22 March 2005
New Continental Philosophy Blog
Cont Phil UK has just been set up by John (splendid man, plus knows everything about Ancient Philosophy ever), to discuss and debate the current state of Continental Philosophy in the UK.
I agree with him that there is a need to actively demand and create a separate space for work of a European origin not covered by most UK philosophy departments, though I think the problem is more serious still: the rise and rise of post-analytic philosophy of many kinds (influenced by Cavell, Mulhall, McDowell, Brandom, Wittgenstein etc.) seems to want to assimilate all 'our' philosophers and interests (Hegel, phenomenology, existentialism, aesthetic thinkers, etc., a certain kind of Kant, the novel, art) into a horrible melange of reactionary, institutionalised, anti-thought, wishy-washy rubbish. I preferred it when they just hated us.
We need to preserve and take a stand on the profound, potentially revolutionary, aspects of Continental Philosophy, and not allow ourselves to be swept up in the misapprehension that these people (those who 'graciously' deign to incorporate a little non-analytic philosophy into their work) are doing what we do. They are not.
Furthermore, we need to affirm the lineages of Continental thought that directly impinge on typically 'analytic' interests: the various scientific, rationalist, and mathematical strands of French and German thought (Cavaillès, Koyré, Bachelard, Canguilhem, Foucault, Badiou, Cassirer), as well as the scientifically-informed and philosophically radical (Deleuze and Guattari, Lyotard), not to mention those that muddy the analytic/continental divide until it is revealed as the sorry fiction it always was: The Marburg School and other neo/post-Kantians. We have more than enough material to demonstrate the lame, yet pernicious, influence of the institutional anti-thinkers...and if you think I'm exaggerating, you should take a look at the composition of philosophy departments these days - all the places where Continental Philosophy once had a hold have been taken over by these meretricious zombies. We shouldn't have to flee to other disciplines - but we definitely need much more organisation.
I agree with him that there is a need to actively demand and create a separate space for work of a European origin not covered by most UK philosophy departments, though I think the problem is more serious still: the rise and rise of post-analytic philosophy of many kinds (influenced by Cavell, Mulhall, McDowell, Brandom, Wittgenstein etc.) seems to want to assimilate all 'our' philosophers and interests (Hegel, phenomenology, existentialism, aesthetic thinkers, etc., a certain kind of Kant, the novel, art) into a horrible melange of reactionary, institutionalised, anti-thought, wishy-washy rubbish. I preferred it when they just hated us.
We need to preserve and take a stand on the profound, potentially revolutionary, aspects of Continental Philosophy, and not allow ourselves to be swept up in the misapprehension that these people (those who 'graciously' deign to incorporate a little non-analytic philosophy into their work) are doing what we do. They are not.
Furthermore, we need to affirm the lineages of Continental thought that directly impinge on typically 'analytic' interests: the various scientific, rationalist, and mathematical strands of French and German thought (Cavaillès, Koyré, Bachelard, Canguilhem, Foucault, Badiou, Cassirer), as well as the scientifically-informed and philosophically radical (Deleuze and Guattari, Lyotard), not to mention those that muddy the analytic/continental divide until it is revealed as the sorry fiction it always was: The Marburg School and other neo/post-Kantians. We have more than enough material to demonstrate the lame, yet pernicious, influence of the institutional anti-thinkers...and if you think I'm exaggerating, you should take a look at the composition of philosophy departments these days - all the places where Continental Philosophy once had a hold have been taken over by these meretricious zombies. We shouldn't have to flee to other disciplines - but we definitely need much more organisation.
