Doug Henwood
No kidding. Do you think Judith Butler is a moron or a psychotic?
^^^^ CB: My impression is that she may think or want to believe that there is no or no significant ( oooh punny word there) heterosexual instinct involved in shaping many people's heterosexual identity ; that it is completely 100% culturally determined. I wouldn't consider that psychotic or moronic. Just understandably reaching a conclusion she wants to reach. It happens all the time in arguments involving politics and knowledge. (Next: lets take a look at Foucault).
You might ask , why is it important to know that heterosexual instinct is involved in shaping many people's heterosexuality ? For one thing to serve the sort of basic Aristotilean "know thyself" and Freudian "know your urges , so you don't suppress them" public mental health goals. If people's heterosexuality is not completely imposed on them by cultural and social institutions, as these theories _a la mode_ seem to teach, that should be publicized. (Next lets take a look at Foucault)
And the left should not adopt a theory of total cultural determination of sexuality , if it's not true.
And then more generally, this specific theory is one of the bases for a more general trend of a new philosophical idealism on the left.
This message has been scanned for malware by SurfControl plc. www.surfcontrol.com