Derrida

Self and other as presented through the Derrida film:
Towards the end of the Derrida film he begins to discuss, this idea of the “self” and how it relates to the “other” or our idea of the “other”. What do we mean when we say, “who am I”? We have to focus on what does the “I” mean? “I” must be the self in which we identify with. Derrida would say that there is no true “I” because everyone is influenced by others. We learn about the world through other peoples perspectives. It’s through these perspective or ideas we gain an understanding of our self. The influence of others inhibits our ability to make improvisations. Therefore there are no originalities because we are always acting upon other peoples persuasions. Sargisson describes it best when she states, “The person, or subject, in question is self-perceived as a unit: coherent, whole and singular (both in the sense of single and unique). The “other” is separate from the Self and is in some significant way different to the Self…. Mind and matter are distinguishable and separable” (Utopian Bodies and the Politics of Transgression By Lucy Sargisson page 119)

Derrida’s comments on love:
It’s no surprise the Derrida is narcissistic when it comes to love. Derrida’s whole thing about theory was that all text has uncertainty because of the possibility of a conclusion. To Derrida there is no conclusion or final interpretation the possibilities are endless therefore the text can never be defined.
Derrida doesn’t say he doesn’t agree or believe in love, he just proposes a question, “Is love the love of someone or the love of something?” Do we love people for who they are or do we love that person because we love something about them. He goes on the talk about the movement of the heart, “Does my heart move because I love someone who is an absolute singularity, or because I love the way that someone is?” He believes that often times love will die because the relationship first starts out as an attraction to the other which is superficial. As the relationship continues we begin to realize that the attraction has faded. And so we stop loving, “not because of who they are but because of they are such and such.” It’s all a question of the difference between the who and the what.

A comparison of statements:
Derrida statement goes back to his statement on the documentary about how it wasn’t about him; it was more about Alex’s perception of him. He can never see his true self. Alex can never see the true Derrida because we are all taught to reproduce or reenact the “stereotypical discourse.” Derrida wishes that there would be such thing as the self with no outside influences but it’s impossible to imagine this idea of improvisation. With Lacan statement, “I think where I am not, therefore I am where I do not think.” The “I” in this statement is acting as the unconscious mind which makes up the idea of the self. There are no true individuals who are not social constructed.