How can there be an 'unexperienced experience'? Isn't it an impossibility, a contradiction? Not according to the philosopher Jacques Derrida. He uses the term ‘unexperienced experience’ when discussing the experience of imminent death (that is there in suspension and not in actual fact - all simultaneously) in Maurice Blanchot's narrative “The Instant of my Death”. … Continue reading Philosophical Brief: Unexperienced Experience
How to Understand Identity
What is your identity? When someone asks you who you are, what are the first things that come to your mind? Are they your identity? Thinking about our identities is crucial for people, and we do it many times in our lives. It is unsurprising that throughout history, philosophers have engaged with the question of identity … Continue reading How to Understand Identity
Heraclitus Meets Derrida and Saunders: Misunderstanding and Oversimplification
Misunderstandings are one of the typical features of being human. We can be confident in declaring that every person who has ever lived has misunderstood others and was misunderstood by others at least once in life. This reveals the interpretive structure of our thinking and the fundamental role understanding plays in our lives. Understanding is … Continue reading Heraclitus Meets Derrida and Saunders: Misunderstanding and Oversimplification
No Hospitality Without Borders?
In a fascinating exploration of hospitality, philosopher Jacques Derrida, founder of "deconstruction", noted that, paradoxically, hospitality requires clear boundaries between the private and the public. For me to be able to exercise hospitality towards a guest, I need to feel that the integrity of my private sphere, my "at home" where I choose to welcome … Continue reading No Hospitality Without Borders?
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