug|t ca: o:l, |c csta|lis|cc uo: t|c c:closu:c a:c t|c
|uuiliatio: a:c t|c c|ai:i:g a:c t|c uo:c o: lcss cisguiscc cc:isio: oi t|c uacua:
i: us ;,, I|is c:isis wit|i: w|ic| :caso: is uaccc: t|a: uac:cssio: it is
:o:sc:sc a:c a|a:co:, a:c w|c:c ioll, is uo:c :atio:al t|a: :caso:, io: it is
:ca:c: to t|c livc iou:t ;.o..e .e, oi uca:i:g, al|cit silc:t a:c uu:uu:i:g, t|is
c:isis |as alwa,s al:cac, |cgu: a:c it is i:tc:ui:a|lc.
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I|c:cio:c, to |:ow a:c to co:cuct a: i:vcstigatio: ;to ccco:st:uct t|c tcxt, as t|c Dc::icca:s
ut it,, o:c oug|t to stuc, t|c t:acc, as t|c w:ittc:, au|ivalc:t tcstiuo:, oi t|c cualistic |attlc
:agi:g i:sicc t|c |ca:t oi t|c Goc t|at is |, ciiic:i:g ;a Goc, i: iact, wit| a lcit a:c :ig|t |a:c |ut
:o |cac. l`Acc|alc, wc ua, su:uisc,. W|at Dc::ica |ac accoulis|cc i: o:c |low was to |avc
couoscc lataillc`s :o|cct, t|c c:c:g, oi t|c co:c ;la sou:cc vivc cu sc:s,, loucault`s la, wit|
siuulac:a, a:c t|c a:cg,:ic oi uac:css, i:to a uocc:: g:auua:ia:`s :cccitio: oi lasiliccs`s
Goc t|at is :ot. A :coG:ostic s,:t|csis.