Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 32, No. 330.
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    [1]    From: Jim Rovira 
           Subject: Re: [Humanist] 32.321: centre to periphery (66)

    [2]    From: Marinella Testori 
           Subject: Re: [Humanist] 32.321: centre to periphery (24)


--[1]------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Date: 2019-01-12 16:19:56+00:00
        From: Jim Rovira 
        Subject: Re: [Humanist] 32.321: centre to periphery

Derrida makes the claim "the center is not the center" in the opening pages
of "Structure, Sign, and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences," for
example in this passage on p. 279 of *Writing and Differance:*

"Nevertheless, the center also closes off the play which it opens up and
makes possible. As center, it is the point at which the substitution of
contents, elements, or terms is no longer possible. At the center, the
permutation or the transformation of elements (which may of course be
structures enclosed within a structure) is forbidden. At least this
permutation has always remained interdicted (and I am using this word
deliberately). Thus it has always been thought that the center, which is by
definition unique, constituted that very thing within a structure which
while governing the structure, escapes structurality. This is why classical
thought concerning structure could say that the center is, paradoxically,
within the structure and outside it. The center is at the center of the
totality, and yet, since the center does not belong to the totality (is not
part of the totality), the totality has its center elsewhere. The center is
not the center."

He of course elaborates from here and is going after Structuralism. And, it
was indeed discussed in part 2 of Spivak's introduction to *Of Grammatology*.
There are some slight discussions of unstable biological centers in *Speech
and Phenomenology*, which is an earlier text.

Jim R
--
Dr. James Rovira 
Bright Futures Educational Consulting


   - Reading and History
    (Lexington Books,
   under contract)
   - Rock and Romanticism: Post-Punk, Goth, and Metal as Dark Romanticisms
    (Palgrave Macmillan,
   May 2018)
   - Rock and Romanticism: Blake, Wordsworth, and Rock from Dylan to U2
   
(Lexington
   Books, February 2018)
   - Assembling the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Essays on the Social,
   Cultural, and Geopolitical Domains
   ,
   Chapter 8 (McFarland Books, 2018)
   - Kierkegaard, Literature, and the Arts
   ,
   Chapter 12 (Northwestern UP, 2018)
   - Blake and Kierkegaard: Creation and Anxiety
   
(Continuum,
   2010)

Active CFPs

   - Women in Rock/ Women in Romanticism
   ,
   edited anthology
   - David Bowie and Romanticism
   ,
   edited anthology


--[2]------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Date: 2019-01-12 14:01:20+00:00
        From: Marinella Testori 
        Subject: Re: [Humanist] 32.321: centre to periphery

Dear Willard,

From what to my knowledge, the concept of 'centre/periphery' has
sociological implications, since it was developed in order to oppose the
'centre' (i.e. the developed capitalistic countries) to the 'periphery'
(i.e. the poor underdeveloped countries). You can see, for example, the
following contribution available on Oxford Reference:
http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095558383

Moreover, the dualism 'centre/periphery' plays a role also in Geography, as
explained in his works by Christian Grataloup.

I hope this may be of help for your further investigations.

Thank you for your attention,
kind regards.

Marinella

--------------------------------
Marinella Testori Ph.D. AKC





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