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    6 views10 pages

    Georges Batailles Base Materialism

    Uploaded by

    Carlos Augusto Afonso

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    il FT Vi Mi, Romig vet dna rma Coney et Reng esos nap NN ‘rive ner Pe Stephen rockers «Postdoctoral Feow in the HumanitisFrogramme st Memeris Univerty of Newland, Hi work has append Phisophy Todo. eernatioal’ Steen Phiscopiy and Thess, He completing «back on tine, maverien aid lbelation, Georges Bataille’s Base Materialism Univer of ae Abstract, The French intlctasl Googe. Baal (197-980) ‘elope se matron work ring te lee 1208 a ely 180 on temp fo teal ih allextng materation. Tey tn epition of be mario and ras ipo CSndenprry thay Bele aru orth cont of a tee Base ‘nue a raphe ppt ig ond nw thie {undations:Then he atenpe ose is dlp orion ‘arson, pect tts Salina end fom thoght provide a ‘tue of teens ix Mase of rato, ese fa of ‘se mat colt Be conned in oid dure THe ments fhe Baas tought as a mgt bond he poled the Aer domi of than. One emp fete nn fst Iter on Devas estan a share he stp “slr pep options yoann of wna ird tert Ta expla iy Batlle matress not sper ‘nentinly merited iy td ie thr Santor matron Dept steps to foe fue ate fat he mol of new form of materi 1 rps concent trite ad the wade!” ptc ht oer gush Ble straps he poe of Irate epacer and efor more a artigo which criti al dlcourec ts ‘hae that ear he norton ond nearly of Balsa nero og, Introduction {nth ne 19208 and east 1950 the French ntl Gages Bata (4997196) aout new ad adel form of materia eich he ‘led Bose Matern (1985, 492: 1997, pp. 150-4} Te vas pew and adil because implied revision of acting materi, at Batale explained: Most matenalt, even though ey tay have ‘waned to day with al pinta ene ended ip posting on dee Uf things whone Hirzel relations mak it as spec dest each Phen i 3818 Covey Ho On OM 1K a 5 (095, p. 1). By doing away with his hierarchy in materials, Batile tured his tenon to tne mae, vey ang. tat ha hers been ned by th idealm and tell onary. mourning se Sas the construction of sumptay monument, ges, peta se Bervenesenual activity i defected fom geal fay)” (1985 F 4s; 1997, p. 16 nthe 930s and de Bale primary etesaee Ns inst In thee. exe fas though hs ciques ot nthsopology and plc, dashing and breaking wth he elon tat be thought si minted fing even in sean gue movements lke sureaton. Throughout his ie stile pusuel the senate txploraton a the ramaystematc ohn on huge Tang of Sout rl, et story, ear cc piece and Phils: developing hs werk tough ienasope with what ere st She time, mang figares in French sihecal He Mauce Bache Mic Ls ere Kloss an Jasons Lact would bear tule’ death hat hs ste of wank an the anstns he pone wal ‘ccome influ with anew generate of ers suk a Joa Denia Mil Foucul Holand Bates jue enseve ef wan {she wp the question of tae mae in Ball's we nay dlemortaing ths vector of innce, ato sugges hat he Baebng le eboated under he name of bas atta oe whch S th perl and ipl uueshoned th atale's base mates ‘otra hat doe ot ook very much ie mateo od ten peeviouly thought nth Mad Machrey to sgget tht ‘ats sce can be caracesued as mater the exe tha helps to revel whats proemate about he materia ste (99 PH) T wan take up ths cm snd fo argue tat Intend of ‘paring Bota’ tare materi sr 9 moment Spm the story fd developmat of mater, a pasng heey whose eis ss ‘ reponee fo the sng pli extremity ofthe 195 (asco he “igh Salse onthe, wean fi hese lec 985.10) of ‘se mater stil serrbertng gh rmemporry ten ‘ia and cla To jastiy my elim Sly want fo excavate the sata of Base utero that Bata cabrated Ina sere of dence ane pone ‘cmap whch ll share a corinon ogi (ogc whi wil pe the Imi of li). The ogi of base materi hat whatever clevated rial saul dependent on toe matey and ta hs ‘tependnce means ta he pony the Meal conaniated, Te ‘shenence ofthe idea or vated (he hgh) on base mater he ‘ow and the contamination