The Gift of Death

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CON TENTS

6 trardei 2T the Et-ole de.c

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Frundi Sin Ee

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TrArriLli(lr s Pretacc '

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C)rigiiia II \ EaLlkili hrc ;l /.4entier irr ►or.r in 1.`ithigne di don, jarque.; I.Jerrida 49 penier du ion, 1113. 1Iktaili(2-Transition, 47) Tramition, Paris_ 1 1 14)2 .

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Secrets of Iiikirolw2r1 Responsillihry (licitto I'LL:

Chi.,:agil 60637

(11 thicago Press, lAd., I A indon

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1995 h The Univer.;it‘ cad Chi•:114u

Ikvonci: Giving for The Taking,

\II rights rcbt-rved. Put.di5hk-i.11 199i Stares cif .‘merica Printed in tIlk 0-1. 03 0.2 ill ( . l 96 95 234

[eaching. oild Learning Egi.

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ISBN: 0-226- t.“05-8. c loth) .

TIIR library cri Conprcss

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1:11aui

1)ereida, jact♦LICS. [',tiller

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to hori) ti) KfLom..) NOL to

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Thu gift cif duath Jacques 1)errida : translated h• [)avid

FOL." R

ctn. Irk:lucks

t. (■eityrosii.v.

reivrenct..q.

2. Gilts. 1-32431)-1)4K31)461; 1995 J94—Lle.20

3- H.E.-spo.Pitsibilit:L.

Too duire esi foul atitire I. I. 9.1-2MS9

Thts papur used in This pUbl14:2110(1 Meet; TER 11511111TILIII1 retuairernurni t)f (IL'_ .‘mericati National St.aridwc1 for Eitfurtnatilirl SC1C114XS (1)r PrInted I .ihrary PerillAlleTICe (If .4.\ Si Z39,4H-19SA.

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1 1-t.AN.')I.1rows PREFACE .

F runc h tc x t o f this cssav, entitled pkiiiEuilicti in

-

Dormer 12 Trion," w; m:

colieCriOn rit paitc..rs from 3 conference. held at

" 1 1,c I..'thics of the ( Lift (cid.

lkovAiniont in 1.}et-erulour 1990,

.

.

-

-

.Ian-Nlicliel Rabaul' and .Vliclucl Wetzel. LErhire di don: Jacques Derrick" a fa pelusec rIrr do.tr

Transicion, 1.992]).

more" is itut, Itowevcr, the piper 0cl- rich delivered

)ohno hi -

...A( that .

confer-

ence_ that living part of a volunte that was at the time :ill Lady deo ined 1 4.)r publication [D.:Joiner h C.L.11.il•] I ] ) and -

now translated as 6;it•rn Time . (.'otenti.rfeir Afrorzey. translation by Pcggy 1..;:alind (Chicago: 1 'niver‘its of C.:hit ago Press., 1992). Nei-

.

ther i- (41.16..rt I) intended_ as- it might SeN.ILI, ti.) be the SC:Could ,

Giren l'ittrt.;

vf.11U111t

it

is iristv.34.1 2. different rcfAcction %.vithin

scries inn Ilic: gut:stint 1 of EliC gift -

mnri" 1f1,iv . on 1 he ordinary St•WA:

The 1. reorli title "I Mniier -

ca &WW1', nieatiiiig, "lin give, - :and the idiomatic SeiiNc

thiS eXpreS -

Sji_111, Whic.:11 is .. t.1.) put to death, - ..ts in sr donner Ict mart, "to commit

suicide." Iii 1rdilSlating. title with the noun phraLqe l seek to lur e h e„ini in it vir behind in the Vriglisii e‘pressi4.)n "kiss of cleatit. In the test I have tried lo follovi the idea of -

-

gi% ing -

-

" posible„ hill I have usc(11 to pat nil -

1

s4) dcmancIN, sinnetiMeS •acidmp the

dcath"

Frcrieh for mnemonic purprises. Whenever "to put to death"' k used, him).

el: LT ,

the reader imuld

11car I. hi: se11.5c; 1.3f .

The Cr-,1:111 i ty.' ()cll.& Starts from an ar5,1lvsiy

goi

philosopher Jan PatoZ-1... who. :tlang with I 1:7lic,LL., Was one of three spoke :rnen fur the (lart..i ,

by the Czech i-{avel and Jiri hunlan rights

declaraticin of 19 7 7. 1 Le anal uf a f.i.rain hunorrhave palter 'lours Of pislice interrogation Ion I ..\13rCil 1977. A selcction

1)3toeka's

C'Zi3VC 1111

aS mill 15 .i.ogr:yllical and

t' S1. I.. TOR'S Pit F. F 3, C. E trraphic.:11 det3ils, ...prear

1;:razim Kohak, an Pa-1,96a: Philapip6i

and Selected 1Vrifinsu (Chicago: Universiry of Chicago Press, 1989), and a translation oF the lieretical .Essays on rhe libiloyopfry Hilfor-v is chic to appi:ar ()pen CANtirt (Chicago) in 1995Thu collective "Charter Manifesto appears in Te.L5 31 (1977), -

I acknowledge with 6rr2tittide she ASSistnrice [1 10Vided by a I ,1.311i:iana State University Center for French and Francophone :kir tidies SID nnicr Re":.Larldlt 'Grail! ill ,lre paration tof llsi translation, -

Secrets of Europca i i Responsibili(v

H eyefical h:frays Orl P bi.Osopb). Aa filiiirorv l Jan Patue..14.a relates secrecy,' or more precisely the mystery of t1LU sacred., to responsibility, Lie opposes one to the other; or rather underscore-A their heterogeneity_ SorneN,vhat in [he manner of LeYinas he warns agfunqT an experience Lit The sacred, aS an enthusiasm or ferveir for fusion. cautioning in particular against a form Of CIC3114)Elie rapture that has as its cffcct, and ofturi as its first intention, ihe removal respogsibi h t v, the loss of the sense or consciousness of responsialltS [i ) distinguish religion Irvin bility. At the sane rime in one r.,f

his

1

)

!

