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'An aphorism, properly stamped and molded, has not been "deciphered" when it has simply been read; rather one has then to begin its interpretation, for which is required an art of interpretation.' -- Nietzsche, 'On the Genealogy of Morals'

Intensity « Previous | |Next »
December 16, 2003

Gary, I agree with most of what you’ve written over the last couple of days – eroticism as assent to life up to the point of death (beyond really), the end of individuality, the distinction between physical, emotional and religious eroticism – and particularly your emphasis on intensity. However, bringing it back to the similarities between sovereignty and sleep, I would add this: there is nothing very intense about the cow standing in the pasture (see Bataille’s interview by Duras). Indeed, it seems the antithesis of intensity.

The intensity of sensation you rightly emphasize is significant in a specific historical context - perhaps it becomes significant in any or every historical context (I’d be happy to concede that). The role of fashionable chic porn is domesticating. History is foremost an history of domestication. Sovereignty cannot be domesticated. All the chic porn does is make us long even more for sovereignty, and under these circumstances I don’t think the pursuit of sovereignty can be separated from intensity, feral intensity.

Perhaps this very Web log is a desire for intensity of this kind, but we wouldn’t be doing it if we weren’t fucked up by life (and that’s a social life, a domesticated existence). This is not to say that our lot is any more miserable than that of anybody else. Obviously it’s nowhere near as miserable as that of huge numbers of people. It’s a middle class misery, but we’re getting close to Freud again. But we’re not ingrates who should be thankful when we compare our lot with others. The feeling is there. It’s not voluntary. And it leads to death.

Perhaps this very Web log is a scar of subjectivity, a kind of measure of our inability to properly communicate in any other way. It’s all dressed up as disinterest, a scholarly pursuit, but why would we want to engage thus? It lacks intensity. Perhaps philosophy is compensation.

| Posted by at 11:20 AM | | Comments (1)
Comments

Comments

man, thats mad honest that shit u said there. i think it has lots of intensity in it! how old are u guys!!!!

i think y'all a hot mix of poets and philosophers! ya kno, i met this girl and she was writin this fuckin phd on heidegger and she was mad anayltical and i hated it! but y'all are nice analytical man! id ont hate it, i go lie "yea man its mad true"...whereas this bitch she'd say shit like "U A NARCISSIST." alllll the fuckin time! no matter what i did!!! mad annoyn, non?

imma look up that word soveriengy now