Ok, so I am re-reading Being Singular Plural by Jean-Luc Nancy, and let me say, it's as if I am reading it for the first time. I first read it about this time last year when Nancy was mentioned in my Postmodernism seminar, but apparently the time has surely been my aid in digesting this work. His premise is that existence is always already addressing itself as singularly plural and plurally singular; indeed, it is hard to think of existence as independent of other existents, especially in the case when existence addresses itself: the act of denying meaning has meaning. Out of nothing comes everything and, according to Nancy, out of everything comes nothing as being is circulation, a constant self-addressing that opens presence up to presence in all directions and by saying "we" all entities, all beings, all existence is gathered up and bound into this boundless circulation in all directions. He also extends this idea into an eloquent discussion on Nietzsche's "eternal recurrence."
The first thing that jumped into my mind as I was reading this (and I am sure into yours too) was phenomenologically, or maybe ontologically, which comes first: "I" or "we"? I can't remember if Nancy deals with this, and I will find out when I make it through the book, but I don't recall him dealing with this in-depth. The problem, as I see it, is one of a violent differentiation of being. Do I posit two "I's" into a "we" or do I extract at least one "I" from the recognition that "we" is constituted by multiple entities? Surely, in keeping with Nancy, he holds that being is singular and plural at the same time: a multiplicitous singularity embodied by saying "we." But, my question in all of this is where is the Other? This assimilation of all existents into a unity of multifarity seems to (at some level) subvert Otherness into sameness. Truly, an ethical treatment of the Other requires a commitment, a com-passion, but I don't know how I feel about the ethical implications of this "we." Maybe my questions will be answered as I read, but these are at least preliminary ideas and foci.
Ok, so if you have made it this far I applaud you and your determination to wade through a paragraph saturated with...strange musings. On to other matters. I started my training today for my incoming promotion, and it was fairly simple. The weather has been oddly temperate here lately: highs in the low 60's, lows in the high 40's. I am waiting for winter to descend and knock me on my ass one unexpected morning. But not yet, brother, not yet.
It's amazing how fast time is flying! I know I remark on this every other post or so, but I can't believe that the first week of November is almost over. Time is such a strange thing to me...but that's a post for another...time. Dammit, not using "time" is almost as hard as not using "is." Being and Time indeed. Oh, and I know he isn't going to read this, but I must say happy birthday to my (assimilated) brother Drew Riley: 23 and going strong! Everyone call him and wish him happy birthday...and call him an asshole for me. Seems like only yesterday we were 14 and playing Final Fantasy in his living room...ahh sweet memories of nerddom and nerderiferousness.
Well, I am going to get back to my reading and my High Life.
"Ah, whom can we ever turn to in our need? Not angels, not humans, and already the knowing animals are aware that we are not really at home in our interpreted world."
- Rilke
They didn't give me anything, then they took half of that,
-- Philip
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