.

I. "Lo eivikragar; f rchnier re .4.11/ rrne eiTihrat.irrig dr drefi$1 T . rr pawrivoi

TCCEI• hirerr.q . ors

(Th. i1L14.1.1wil a Cwiliz.J.i ion in Dei,:line, Ind El So 101,113

rur fra

r

4rairr, trans. Fzika A hr 2ing 1:1,agrwo.e Verdier. 1 10 I: lianEcd c .ir 12 Prigue Pctlier. 1.975F. Ideation. havc beers irAnslitc41 fruin the -

-

,

re} .i.vhirib rage nurnher, alcn 1, In Frtil.Ch k ocret rcfen. Ltoth 10 a ionrci"

l'713tC

Fr enc h

"

-

aI a-mati-L

crcrce... - In grnrral L luvi uscii

svtirax.— I raw,.

the more .11Atract ien%e of L,4 tttr suit, [tut

iltRr.

1. The French (itrnVierve ir2rmlatti ati Mtn "ounsnenot - and "c4_111*.Ci.uu3ritS3" nth diCalefaing ter the Rynt3x, Often preferring "cnnicirEire EILF111.11. I haNt: ni.tht.r thin Pry presume tx) thstioginsh 2.mring the

of

mural Ncrtstn. of arc Frcnch cans ihuse distunctims mmoqu

ibychotogical,

Frans- ,tote.

c^ N t.

sfc R61 7.... 0I' I-. L. 1.k

It I:. 6 PO N; SIB JL I .1

[he Eh:ironic fonyi of gicralizarion. 1 hat is a relitzEon -.-• Religion prcsunws access to clic of a free .m.:11. It thus implies tweaking with this type E3f Nccrcrcv (for it k not of court: the wily

test hy means of which 'he ethical conscience ill Ise delivtgre4.1 of ellthliSlaStiC. 4 the initiatory the demonic,. the ruiscagogic.4414,1 and die esoteric. hi the authentic se. ❑ 2012 of the word, religiion comes

one), rhat assoeiared with sacred nivstery ;End with ..a.har PqtoZka regtaark! du:. demonic. A distinction k to be bctwerzil

6110

1.1. 14,3 c.lcrnonic on tIlc 011c LSar1,Ll (that which contu.qe.., the limits among the animal., the hu.3oan., and the divine, 3ric.l which retains: ail

•

A

wirh twistri- v.. the initiatory., thy. esoteric, the Hccrct or Zhe Nu...red) And respinsibilitl: on the other. This therefore 2111101.311IS lo !it iheSiS on the oritein arid .1,..•.y.5 4,1.110c of the religious. Under sti has cnnditions ca' oric S:pca L. of .1 r4:ligion„ u the pr., sense cf rhc. tcrrn, if such 3 11iing Undur COntlilions; hisrory or religion, and first ;tad foreruns' nt the Christian. rcii.g.lon? .In. I IUL ulLy thai. Paluid;a refers (311.1ip... to the exam1}1.5-11 religion l dip 31(.11. 5;01.‘k to c[critaiint:c. ..1(1 0.1.16SZIii)E1 Of ple of guilt of A. a cfmip3r;110'Lc analysis. (-231 WC N[3.1:3k .1)1a

0 ❑ dile contrary, ix st-enis necessary I( reinforce the co.1.347rence of wav c,f thinking that taku", iitru account the event of Christian inystery as ark ;11)Sululc singulbrity, reliizion par excellence arid

being the moment Iliac the experiunce of responsihihtv rrarEs. itsclf ferry Th2r form of secrecy called E.lerrionie nlysterv• Since the concept of the dAriimai.r crosses the bouI ;tr i es surone will not jug rile human., Llic animal, and ttic prised to see 1Pritoillia recognizing in it a c.limension that iN tli.u n cif seNual desire, lo {ti ha.r respect does this demonic us in a histury of reSporisibilil rhyster ..,.. if ties ire precisely m histi.)3'y

responsil)iliTY?

related to res[H -3nsibility:. iii The beginning "Thc is UP orher words, the demonic such a rc.•.aELCHI did not exist" (1ho). delined a irre.....p3nsibilitv, or, if one wishes, 1.4 15.eloriu. s to a spate in v,.filicti there has nor %Am ruone does 11(1.1 to ,topi....par; a space in S01111drcl the

;rct ii Ana 01 m exploin. onr4.elf I OponetrE de car the ones EhOLIV111.S., Eu respond ED cite OLIVA- Rn4.1. Linswer for °Elev.:if ru:spullSibility that l';11001.:a whiff. Thc gulle:SiS hcfore. e'er h

