[takes out paper and pencil]
Neil: You haven't got an MP, Rick. You're an anarchist.
Rick: Oh. Well, then I shall write to the lead singer of Echo and the Bunnymen!
For me, this passage had clear connotations towards Derrida’s essay ‘Structure, Sign and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences’ (1967). From my reading I came to the conclusion that Derrida is pointing out that ‘freeplay’ is the liberation from structure. Here this is elucidated with Rick, whom is rejecting the parliamentary structure of being represented by an MP by proclaiming that he is an anarchist, whilst for comic effect he is reliant on another structure. Rick is, oxymoronically, attempting to adhere to the structure of an anarchist. What I have gleamed from Derrida’s essay, to be an anarchist requires one not to think in terms of any structure and avoid orthodoxy of any kind; since limits and instructions are part of the structure. My interpretation of Derrida’s essay is that ‘freeplay’ results in the structure changing only to emerge as a new structure. This is the comedy of Rick’s exclusion from society only to re-join a society.
Derrida’s essay concludes by developing Structuralism into a Post-Structuralism, a duel sided coin; a critique of Structuralism to accompany the philosophical movement. It observes the structure whilst no longer looking for universal structures. ‘Freeplay’ is essentially the development of the structure and the natural progression of becoming.
A question that I cannot answer is if Derrida is merely pointing out that as rational beings we are constantly putting things into symbolic form, and then Post-Structualism is a tool to critique the human mind. The question arises; ‘Is our mind is constantly trying to fix a puzzle it created by itself’.
Season 2 episode 11: Sick - 12 June 1984. It was written by Ben Elton, Rik Mayall and Lise Mayer, and directed by Geoff Posner
Jacques Derrida’s Essay, ‘Structure, Sign, and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences’ (1967), from ‘Writing and Difference’, Trans. Alan Bass. (London: Routledge 1990: 278-294).
Michelangelo Corleto. N0224619
Derrida’s essay concludes by developing Structuralism into a Post-Structuralism, a duel sided coin; a critique of Structuralism to accompany the philosophical movement. It observes the structure whilst no longer looking for universal structures. ‘Freeplay’ is essentially the development of the structure and the natural progression of becoming.
A question that I cannot answer is if Derrida is merely pointing out that as rational beings we are constantly putting things into symbolic form, and then Post-Structualism is a tool to critique the human mind. The question arises; ‘Is our mind is constantly trying to fix a puzzle it created by itself’.
Season 2 episode 11: Sick - 12 June 1984. It was written by Ben Elton, Rik Mayall and Lise Mayer, and directed by Geoff Posner
Jacques Derrida’s Essay, ‘Structure, Sign, and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences’ (1967), from ‘Writing and Difference’, Trans. Alan Bass. (London: Routledge 1990: 278-294).
Michelangelo Corleto. N0224619
Splendid stuff Michaelangelo. I didn't expect to see Rik Mayall turn up in this blog. Firstly, I think you are right about emphasising how Derrida is not just about 'free play' absolutely. He is quite explicit about this in Structure, Sign and Play. The political inflection is also intersting. After al, Derrida was quite the liberal democrat in outlook. Anarchy or without rules or structure does seem to apply some complicity with the structures it overturns. There are many political reasons for this. Most of which I think can be grounded in questions of hegemony and tacit acceptance of extant structures.
ReplyDeleteWIth regard the problem of the mind. I think that you have pretty much asked the question what is philosophy. Philosophy is the discouse which attempts to understand the puzzles that life sets human beings.
Good to see that you can have fun with blog as well.
I think that this blog is very relevant to today and the example is brilliant.
ReplyDeleteI think that Anarchism represents conformity which as human beings is something that is natural to us. Even when people claim that they don't conform to society or authority, in actual fact they do, or at some point they will have done.
Minor things such as paying your road tax, car insurance, registering a birth, are things the state makes mandatory for us to do. People say that they do things because of their morals or rational thinking but in reality do you pay what you think you should? How often do you walk into a shop and say "even though this piece of chicken costs £2.99, I think its only worth £1.50"?. We don't, we conform to what we believe is correct and right, mainly because of the infrastructures set out by governments. Those who "don't abide" go against everything that is in place and so they are conforming in that way naturally.