The substance of the self

kenneth.mackendrick at utoronto.ca kenneth.mackendrick at utoronto.ca
Thu Mar 30 17:25:59 PST 2000


On Mon, 27 Mar 2000 11:37:41 -0500 Curtiss Leung <bofftagstumper at yahoo.com> wrote:


> (1) I think the notion that the animal mind is lacks perception of itself is
Hegelian, as Adorno and Horkheimer make similar speculations to those at the beginning of Bataille's _Theory of Religion_ towards the end of _Dialectic of Enlightenment_. But since I doubt Bataille read Adorno and Horkheimer, my guess would be that the idea comes from their common ancestor.

I didn't understand a word of Bataille's Theory of Religion, but it sounded like Feuerbach between the lines.


> (2) Isn't the idea that animals lack self-consciousness under attack from,
if not refuted by, neuroscientists.

Probably, and rightly so methinks.


> (3) Bataille was a librarian who never would have done committed
irresponsible, hooliganish acts.

It's a tough job, being responsible... and all. I hear it doesn't pay that well either.


> He just wanted to conduct a human sacrifice.

I thought he wanted to mime human sacrifice... :-()-:

ken



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