.

ari irreducible condition for a joint history Elf the subject, responsibility, and 1.11.31.0p4,.... That is ...to L-1:e.11 if. here and there, the expression AlLiNi4.11CV rtil.L.611,[li" aplx=;LTS iii isle plural, and evcri it one

poscs will rioE s imply 4.14..R.eriFx. a hi tors' i t rel i i ri or religiousness.

can, Einly infer from Otis plural a refcrenee tc.1. Judaic., Islamic,. and Christian religion's olnhe., those known as religions. of thy 1!.00k. According tc..1 4.5ne eati. speak of religinti Einly after thedemonic socret., an.LI the OrgiaStk SaCiC(1. 11.01C ball "FLIITNISSed

singula rit v, and respons.ilnlicy, tin.! relation

tstrilopccl," "-oiLiiEnItoducl"), Sh4mIcl. ki that ler[11 rerain its CSSeroial arribiE,Puit.v. Iii dir proper sens.E. the word, blieparTEC, t1 so " 00 -

religion exims once th.L sccrer Eir the sacred. orgiastic, or de.rnonic (wester". hqs beak, if Rol destroyed, at ktsi intcgratul, Arld finely

.

5ill)]crtc.5(11 to the Apiture

of responsibility will he the subjuct th.:ir has rnaroged Eo ntak:c orgiastic. ur tictslcaotiic mv?..A.Cry StlhicCE r1 F it.self, and has done that iii OrCler fru:1y Subito. itself tsi the wheillv and infinite other chat sees without I. )eing seen. Iteligiori is respomib.ility car it is nothing at

hiStOrir' 4,14.....riv.es its WrISe

Ellc idc•a c1f a pasla4e zci .

resimnbibiliiv. Such a pams:3ge. involves 13.34-1.....rsiiig or enduring the

It will he E.onthiried with a genealogy of rhe subject who says likcrEv. - rni,..s..elf," (he .subject%!., relation 1141. K ell a6 an iritance

s clf aq hall" 'Winn.'

thc oihcr: the other in trs relation io infinite alteriry, one who Trizards withoui lving seen hal' alsAi whi)x infinite gorxinics-.

in an e3..p.crierice trial amounts rE3 j Ur fa trf del:A (dadifer Ire p.pmp-f]. I ,ct us fur du; 111.MM:fit 14:;15;12 ChM' expression in all its Since this i2cliel.la.v 1 iL; 3ISC3 hi.StClfy of sexuality, it follows clic tr3cE.A 4-31 n genius of Christianol . chat is the history of EuruPL• 4 4irc cicdrk dcfincil - or at the {:calker cif I.J81.04116-..a's es s,.3.... the !,takes as fullukvs; w interpret ''the birth of P.urnTx in 1 he modern sense or the tE•rni." (1 L )? rOW to cl)rlixivc. of "lhe expahsion 'f Fliropen (1 1 14) tie ore and after the (...rusades; radki-illir. .L11116.1111.1ch. :IS it is rin- o111114,14kril hat i5 ii that .

4

4

1Y1411) 1ILd refcrc-nc: 1(1

1. tar. EICEI. CliaceiLl'hriand'h (..?111+4

Nietzsche

(:h-ArvitT

noir.

N

pcan? Not that it suffers from a particular fault or from a particular form of blindness. Rather, why does it suffer from ignorance or irs history, from failure. to aSSILlirke its responsibility, that is, the memory of its history di history of responsibility]: This misamderslanding does not betrav an accidental failing on the part of the scholar or philosopher, It is not in fact a sin of ignorance or lack of knowledge. It is not because they don't know [fruit 4,te firmir.1 that Fun yea ns lrr not read their history 2s a history of responsibility. European historians' misonderstancling of historicity, which is in the First place a misunderstanding '01 mbar links historicity to responsibility..., is explained on the contrarY by the extent to which their historical knowledge occludes:, confines, or saturates those questions, grounds. or ahvgses, naively presuming to to1a1i7.e rr naturaliz_42 them, or, what amounts to the same thine, losing themselves in the details. For at the heart of this history there is something of an ativ:is [0 1 y eh' fabimrl, an abyss that resists totalizing 5w5klhary. Sep,Trating orgiastic mystery from Christian :

nwstery. this abyss also announces the origin of responsibility. Such is the conclusion that the wholc essay Inv, es towards: ,\Eixlern does not pest stiffer from its OWn faults, its own rit•opia, but also from failing to reROIVC tilt whole problem of history, Rui the problein of history cannot be resolved: it must remain a problem. The danger of the present time is that an •xcc-ss of knowledge of detail might lead us to forget how to look at the question and the grounds that give rise to it. It might :ilso be that the question of the &cline of cilliliratiratt lias been badly put. Civilization does not of itself exist. The question would be rather a matter of knowing if h ist orica I nun can yet ackfii.31% lodge histOrY (piilitiiVas sr

k diyindim). (l 27)

This last sentence suggests that historicity remains a secret, Hisiorieal nun does not tv-ant CO admir 61. hist oricitv. and first ,end

foremost •o the ahv:SS that undermines his own historicity. )

5 Sion.

reasons might he given fur this reSiStalitl.• to such an :Id-

s. CA

()