this produces issytematealy dened by the Wen whic spi ff bse ater av whatever pity ie ‘db humane In ths way thoes tobep bas mae nt pce os ‘he bce but hs apiting can fees be conpeely success esses ‘te mater is atthe Eas ofthe Seal and the higher value” Base seater an eral reminder and reader, ofall hat eens to Sag down and rh the ide ae Bole crpaned in is any Published in 1900"Bose Mates and Grose Base mater feral and ferent deal human spratons and res io af be reduced tothe pest thea! acne rouge hse aspirations O96, pst 197, p 1d) nin een Se fo human gat and an tempt psy o deaice bese cg ‘ever be done aay nih dope We mie ela pole Sod ‘Phlowophicl ena of texte Weta f'n comic example othe og of bse mateo in tales ie nay The Big Foe O58, pe 2043) ft pulsed in Noveriber 192 n ht ey Batl exinined hay te cacy for san f and upright and all at ows font crowed seo, tole humane) = dependent nthe promis best mato Uh ig toe Despite man’s dependent bg tos fr preg hon caneret being becnse he standing hee ns on the Base Eater oh i tea puting But wheter te ole ayed in ie ‘teston by hs fot man who hs ight hed, nether words 2 aed ‘sd the heavens an esveny things seit epitome pret that he wt foot in the ma (985, p20) The Sow the roe whereby the high ot ies dee ie dependence om base hate by Constructing tas digusting nd wie Infact ig toe le at htm pc of the ham body” (985, p20, been what ahs ‘an nfo mater woman io oman by malng i pease oe fo Sand upeght The gle camo fe elanatd by tc hgh bese High deperds on and torments ou "igh he canemlaing e herve with te nagging reminder of We presence by, toh expe Bale sparse pln of come 1988 p22) ‘What the big tow cay ls shows sf thi Basle isnot st reversing th har! srscure of high and low ands nat ft {gumg for us to tp standing upight sn eur to wallowing ne ime ihogh be onesies epee Pat G38 9h intend as we can see withthe ample of he big bse eter shat makes the very sructreof he high/low oppostion pore i ‘eileen wha raat wate arb mel areg ‘ld ot tnd erect and 0 we would be deprived e the high el {but tau fh the igh can never pure st woul dene 1 rm the positon height bse mater iorceted oh oe ten infact bse mater thei tthe igh and ems fo teem the high and ring it back down tothe low Tis places bas ater into the peston of ing tots hugh and low, accountng re faded f the bigh ant lw ty Heng what they sere Base tate els remins exterior hs cpponon swe cnx i the ‘ample ofthe big to its nite gh nor fow, ban wh ante ost (hough tives neil be bn) Heern Bee Sliding between them and desabising the opposition. Therefore when Macheey descbesBatalle’s work a¢"materiism nected (1995, pp 11231) hes being misleading Exaile never simply inverting high Os low swapping tm over, but swe wl se using base mate as wat Jalan Peto ells "third term’ (981, p. 4) that undercat the ‘opposition of high and low without onthe ole hand, becoming = “late! synthe he opponiton and so Pela oreo arge thatthe hit tm, moreover asa Newsdhea, ater han» Hegelian ‘ig’ (1991, pe ce of iarupion rather han » inked oper nals work was not alone in ts atempt to arcuate shocking sp radical matron. Emmanel Bets ok The Death of Bourget ‘Thou The Dat of Bourges Mra, pushed in France im Apa 1923, argued tht ‘Materaiem ie therefore a way of deprestng Indicates» cera ste or deprecation’ (in Holler, 1985, p.7) Ala Batis heterodox reading ofthe shock eet of materi ht thich in common with that other heterodox “Marat ofthe 1930+ Wale Bensamun and th shared a sro visceral teecton of Heelan tie Hegelanized Marsa, However, Baal’ work reratable for {slant and frre xtgue of ll exiting materi is ase ‘atria reece oth mechanal tations which sl retain 9 earch in which ‘ed ster t dominant asthe objet of ecient ‘vestigation (196, p. 15) a lees materi in hich mater tecomes pat of the dialectic Batale sil fen oped for « possible Connection fetwten base materialism and diniecel materia, Stpoingin the exey Te Crtguof the Foundations of th Hesan Diese ‘Mar 1952) thats ot «question fst aide lectin though ‘se mat intend ty to Eno the it Beyond shih fe appiton | 1h lvecion efi (1985, p. 101. What one stat Batale ould not seagate that he ate materi alrendy tretened the ‘ato eter Heglin oe Mars) witha neal nt that ued ‘tim sdvance and that he had sleady demonstrated thatthe dialectic fepended on a ase mater which would not say fined itn Ailecteal schema. ‘Theretore the implston of base ‘materiale i 0 Drodce wat Macherey calle an undalechcaed nein (1998. 