Pseudo-populism, the idiotic masses, and gadfly Nationcolumnists

[William S. Lear]

On Thursday, July 22, 1999 at 13:07:12 (-0400) Doug Henwood writes:
>....
>One of Butler's longstanding obsessions, though, is how most accounts 
>of psychic formation assume a certain coherence from the outset: as 
>if there's some empty ego container waiting to be filled by various 
>experiences and identifications. What's she's interested in is how 
>that "container" is formed in the first place, and one answer is 
>through subjection.
>
>If I hadn't been feeling so gloomy, I might have emphasized the other 
>part of her trademark formula - how structures, identities, whatever, 
>have to be constantly performed anew, which makes the structure, 
>identity, whatever vulnerable to fucking-with. Yeah, sure, she gives 
>very few examples, and it's all too individualized/idealized, but I 
>think something could be done with this by non-individualist 
>non-idealists.

I wonder if all structures of the psyche (to use a term I'm not
terribly comfortable with) need similar reiteration.  Does she think
that just "bad" identities, those of subjection (I suppose) need this?
If so, then perhaps that is even more reason to have optimism ---
perhaps we do have an instinct for freedom that is being horribly
warped and simply needs the right environment to grow.  If it is
constantly being smashed, and other uglier identities are constantly
fed ...

Also, why does she think subjectivity must be formed in subjection?
Mere linguistic convenience?  What are the other possible stimuli?
And isn't subjection highly varied, highly "imperfect"?  Doesn't
"Descartes' Problem" deserve recognition here?

Bill