F4:1401)

s,

14 F. S (1 N s11111.1I

On the rule band. the history of resporpiihilitv is tied to

a hiSCOTY

of religion. ['Sot there is always a risk in acknowledging a biston of responsibility. It is Oft WI thought, OIL I FIL.: ails of all aila I V:Shi the very concepts of respoiviibility, frealom. or decision, that to he responsible. free, or capable of deciding cannot be something that is ocquired, sonterlting cnnditioneil or conditional, 1-:ven there is undeniably a history 1,1 freedom or responsibility, such a hi5torieitv, it is thought. MUSI remain exirimie It runs' not touch the essence of an experience that consists prc:cisely in tearing one• .

self away from one's own historical conditions. What would reMa& possible sponsibility he if it tk2 Cte 1114.)LiVilltd1, by a history? ith(ILIFT1 SOnle [111011 think t11.21 there is no exercise of resprinsibility except in a mariner that is essentially historic-al, the classic concept 01 decision and responsibility seems to exclude from the essence. heart• U priyer nionient 1)1 responsible deveskin all historical «inflections (whether they be g.en,e-algical or not. whether their causality be mechanical or dialectical, or even if they derive from other types of niotivation or progranwrimg Sliell as 1.11.11a. rain: CO a psv4..:lioatialytic history). It is therefore difiicult to acknowledge such a historicity and, to the extent that a whole ethics of responsibility often claims to separate itself, as allies, from religious revelation. it is even more difficult Lei Tie it clos4•1., (

,

to a histors.- of religion. the other band, if what l'atck!kta says about this historicitY is that it must be admitted to, implying thereby that it is something difficult to ackniywledgie, that is beealdse historicity iim 1. remarn

open as a problem that is never to be resolved: "the problem of

history „ must remain a prot)lcin," 1110111clit the problem were [C, he resolved Iltai sairie tocali.i.ing closure v►otil4.1 detcriniEl{' The CI Id (If hision..., it vynkild tiring in the verdict of noulnstorkitY itself. I Liston,: can be neither a decidable object nor a totality capable of being mastered, precisely because it is tied to rtvxmlibilify, to faith, anti CO the grit. To responsibilrly in the. experience of 3 I rit FILM! decision: 111;)(k OU 1.51' klIJ !Wiled gt.` or given norms, made thereordeal of the undecidabk: to fore through the through a form of Myolvement with the other that is a NI:mum into a FIIS01.11.11e risk, IbCV(Ifitt k[101. 1. 1124114C anti ourtailliv; En [hr iii and -

to th• gift cif death that puts ine int° relation ‘vitli the transcendencc of the other, it Ii (.;od as schicss goos.lness, arid that givcii me whit it g ives me through a new exp.erienee of death, lesponsi[Jilin.- and faith go together. hioi.k. ever par aclos:ical !hat might seem. to sonic, and both Should, icy the ] ovement, exceed mastery and kni leave. The gift of death Nyokil(l be this marriage of rep lUld faith, flistory si3di 311 4:XCCSSiVC be:ginning l[ouc.eriurd. The paradox here plays an two brierrroxiords Opel' f_ ferret: cm the one hand the secret of historicity, v. hal historical man has difficulty ackntm.l•dging Ikkit which he mail 411,:k114.)Wiedip: l'occ:Aust: It 4:011Cerfis his •try responsdhilitv:, dm' on the other hand the socreL

cif orgiastic nn.rstcrY that the histon... of responsibility has to break wit h. additiknual e0111.1)licatiori further overdetermines the breadth or alrr.ss of this c .....perience. 'Whit' speak of seervey where- 1. 3 atk.m..cka SE:iteS that it iL; historicity ThO!' rOLIST be n4.-knclukcigcd? This he0.1.nting responsible, ihar is, this beef iming-historical elf I:1. 1111T1Inkind, ...,eetiks to lir intiinalelv tied to the proiaerly (....1iritiarL event of anorbrr rrirri or more precisely of a 1115,-.1it4,7r•, the fAnt.firrillin .

-

Imnerrefron• the terrifying niystery, the drcaci, ;ear and treinblirki; (NI . the Christian in the c:k.perienee ckf the sacrificial gin, This

[

NI k11.

k.t. R C) P

) I

F. 4 . 1.k

T

corded soiLeh a Self the thetiiuic tialue it (INISCP, us; As for knowing -

what this poison. is. such aL erif....stion has not vut received an adeq uate thematic development within the perspective of Christianity" (.114q• The secret 4 -kt- the Mysteritem iremenduar takes over from a heterogeneous seereev and at the same time breaks with it. This rupture takes the foie] of either sUbordination incorporaorm (one secret subjects or silences the other) or represilon, The mosiefirrm trenten-

dhow gerr .earn'e'd eery Is'empfirte]. in the double sense of the term: it rises qairlse antothcr 1I3VNterl.' but it rises ate the hack [Nur le fond' of a past mystery_ In the cod [au food j it represses, repregsing what remains its foutic la [ion 'p .0/find ). Noe ret that the event of Chris. , tionity takes to task is at the same time a form of Platonisup—or Netkplatonisin—which retains soniething. Of the thaurnatursical tradition, and 1 he secret of the orgiastic: mystery- from Plato