1 Farther evidence fr this comes frm Btls preference for racing his work ck ote ancient eresy of Caos, which searing the germs of bizare but moral suberson of he heal (1985, p36 197, lel. 2 subversion tht Baal warts to ited nto the present Ghosts Is important to Batalle because Wt lads to “he most ‘onatrus shaliste and therfore strangely sbased commogenser (985 6 1997p. 10), Denis Holler argues that Rater tan syst of {howghin the set sense dian iam atade of thou dio i not duals system but a ill © duel, aveitance 0 sjstem and Geel tan 03 oogeniy n ating nd in 198 2) The non Gres I efor by Bota the ruptre oan mater fom the high athens tat ether he Hee notte an eer for » sable ont sym, Bata sping ack te pst oh ‘evn ofthe past econ one tal Galo ht Wout {he omen’ of dct syrten fm Masti nd Hapa lec. He fund the premin 2 ral materi that sete 2 be Iter tht would peer it in my peter tht would eto ruc and destabliseany neous a Gnesi Hanever Be soo ‘culled ths abe maternal ne ory for capi in ‘nbn chratersetor 96,139, 1S) of tere be dof The Neon of Expendt’ anuary 13m in fc can ‘ay be define athe nw ep pee (085 p12 1997 p10) "ning mater erence means ig ate ure ad the dual of Grostcsm is now ised tough ference tat ‘ve taht the sly ig Ti dems th ee traced of base materialion on te opposition Ngh/lw Smet hich make passe tae ten ad ae feet Tei BF ‘fing hs say nth tar howaway comment Bela ‘Sopa major ino a comes beled posarucural ‘hich can be defined 2 tought fda ering, 128, 1i5) Botalesscievement fo este av noble dns ich communicates ths posity of mater dfn do provide a “re mim to Eamy the conta of ae matin Be Sane ay ese a tae ron ped Sa rg infection thee In drawing on anrpclpy, experiments ince ‘ype of materaion, ancient eres ee ale produce er ‘feret houtofmate Te ek as theugt a tspe {ha abo test wate the ty of bse pater io ptt ‘ems whch weakness ot bene ht ter hsm fc onthe oa bet bce ett ha we pty ing se mater ay poiely revo, Data ang the Fak ok weakening the pn mpc assur on ony ll, at ‘king base matron pola doce of petal theory. ‘What want 0 examine show Bale ed op see mateo Ue ‘eric ofthe revolt to produce» bse Mari and ho ths frempt ul enue of thet ead abe propane inte tse matter: The consequence fh probiomofetaraang th fete af tase mater see stl big fa ody, perhaps in Kidde ad subteranean fos i cotemporry tes about tec sel pbs. Bypassing though hs ten i tale wl penile tren Aten in conterpocary thought aie va deren. Base Marxison atale can logy argue that base matsaism has radical end revolutions polis elles Because base tater desablscs the high/low opposition wherever i appears as there is 9 polite vesca the opposition, so base mater az lade opi dertaotion, 2 tm hon rain a dig a he recat rete pce gc ‘Sr ae te elnino puro heen sep of Secu eet he tot ty ee the ind te tae Sno cus on Se pla ode the imperttepeand he‘i-neie revit we ede ‘ur ator ey deat po 0985p.) ere Baal identits the poli version ofthe high/low opposition being terween the inert symbol othe cape and the Marat Spel of ds geod le bu ne nso hese Period esl regarded the oppeton a being belwean te bourse fn the poeta the Dougie wes the high embodying values of inbeur, purty ard work, dig teh he poeta a the ow ands aligned wilh base mater. The teu of the eruption of ase Imater inthe ‘poliseal would be. police! revlaton beeause ‘Commis workers appear to he Burgos oe uly and ity at hy coal ons, offer party soner x ter there wil