Things deconstruct themselves - they open themselves up for more & other readings ... Things are like borders or death or solutions ... They have at least two sides ... They are like traces - which are always traces of traces ... Where do you draw the line ... institute a border ... Who decides ... where and/or when ... We find ourselves in a difficult freedom ... We need BOTH knowledge & faith to make decisions/differences ... to draw lines, borders, ... We have moved beyond (the hierarchical binaries, triangles, pyramids, etc. of) Euclidian geometry ... We need a taste for extremely strange formal-structural-technological movements ...
The first Deconstructionist was Satan, who is represented as Mephistopheles, the arch negator, in Goethe's "Faust":
“I am the spirit that negates.
And rightly so, for all that comes to be
Deserves to perish wretchedly;
'Twere better nothing would begin.
Thus everything that that your terms, sin,
Destruction, evil represent—
That is my proper element.”
Deconstruction is also related to Karl Marx's "ruthless criticism of all that exists." The basic idea is that, as our societies have failed to construct a Utopia where no one ever suffers or feels less-than, they deserve to be destroyed and handed over to a Vanguard class who've read all the right books and are blessed with "revolutionary consciousness." Only once these philosopher kings have total power (as they did in Soviet Russia, Maoist China and Pol Pot's Cambodia) will we reach the Promised Land of Marxism/Socialism.
The postmodernists "Deconstruct" everything because they cannot construct anything.
Excellent essay. I'm struggling with the real lack of endgame of those on the side of peddaling wokeness though. The deconstruction of societal norms through the manipulation of meaning has to result in something besides chaos. Could I posit that it's simply a tactic to gain power? Once the armada of ships has shredded their sails and chaos has ensued, does that not leave it open for an individual or government to be that "one saving grace" that leads them to what they think is safety? "Here, grab onto this rope, I will tow you to safety." Feel free ro replace the word rope with "vaccine" or "mask" or "climate change policy"...
To quote another Lewis (Caroll this time)
"The time has come, the Walrus said, To talk of many things:
Of shoes and ships and sealing wax
Of cabbages and kings.
And why the sea is boiling hot,
And whether pigs have wings."
For those who have read the poem, you know what happens next.
I believe that the strength, the persistence, the ruthless driver of all of critical theory/wokeism/far Leftism is aimed at achieving power in order to enact some variation of Marxist revolution. All that exists deserves to be destroyed. Utopia will result---somehow---and guess who will be in charge then? Deconstruction is nothing more than a means to that end.
Meanwhile, the main body of supporters are convinced that implementing their vision is obviously the only way to progress and ultimately will elevate humanity. They think they are fighting for "the little guy." Unlike the ruthless power-brokers, these people don't think that society will completely collapse and cause millions of deaths. They think their movement will evolve into a fair and just society where everyone will (miraculously) have their needs met.
Then there are those like Antifa who just want to watch the world burn for the sheer demonic joy of it.
Looking forward to the follow up
Brilliantly articulated! Keep these coming
Things deconstruct themselves - they open themselves up for more & other readings ... Things are like borders or death or solutions ... They have at least two sides ... They are like traces - which are always traces of traces ... Where do you draw the line ... institute a border ... Who decides ... where and/or when ... We find ourselves in a difficult freedom ... We need BOTH knowledge & faith to make decisions/differences ... to draw lines, borders, ... We have moved beyond (the hierarchical binaries, triangles, pyramids, etc. of) Euclidian geometry ... We need a taste for extremely strange formal-structural-technological movements ...
The first Deconstructionist was Satan, who is represented as Mephistopheles, the arch negator, in Goethe's "Faust":
“I am the spirit that negates.
And rightly so, for all that comes to be
Deserves to perish wretchedly;
'Twere better nothing would begin.
Thus everything that that your terms, sin,
Destruction, evil represent—
That is my proper element.”
Deconstruction is also related to Karl Marx's "ruthless criticism of all that exists." The basic idea is that, as our societies have failed to construct a Utopia where no one ever suffers or feels less-than, they deserve to be destroyed and handed over to a Vanguard class who've read all the right books and are blessed with "revolutionary consciousness." Only once these philosopher kings have total power (as they did in Soviet Russia, Maoist China and Pol Pot's Cambodia) will we reach the Promised Land of Marxism/Socialism.
The postmodernists "Deconstruct" everything because they cannot construct anything.
Essentially, these people are mentally ill
What about deconstructing "deconstruction" itself? Turn the tables on it by applying it's own destructive force to it.
Excellent essay. I'm struggling with the real lack of endgame of those on the side of peddaling wokeness though. The deconstruction of societal norms through the manipulation of meaning has to result in something besides chaos. Could I posit that it's simply a tactic to gain power? Once the armada of ships has shredded their sails and chaos has ensued, does that not leave it open for an individual or government to be that "one saving grace" that leads them to what they think is safety? "Here, grab onto this rope, I will tow you to safety." Feel free ro replace the word rope with "vaccine" or "mask" or "climate change policy"...
To quote another Lewis (Caroll this time)
"The time has come, the Walrus said, To talk of many things:
Of shoes and ships and sealing wax
Of cabbages and kings.
And why the sea is boiling hot,
And whether pigs have wings."
For those who have read the poem, you know what happens next.
I believe that the strength, the persistence, the ruthless driver of all of critical theory/wokeism/far Leftism is aimed at achieving power in order to enact some variation of Marxist revolution. All that exists deserves to be destroyed. Utopia will result---somehow---and guess who will be in charge then? Deconstruction is nothing more than a means to that end.
Meanwhile, the main body of supporters are convinced that implementing their vision is obviously the only way to progress and ultimately will elevate humanity. They think they are fighting for "the little guy." Unlike the ruthless power-brokers, these people don't think that society will completely collapse and cause millions of deaths. They think their movement will evolve into a fair and just society where everyone will (miraculously) have their needs met.
Then there are those like Antifa who just want to watch the world burn for the sheer demonic joy of it.
I believe the Marxist roots of Woke ideology is correct. Deconstruction only serves to concentrate power in “the Party”.
It was done in China in the 1960’s. See “The Four Olds” to understand the Marxist technique. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Olds