tried to deliver philosophy, I fence the history of responsibility is extremely complicater.J. .ITtc history of the respon5ible self is rbetlich. upon the heritage and patrimony of seereev, through a chain a ti.knk of 1- 1.11)1.11reS 3 rid repressions that :..I.S.SLIre the very tradition they punctuate with their interruptions. Plato breaks with orgiastic nyysi ctv and installs a first experience basoki On the noliur Of re-

its very singularity, by the i417.e of (;od. Then it sees; itself seen

sponsibility, but I here remains some of demonic mystery and thaumaturgv, as well as siirric of responsibilitv's corresponding political dirrulkAton, irk Platonism As in Neoplatonisni, Then eotnes the my,iteriforr tremendurn of Christian responsibility, second tremor

by the ga.he cif ank)rlier, "a. :stiE)renie. absolute and inaceessitkle being %OIL, holds its in his haiti.1 nut b... extcrini hit b' interior force'

in the V.CDCSI.N 4.4 responsibility as a history of secrecy, but ;Limo, as we shall sou a little later, a tremor in the figures of death AS figurts

tremblinv, SCif.12ti ono It the 11.1cAlicIlL cif 1>ccoming a person, and the permkti bc•.nme m hilit it is onlyitt 1xing para.1.1-•..Cd. [traibie], ilk .

This passage from exteriorly... , to interiority, btu also from the aeccssible taw the inaccessible, assures the transition from Platonistri to ChaiNtiatiity. It is held Lhal., starting frail] a res[xonsibilit% and ethico-political self of the Platonic type, a mutation C14.:C1.31 - L; as at .

re-stilt of which the Christian self enierges, although such a 'elf remains to be thought through. For this is indeed fine of ['atones ffrrcteruF Lays: ii doesn't fail to note eta passing that Christianity has ile.rilif1S nut Yet rhoinzlit through the ' en' I..•i:,51.:11CC CFI: the: self whose arrn. - al it nei:erilieless records. Chrisrianii y has not yet ac-

of the gift, or in fact As VAS air litath la hi mare dormab worthy of This hisiory will nu er cc_kote to a i„:lo sc. A ny hi. s. L the name east ncitlivr be saturated nor closed k smorerl. history 4.)f secrecy chat humans, in particular Christians. have difthentatizing, even more so aeknowiedgiN, is punctuated by many reversals (rentyrkenrentrl or rather conversions, Patoaa 1JISC.S 1111C: WQTLI C-51,111 1.TrS100 as 4)11C often (1.CICS. to rcrider the 11:14I-

1

.9

movement of anabasis by which Plato refers to the turning of one's gaze towards the 1( ;food. and the intelligible curl, (No of the cavern is ;clod that is nut vet gocrilness and so remains foreign to

cendinv

7

N F.

C H.

the idea of thiL• gift). The word "conversion" is regularly renelered word5 such as "turning back" II+) or ...2 h ou r mini " (ehrat, I l5-17). The of secrecy, tiw combined history ni responsibility and of the gift, has the: Spiral 1{)rna of thcse turns koursil, intrica.eics flour:7;1 ml. versions, turnings back, bends 1:;.../tval. and coni..ersions. (Inc could compare it to a history of revoluti4 even to 11121.0T as rUVIIIII 1.16Qn. Taking F.tigcn Fink as his authority, Pat4 ka deselibes the very space of I-laconic sixIkrlc vas the SU hterr3lleaji [pads -u pon w hi c h orgiastic I WC:Stet 1i' is COriStrtlet4.11. The cavern lx7comes the earthniother from which one 111Lisi extract. oneS1:11 In order ii) "subordinate, n.S. PAtona puts it, "the wgiasfie to responsibility .

.1

-

-

-

-

-

ory'Perhur zodpotanostr, 14)_ [hit the Platonic anabasrs does not proyi.ile. a passage iron!! orgiastic mystery ro nonmystery_ Et is

the subordination of one im stery by anotlicA , the conversion from OTC secret to another_ For Patchtka calls the PI fl ijum.Tysion that turns an eternal 14:174.! toN.yords the Good a new mysterV t3f the sold," This time the: mvstery heeonies more internal. it takes the form of an dialogue of the sour Although it does correspond to a first awakening of resporisibilib. [iv means of the soul's relation to the it :once, this corning-to-conseknee still retains its mystical clement:, it still takes the fortn of a mystery, this time unadinokiledgc(l, undeclared.. denied_ One can .already recognise the law for mil icli this Serye5 as a first example. Like those which will follow Plato's ariabatis throuQlutin .;i history of responsibility that capitalizes can secrecy, the first conversion still retains .0. it bin it Son3ethillif. of what it sccni.s inrerrupt. The logic of this conseryati ..-e rupture resembles the caintomy -

-

,

,

of a Aterifice that keeps vvhar it gives up. !-iornetimus it reminds one of kilt: economy of sublation [re/et el or Aufbebting, and at other ri nks, less contradictory than it seems, of a logic of repression that -

still retains \lla( is denied, surpassed, buried. Repression doesn't destroy, it displaces something front. one place 1': anc)ther within

the system. It is also a topological uperation_ In tact P'ato.e.-ka often has recourse to al tv1w of pSyChOilna Lytle yiKlabulary. lit the double conversion that he analyzes {that whieli turns aWa.). from iiriastic mik'stery towards Platonic or No platonic nIVSterv, as well :LS that -

-

-

1‘ 5 01. r.t R 1.") Fi• F.

