Against Interpretation, against Community: in Honor of Jean-Luc Nancy

Farid Ghadami

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4 Against Interpretation, against Community: in Honor of Jean-Luc Nancy

In: CommunautÃ©s interprÃ©tatives

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Farid Ghadami

Farid Ghadami
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Type:: Chapter

Pages:: 69â80

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004697089_006

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RÃ©sumÃ©

Stanley Fish prÃ©sente dâemblÃ©e le Â«âlecteurâÂ» comme lâÂ«âauteurâÂ» du texte, affirmant que le sens de ce dernier dÃ©pend entiÃ¨rement du lecteur, indÃ©pendamment des intentions de lâauteur. Il prive Ã©galement le lecteur du privilÃ¨ge de sa subjectivitÃ©, et rÃ©duisant lâexpÃ©rience de la lecture Ã lâexpÃ©rience de lâinterprÃ©tation, il affirme quâil nây a rien au cÅur du texte qui puisse valider ou invalider une interprÃ©tation. Dans un tel systÃ¨me de pensÃ©e, il nÃ©glige dâemblÃ©e le rÃ´le des Ã©crivains et des intellectuels qui, par leurs Åuvres, peuvent provoquer des rÃ©volutions culturelles et politiques. Les textes ne sont pas reconnus pour leur potentiel Ã produire de nouvelles valeurs ou idÃ©es mais sont interprÃ©tÃ©s uniquement Ã lâaune des valeurs partagÃ©es par des communautÃ©s interprÃ©tatives. Cet article montre que les communautÃ©s interprÃ©tatives luttent contre la littÃ©rature, jusquâÃ ce quâil nây ait plus aucune trace de littÃ©rature. Comme alternatives aux communautÃ©s interprÃ©tatives, nous pouvons analyser le rÃ´le des communautÃ©s littÃ©raires. Lorsquâune communautÃ© fonctionne, les singularitÃ©s de ses membres sont Ã©liminÃ©es au profit de la collectivitÃ©, ce qui conduit finalement au totalitarisme. Comme nous le rappelle Jean-Luc Nancy, lâidÃ©e de communautÃ© peut Ãªtre trÃ¨s dangereuse, mais comme lâont soulignÃ© Georges Bataille et Maurice Blanchot, elle est aussi essentielle Ã lâhumanitÃ©. Alors quâune communautÃ© interprÃ©tative a une fonction rÃ©pressive qui sâapparente Ã un systÃ¨me de censure, une communautÃ© littÃ©raire, en tant que communautÃ© qui nâen est pas une, peut constituer une expÃ©rience libÃ©ratrice.

Abstract

Stanley Fish initially places the âreaderâ as the âwriterâ of the text, claiming that the meaning of the text is entirely dependent on the reader, independent of the authorâs intentions. In the next step, he also deprives the reader of the power of subjectivity, and after reducing the experience of reading to the experience of interpretation, he claims that there is nothing at the core of the text to validate or invalidate an interpretation. In such a system of thought, he initially overlooks the role of writers and intellectuals who, through their works, may cause cultural and political revolutions. In this perspective, texts are not recognized for their potential to produce new values or ideas. Instead, they are interpreted solely under the influence of values shared by interpretive communities. Additionally, he neglects the role of writers and their texts in shaping and forming many interpretive communities. This paper shows that what interpretive communities do is defend themselves against the force of literature, until there is no trace of literature anymore. In contrast to interpretive communities, we may analyze the role of literary communities. When a community works, it produces identities for its members whereby singularities are removed in favor of totalities, which ultimately leads to totalitarianism. As Jean-Luc Nancy warns us, the idea of community can be very dangerous, but as discussed by Georges Bataille and Maurice Blanchot, it is also essential to mankind. A literary community is a community that does not work. While an interpretive community has a repressive function that is quite similar to a censorship system, a literary community, as a community that is not actually a community, can provide a liberating experience.

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Autour de Stanley Fish

E-Book ISBN:: 9789004697089

Publisher:: Brill

Print Publication Date:: 22 Jul 2024

Subjects
- Literature and Cultural Studies

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4 Against Interpretation, against Community: in Honor of Jean-Luc Nancy

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CommunautÃ©s interprÃ©tatives

Autour de Stanley Fish

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