Theory in Love
International Comparative Literature Association XXIst Congress - session 17327
Published on Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Abstract
In The Politics of Friendship Derrida reflects on the question of the indecidable possibility, the “peut-être,” of love, of friendship, and of desire: “‘Je t'aime entends- tu?’; cette déclaration d'aimance hyperbolique ne pourrait donner sa chance à une politique de l'amitié que soumise à l'épreuve du peut-être, de l'indécidable” How then can we express a refusal, a no, without listening, without hearing? How can one express the divergent and differential possibilities opened by this phrase? And yet Derrida already has, in Envois, where he explores, theorizes and dramatizes a love affair, tracing the course of its refusal in the various postcards and letters which remain unsent, forever awaiting their destination. This panel concerns theory speaking in terms of love, seeking to establish the relationship between “ l’âmour” and theory.
Announcement
International Comparative Literature Association XXIst Congress: “The Many Languages of Comparative Literature”
Argument
In The Politics of Friendship Derrida reflects on the question of the indecidable possibility, the “peut-être,” of love, of friendship, and of desire: “‘Je t'aime entends- tu?’; cette déclaration d'aimance hyperbolique ne pourrait donner sa chance à une politique de l'amitié que soumise à l'épreuve du peut-être, de l'indécidable” How then can we express a refusal, a no, without listening, without hearing? How can one express the divergent and differential possibilities opened by this phrase? And yet Derrida already has, in Envois, where he explores, theorizes and dramatizes a love affair, tracing the course of its refusal in the various postcards and letters which remain unsent, forever awaiting their destination.
What Derrida performs in Envois is effectively echoed by Lacan who, in Seminar XX, says: “people have done nothing but speak of love in analytic discourse. [...] What analytic discourse contributes - and perhaps that is, after all, the reason for its emergence at a certain point in scientific discourse - is that to speak of love is in itself a jouissance.”
If, as Lacan says, the troubadours understood that love is nothing other than form, we could perhaps establish a relationship between love’s discourse and theoretical discourse as bridging the gap between philosophy and literature.
Does love function as a theoretical paradigm? Or should we think of theory as an act of love? Or even as born out of love? Can one think of a polyamorous theory? And what would such a theory consist of, in the writhing phrases which intertwine like the honeysuckle of Tristan and Iseult.
We welcome contributions on the subject of love and its relation to theoretical writing.
Submission guidelines
Please submit your abstract online
by August 31, 2015
via the conference website http://icla2016.univie.ac.at/abstract-submission/
You will need to create an account with the website and enter the seminar number 17327 into the “topic” field on the “add abstract” screen. The participants will be informed of their inclusion no later than December 31, 2015.
For further information contact brendon.wocke@gmail.com
Submission are welcomed in either English and French
Coordinators
- Brendon Wocke (Université de Perpignan)
- Francesca Manzari (Université d’Aix-Marseille)
- Apostolos Lampropoulos (Université de Bordeaux III)
Subjects
- Thought (Main category)
- Mind and language > Representation > Cultural history
- Mind and language > Thought > Philosophy
- Mind and language > Psyche > Psychoanalysis
- Mind and language > Thought > Intellectual history
- Mind and language > Language > Literature
- Periods > Modern
- Society > History > Social history
Places
- Vienna, Austria
Date(s)
- Monday, August 31, 2015
Attached files
Keywords
- love, amour, Derrida, Lacan, theory
Contact(s)
- Brendon Wocke
courriel : brendon [dot] wocke [at] gmail [dot] com
Reference Urls
Information source
- Brendon Wocke
courriel : brendon [dot] wocke [at] gmail [dot] com
License
This announcement is licensed under the terms of Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal.
To cite this announcement
« Theory in Love », Call for papers, Calenda, Published on Wednesday, July 15, 2015, https://doi.org/10.58079/t1j