F:

PONS] I) I L. T

which converts the latter into the (Iristiait it iS triii that thr earlier

mysteritim /rem-fawn),

qtern' is l 'S1.16)rti

(NarilMe0M1)

that which follows„ but it is never eliminated. In order to better describe tlus hierarchical suliordina.tion Iiatortka speaks of 'incorineurpordtior1 (pi iviekrif) in thc rasE.: poration" OT Platonism which retains within itself the orgiastic mystery it substibieCts, and disciplines, bit repre_rsim (poilatreni) in the -

case of Christianity }w hich retains the Platonic: mystery, This. all takes place.. therefore, as if conversion amounted to a process of mourning, facing up to a loss, in the sense of keeping within oneself that whose tleat it one 1 1 ill St endure. And what file keeps inside at the ' cry moment that there comes into plav a new experience of secrecy and a new structure cif responsit)ility a% all apportioning of Tuvslerv., is the buried 313e3I3Ory Or ertipt Ora more .

,

ancient secret, To .whar extent should we be permitted to take literally the repreal:611, SUCEI ;LS 11 cv art: e !KUM LICE eel .words the French translatinn of Patoi'ka? Did he wish to give them the COnet'plILlal contours that the possess v ithin poirclioanalvtic discourse, notably in ;t theory of mourning? F...,en if that is not the case. nothing prevents us (roil] ]as. reading of these words to the test, at least on an experimental 13:34is; Dr if pqvell(tMalVtit' reading at least a hermeneutics that takes noel t4.3 the kk tat k. into aecuunt lis‘chO.R.11:111,11C COM:Cr S. COI' ' incorporation" a rki "repression," especially s ince Mr alV SIN CC4-emirates on the motif of secrecy. Such a motif cannot r•rnlin immune to notions: of meorporeiiirm (oipeciallv with respect to the .,,vork cFi mourning and to the figure~ of death iliat :arc neeessarik associated v:i.C.11 abSol.LIte SCOTTY) and rriire.Esiper, ;is the priviltyed. p r ocess of every effect (3f gee reev. I I isreirical conversinns to responsibility, such as Pato ka analy7..es ni both eyes, well describe this ,

-

movement be v, hich the event of a second mystery (loc.% not dieStrov the first_ On the eontrarx it keeps it inside unconsciouslY, after having cfEecteti a topical chwlacernenr and .A hierarchical subordination: one secret is at the sante time enclloseti an(1 (.Itilninartd by (hi: whet _ Platonic mystery thus ion:Gorton-ices orgiastie mystery and Christian mystery repro'Srl 11:11oniC 311 2..Stery . "That. in short, .

1.



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AnOtCT aspect is linked with the pre_tirec. inq one.,

poNsilh'ilitv CSI deal as. i301.34.)S:-.ibilitv.

"c.onversion." 'lutes 1 It Ez:;144:. upon the (food itself possible. This gaze is immutable, eternal like IIlc 164.xt4. mysiery of ibe sold that is the s.carcli foT tlt Good (K.1,:ur_s in Chi Form of do? intr.nzer dia.*. ter of ihr .1.he i111131101131'ay that iS indissolubly linked to this dialogiiellms [lit ft-vs from the: immortality of Ow h roy.stgAle.5, IL is, for ihe fine

okleti CH- efimelera that onc 1:.t3L flOkElv ininalte hv

-

irt hislory,

inmotim,dify

fik individachr, iiher i;

inirricer. sancc it is 415CpalAbie from itS .

LJWE1

I he Platonic doctrine of the iinritirli2Iiry of the soul is .

the result of a conf] . untotic.in betm.k.!en the orgi;istic and Re5poctsibility mum alt (.15:123' 1.1§C orgitivic. an 9 inrarPOrate5 it within i[su]t ax :3 xulxirdinated momcni, just as with 1- ..ros, .ini tindt-rstand hirn.celf until Ite Itil1L1.10.SCAndls that he does not derke his OriOli froin Gorpurca[ workl, from the cavLi.ii. or from Ilse shacknys, but that he is unicriely 3 Mcan5; nscimsictri towards the its Abso[111c.` nil itc rigorous (=cod Willi (I )4.. illy intlphaSis) -

,

such a. concept of discipline mi•ers ry wurril cr of SCDSCS. .1 - iluv all appear equally fundaiminal here: that of training, first of Al], Or exurC E5c, thi: idea Or Lbt work nceuSsariC mAi31.1:3iiii control over orgiastic mystery. (4.) ha..• it work in its very S1.11X3rdirElEiLot), like a sla.ve or servant, in cr[Ficr wori.I.N so to work one scene( b y prcs.iing it into stl'%ict, for arioller—tPUE alS115 CO pnr rile demonic svcret f Lit NAUTk. within this ilea hierarchy. SecoriellY, this discipline is also. philosupbv, or i ] LL r4. is Lt riry W t hise.1:xient that it can be taught, precisely :i at the Sarne CL311e exOteric esmerie; as well as that of the exercise that ci)nsksas; in learning to Slk iii .431- del to aLltikin. LE• Oc5.11: iminortaliTy. that is. Areiere thanafou, the care taken with 4.1caili, the rxurcisc of death, !Jig: "pi.a.LEicing {for) death" [hat Socr.a•s sTi.erilcs cir in the PliaNk. 111 eXPLiCi t I'name-3 philosoph ,„ iS tht Ottentivc anticipation of dew h., the care lwouglha Lear upun dying, the incilita.roccive, give", or give aneseli death,. 'he tion on the best wa• experience of :1 Pkili ovcr the possibility of cleailk, and over the -

.