be a Scandalous erpton in the curse of wach the asexual noble heads ot the bourgeois wil be chapped ff (ata 1965.8) Thssreaton ‘would bea tose sevokaon, both frm the base (he most despised pm tsa hub or pear anne tebe tives i uneases: the urge that ody rue world-wide sce fey an body revelation’ 1985p 102 197 p15) ni Bota the ligne base materi with Mars by interpreting Marca a base matali ot ete arguing that Mabe in bowel the eri asin the material bowel of prlttane (9, 55) In ths way Baal tempted to eabish an Hetty beeen base Inaterltmand Marsem by tying wo dently under the heding of tateialnm a rude bere o man ite om the impescenent Sd tasked pathology of ethic, an appenl tall tat & offensive Indestucte and even despicable ta tha ovethows, pervers ard ‘aes (Sp. ane rg Sn No Be ‘ced hs work under the ign of Ma, and used an eigaph rm ‘Mars for his poems! work “The Ov Mole and the Poe urn the ‘Wards Sune and Soret which reads tn history ab inate cay i the Iboratry of ie” (058, p. 32) but Baas reading of Marist matriaiom sens Nighy uneven and cel at ot Aestroyed the bass of clasical Maps matron im the forces and ‘ations of prodacsion-In i famous exeay “Te Notion of Expenditure tale stressed the secondary chracer of production snd ston In laon wo expenitre’ (985.121 199, p 172) and argue fort ‘del of Gas struggle a6 the grandest form of soc expenditure (0585, p. 1261997, 5.178 Secon the impieton of fs lelbwing Commins wer hostile to the onenation of Marat plies akout ncipie and party contol Lenin famously eiceedefewing (Cenarion at Sn infantile dvoder and inthe cate of Bata we ‘ould al an aul sage Marco, Whetber tthe lve of Mart Yheory or pital pracice Baal ineson of tase tatlatn no apc lteady had damaging elles Batale was conscious of thee damaging eects of base malter on smany ofthe central ents of Maris Bus was tended fo save ‘that Stale ced the suppleness an the ower of Mari (185, 110 fom osteston into the Sins othe 1930 By ung te Ft of base mater to develop a iterarian Mare that wold teak wath the Mart tendency toe up ane dicatorsi ofaboia place of the capitalist ditatowhp of Yale, Baal tends to rerese Manasi rom Staion and revtate se a iberatoy racic Stile tree abo more vadcl than er left seratives 19 Stalin, lke rots because he eed revolutionary disap nd deny or «faith inthe perverse power af the working dat He claimed that "one frequent notes among mutant revolutionaries a complete lak of tnildence inthe spntancou reactions ofthe mae? (985, p 163). “hs extigue ofthe pty of revltonary polis most humorvsly ‘explored in Baales rove The Ble of Nor 986) which conta be Shull repressed woman miltant Lazare (upporedly made ox Sone Weil wih the pervene and seaaly adventure Dir, coat ‘which fs another presentation ofthe impos of igh Meals To moivate compared withthe ergy of be mater. By hs refuel of Producon and evlutenary dicing, Batals had developed themes that would ater be taken up by revolutonay mts the 19 an 1970 athe etl of wont or serowork and which lo ook back tothe Pench socio the the Paul Lafarge who prodaimed the ‘eh to belay’ Batale otfered the pomie of a‘ase Marcie which essted the Mans emphasis on Ibout in favour ofan uneconc {emphasis on festival (a promise that was to be party fallin May 1368. Tor Bota, base materi wa linked by the fore of things othe uprising of the lower dases against present-day work’ (1985 p32) and ifought on two fonts: fly, as we have see, i struggled against Stalinam andthe lal worker movement vehich were oth at fascinated with production and labour se war capitan excep in the ame of revelation condyles agin he thea of fist ‘eying both epithe ppl of faa ae atemting t counter Ete ingen rf a! C870 GS 6, 197, pp TT), Bate prepared te. amalges of co, Seveloped by Feude Maron "Bsc Adama sd. Horkhimer Nuts ete} However ised of predeing what Fou eed "Marc and Feud in th some neandtcnt ght 963 px Batale

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