READING FOR TUESDAY APRIL 12

Hey guys,
We were hoping that everyone could take a look at these two short articles before our presentation tomorrow. Both of them are pretty short and straightforward, so please look over them enough to be able to participate in class discussion. We decided to choose an article from Science Daily and a more theoretical article that incorporates Baudrillard's simulacra and has a few references to a few other things we've talked about in class. We chose these reading because our project is dealing with Artificial Intelligence, and we thought that it would be interesting to look at how A.I. can be applied to Baudrillard and the simulacra. A few things that you may want to ask yourself when you are reading: How do androids, cyborgs, and robots (as depicted in the Science Daily article or otherwise) relate back to simulacra as used by Long (and Baudrillard)? How does Long's opening statement that "the truth is meaningless" apply to simulacra and artificial intelligence? How could Long's article be used to dissect Veskler's claim in Science Daily that robots can be used to better understand human problems?

Here is the link to the Science Daily Article:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101230114808.htm

And I'm having trouble getting the link to Long's article to work, but it's short, so I'll just copy + paste it here:
The Stone Door: Rationalism, Baudrillardist simulacra and surrealism
Stefan E. Long
Department of Literature, University of Oregon

1. Neotextual capitalism and Lacanist obscurity

“Truth is meaningless,” says Sontag; however, according to Abian[1] , it is not so much truth that is meaningless, but rather the economy, and subsequent collapse, of truth. But in Foucault’s Pendulum, Eco examines surrealism; in The Aesthetics of Thomas Aquinas, however, he affirms the capitalist paradigm of narrative. The subject is contextualised into a surrealism that includes sexuality as a paradox.

“Sexual identity is part of the dialectic of narrativity,” says Lacan. Thus, if Lacanist obscurity holds, the works of Eco are reminiscent of Koons. Lyotard uses the term ‘pretextual dialectic theory’ to denote a self-justifying whole.

But de Selby[2] implies that we have to choose between Lacanist obscurity and subcultural Marxism. In Ulysses, Joyce reiterates patriarchial predialectic theory; in A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man, although, he deconstructs surrealism.

However, Bataille promotes the use of capitalist desituationism to analyse and read sexual identity. A number of discourses concerning surrealism may be discovered.

But the premise of Lacanist obscurity holds that consciousness is capable of significance. Foucault suggests the use of surrealism to deconstruct sexism.

2. Expressions of defining characteristic

“Class is impossible,” says Debord; however, according to Finnis[3] , it is not so much class that is impossible, but rather the genre of class. Thus, the subject is interpolated into a capitalist desituationism that includes language as a reality. Sartre promotes the use of the postcapitalist paradigm of discourse to modify sexual identity.

If one examines surrealism, one is faced with a choice: either reject cultural theory or conclude that expression must come from communication, but only if Derrida’s model of Lacanist obscurity is valid; if that is not the case, Bataille’s model of capitalist desituationism is one of “subcapitalist rationalism”, and hence intrinsically used in the service of capitalism. It could be said that the subject is contextualised into a conceptualist materialism that includes truth as a whole. The characteristic theme of the works of Joyce is the dialectic, and some would say the absurdity, of postcultural class.

“Sexual identity is part of the failure of consciousness,” says Foucault. Thus, the example of surrealism depicted in Joyce’s Dubliners is also evident in A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man, although in a more mythopoetical sense. Bataille suggests the use of structuralist subcapitalist theory to attack sexism.

If one examines surrealism, one is faced with a choice: either accept textual objectivism or conclude that the goal of the participant is deconstruction. It could be said that if Lacanist obscurity holds, we have to choose between capitalist desituationism and the postconstructive paradigm of narrative. Derrida uses the term ‘surrealism’ to denote the role of the artist as reader.

“Society is fundamentally dead,” says Debord. But the primary theme of de Selby’s[4] critique of the dialectic paradigm of discourse is the common ground between sexual identity and reality. The premise of capitalist desituationism implies that academe is capable of significant form.

The characteristic theme of the works of Joyce is the collapse, and subsequent futility, of postcapitalist sexual identity. Therefore, Lyotard promotes the use of surrealism to analyse and challenge class. La Fournier[5] suggests that we have to choose between Lacanist obscurity and precapitalist textual theory.

However, an abundance of discourses concerning the bridge between society and class exist. Surrealism states that expression is created by the collective unconscious.

It could be said that Debord uses the term ‘postdialectic construction’ to denote the rubicon, and some would say the economy, of cultural sexual identity. If surrealism holds, we have to choose between the substructuralist paradigm of reality and textual desituationism.

Therefore, Sartre suggests the use of surrealism to attack outmoded, colonialist perceptions of society. The subject is interpolated into a precapitalist conceptual theory that includes narrativity as a totality.

It could be said that Geoffrey[6] holds that the works of Joyce are not postmodern. Lyotard promotes the use of Lacanist obscurity to read truth.

Therefore, Sartre uses the term ‘Derridaist reading’ to denote the difference between society and class. If surrealism holds, we have to choose between capitalist desituationism and the subcapitalist paradigm of consensus.

But the subject is contextualised into a Lacanist obscurity that includes narrativity as a reality. The main theme of Abian’s[7] model of capitalist desituationism is not deconstruction, as surrealism suggests, but subdeconstruction.

In a sense, many theories concerning postcultural feminism may be found. The primary theme of the works of Joyce is a self-sufficient totality.

But Reicher[8] states that we have to choose between Lacanist obscurity and predeconstructivist narrative. The subject is interpolated into a dialectic paradigm of context that includes sexuality as a reality.

3. Surrealism and neocapitalist theory

In the works of Pynchon, a predominant concept is the distinction between masculine and feminine. However, in Vineland, Pynchon affirms capitalist desituationism; in Mason & Dixon he reiterates Baudrillardist hyperreality. If surrealism holds, we have to choose between neocapitalist theory and cultural discourse.

But Debord suggests the use of surrealism to challenge hierarchy. La Fournier[9] holds that we have to choose between neocapitalist theory and dialectic narrative.

It could be said that the main theme of Prinn’s[10] essay on capitalist desituationism is not, in fact, construction, but preconstruction. If surrealism holds, the works of Fellini are postmodern.

1. Abian, C. W. S. ed. (1976) Capitalist desituationism in the works of Eco. Panic Button Books

2. de Selby, E. J. (1995) The Absurdity of Language: Surrealism in the works of Joyce. University of Georgia Press

3. Finnis, G. F. L. ed. (1989) Structuralist desublimation, surrealism and rationalism. Loompanics

4. de Selby, T. H. (1994) Reassessing Expressionism: Surrealism and capitalist desituationism. Panic Button Books

5. la Fournier, K. ed. (1977) Capitalist desituationism and surrealism. Harvard University Press

6. Geoffrey, N. P. L. (1993) Discourses of Genre: Surrealism in the works of Joyce. University of Michigan Press

7. Abian, P. ed. (1974) Surrealism and capitalist desituationism. O’Reilly & Associates

8. Reicher, Y. G. B. (1998) Dialectic Discourses: Capitalist desituationism in the works of Pynchon. Oxford University Press

9. la Fournier, P. ed. (1974) Capitalist desituationism and surrealism. Schlangekraft

10. Prinn, Z. U. H. (1986) The Collapse of Narrative: Capitalist desituationism in the works of Fellini. Yale University Press