I?

IH I LI.

vo'v idea, '`

!Otis.

c 11,'. ' "N01.7(71-

opens the vein—and licgins the vi.Fil—vrithin which will he inscril-pcd the Sklye {"care" t in the 7-uitsc E•cidegger 1 n tti fkr oii ir CFI: t h e moment Nyhen 11eiBeim; 4;4 Time.' In 13m tit:Air lct 4.1eper, rollowing the tridition or the cie -a. Brat without naming Plato, nOTIlinfi more rh:ra the goliciotrin of the VIL[OTe% :incl rite nrernorna or the Sioi.o. 042, 14.X.P 124.11), which. [1cm:ever, like the [laconic meleg.4.7. also signitics care., eon:can, and solicitudc. The famous passage of the Nati*, iF4.1.)e) that Pakiii_la obliquely refers to hiir nrither eve.n des(Tihes: a sort of sulhjectivizing interioriv.ation, the movernent of the sours vathering 1)1 itself, a flcuiriv (if ilsc body Lo olds its intLi.ior 14.heit ]L Withdraws into itself in .DRICI" ED rerall itself, in orcicr to be CieXI to itself, in order to keep itselV in thi gesture of remembering. This conversion TUNIS th.L soul around and amassc.-s. it upon it It j5 5.1.3ell a movement of gatiluring, a 'L31 Llie prefix p•z, that aoflounces the con.ling.-to-con9eierice, as well as that representative conscience of the self by which the secret, hut this time in The stitst Lht I .ACLA secernere), MT:trate, ;311 CJIE.PICC; 1111,12 19.114:21:131.,3174.110- For oink! of ixrnix.1, could by 1.:41_5( the threads we are f011nwillg here is this history of secrecy and of its differentiated semantics, from the Greek sense of the inystical Arid. cr-I. VOL; to lilt I _at in AriCreltir.19 thic or the py che, boxing SOCELleS rot:ails a certain pla ,..ed again all aJ C.r baiiirTs, as he cicoes in the Crivyirts, on the fact that t h in i i Lwl soul (aide' also meaning - one kicho doesn't see," "blind ) gins to its 4.1cmil) iii An inviN31.31t; platx [ha] i5 I idttus (1.1.airit7sJ, this invisibility 4_)f the villa being in itself a ligure of se'0.1:L1e, "

-

-

etee; : .1 Tit: truth r: Sher

At deporting rh• soul h I and Llray..s. after her nu bodily to lin other words So
RubinNot)r. I !Cry: 'Vol 1.: ] IliFwr and Et..09., frilICOLL11:3

cc.,Lcoms

Iran( thim

rlfraph and NEU" (115511tAtr fiCv(11 Ebt ItEtY (]4'1115;111

nuix.

13

s ov FL k()PI• 1..!\ ItE.NPONSIBII II

sl•:(.Rt. 0 S.' F .

p

Les di:scril)c-s this :...:epor-ation clf Ole ins itiir Ie snid, thiL;

coming conscious [s'fzreifierl, in the sense of consciousness of

cretin of the self by means cat which the soul retreats

in general, through This concern for death, And Paioaa is quite

from thc visible. body ro as.serrible itself within itself, in

right to speak here of mystery or NcerceV in the

order to be ney,1 to itself v. ithin 1(6 11114,1 111T IFIViSibility.

scparation

-

and invisibility indeed being the criteria for

syr be

the

or of` 311

%Nil

COI1SCII1111.011

self

of 3

and re-L;1 onsible self. For it is thus

separates irschl in recalling itself to itself,. and so it bc.cornes

secrecy], having never voluntarily during life had connex-

individualized, interiorii,ed, becomes its very iTiviSiblitV. And

ion with the 114N,Iv }ruder korrrilmwei a1re4 err to brii heiYiziAr

hence it philosophiAes from the beginning. Philosophy isn't sonic-

(pbeugarisa), herself r,ath-

thing that climes lo I he "AAA by accident, for it is nothing other than this vigil over death Hun v, arches out for death and ...vatche .

eirtai

ski.: is CCU"

ern" in herself

frorelbraismeni heudis eis beauten)[uhuno, cr -

,

dill-LT-

over death, a' if over the very life of the soul. The psyche as life,

Ent texts on death, he underlines this asseniblin.g of the

breath of life, as minima, only appears out of this concerned

soul upon itself as the moment N,vh.en the self identifies

anticipation of ing. The anlicipatiun of this vigil already resem-

a-irb itself in its relation to

bles a provisional mourning, a vigil [valid as wake Imille].

Levinas refers to the .1Aredet, 15i he. often does in his

anti rnakinv, such abitilii12)-3111

lint this vigil that marks the event of a new secret incorporates

(lisciple of philosophy

bikini its discipline the orgiastic secret that it subordinates and

orli►flr pbilosupbtuair); an(' therefore has in fact been al-

renders dormant. Because of this irrairporation that envelops de-

ways practisine how to die without complaint (kai re..7 writ;

rnonic or orgiastic mystery, philosophy remains a snirt of thauma-

Ititmatrar mrietika For is not such a life the practice

turgy even as it accedes to responsibility:

straction her perpetual study blues meirtlica

this it-leans that .shc has been

of death

41. true

it fart' an tie needed thianatro?

-

In N•oplatorlbilll

this COnCe1) 1 1011

results in makinv the

passaff,c is urn: of tits 11111.tii often CEICLI, Or ;1( 11.1.a4t

& Trim & into a subjugated realm (Fros great demon)

in the history of philosni)lw. It is rarely subjected to a

[Enos is thus subjupted Li n t not annilulatt-t11 within the

close reading_ <)rie might ti.e. surprised r' learn that Heidegger

perspective of the true philosopher who has 01,Trconn: all its lcitiptatiOIM Wlicnci• a COLVitnticncu that might sur-

This canonical 0.111;,Cd.

4.11K:sn't Lpiote it, ill any Last: licit ionct: ill

Brifigraid 77.171e, 11131 CVC.11

in the passages devoted to cart! or Lo I he [wing-tow arch-t.lealth. For

prise

it i% indeed a mattcr rif CIT•,, :1

1a.-cringocigil.for_ u a solicitude for

Platonic philosopher is a magician [think of Socrates and

death that constitute-4 the relation to self of that v. hick, in exis-

his demonl, namely, Faust. Quids], a Dutch histo-

tence, dates to oneself. Fur uiLC

rian of ideas [P,Itaka regularly refers, in his text, to the

that it is not the

pyche

-

11.11VCr

reinfi)rc • s

1.!11.E11.101 (h1.; f4tC3

that is (here' in the fir.%l place and that comes

us:

the philmophyr is also a great thaumanirgc. •l'he

latter's book Gnoris air

5Ces in this one of the

thereafter to he concerned about its death, to keep ...vateh over it,

principal origrm of the Faust legend and of Faustism in

to lxs the very vigil of its death. No, the soul only distinguishes

general. in terms of those "infinite aspirations that make

itself, separates itself, I assembles within itzwIfin clic expericNice of this airlefe fate /bat/Lyon. It is nothing other than this concern for

Faust so dangerous but which also. finally. represent a

(lying as a relation to ;elf and ,

an

assembling of self. It only returns

to itself, in horh senses of assembling itself and %,yakin itself, 1.e-

Itre Diaiwres of nitro, vol. I, mot. and trans. 19. jnwert, 4th tditim iOxforg.1: (lirrrmlua CA:4 1.95 id 5 14

-

possible means of salvation. (1]4-15) This concern far death, this awokening than keeps vigil over death, this 4.:(inseience that Ikxiks death in the face is another names' for freedom. There again, without wanting to neglect the essential differences, we con see in this link between the concern of the

16

-.11111111111111.

ECRYTS 4.)1 E UROPF. 11.:‹. RE5Pr) ,..:S I ELL'.

being-mwards-death. accepted in and of itself (e.ie.rnilic.6), and freedom,. that is., respons..ihility, 1.1.1 re :1111110g01115 In that of the ()mein as described Ise - leidriNcr. Patoka is never far from Heideggcr, in particular when he continues as Follov..s: Annther important moment; the Platonic philosopher triumphs over death in the sense that he doesn't run from ii. Ise looks it straight in the face, I.iis pliilosi.)plty is melrie ib,dnatoti, concern for death; the concern of the soul is inseparable from the concern for death which lieconies II I IT Ilent lc concern (pra-r.d) for life: (eternal) life is tX/11E1 furrn this event of looking death in the- froni the triumph (pfrmo.14w1) over death (perhaps it PIY ht0ibing brif this - triumph"). 'Vet here t hat is 01 11111ibilled 1 1 1.1.11 I hi! relation thy ( ;mid, with thy klemilication with the (kxid and %kith deliverance from the demonic and the orgiastic, it Sig 11 I IICS rare reign of rtsporisibility and, along -.L'ith it, rifreetiorn. The }SE31 1.1 LCI V free is it C11-1){]Si•ti I IS Mill destiny. 015, rily -

1

-

,

1, 1,'fiat is I. ht: SI 10 Lificarbcc of this ;illusion to the fact that the reivn of responsiliilitv and, along with it, of freedom - consists 11

-

perhaps of a triumph liver death, in other words of a triumph c Lr life (The TritimpbviLifir Shelley would have called it, inverting die traditional ligiirc of all the triumphs over death)? liatoka even suggests in a parenthesis that ;III Cif that — 50-C;11 I led eternal Life, responsibility, freedom—is perhaps nothing other than Ihig triumph, um.. a triumph retains irac.c.s of a struggle. It is as ir 3 victory has 13C'UT5 Wefn in rill.: 4,-ouric of a isar between 1.4'0 flUida nit:11( Inseparable adverz.aric.; the news rings out a day hirer at the tirnr of the ft-ast that commemorates (another wake) and preserves the niemory of the v....ar—th.i5 ptiktErar that Pato‘.."ka speaks of so often ar1 1 grants so irroc.- 11 u-tarice in these ifereticalEsedyi. The cs.hav on "The Wars of the Twentieth Cent-tire and the - I - v,,eniir, th Century as W. (129-4.6) k one of those that Ricocur, in his preface Freni:li cditioii, judges "strange and in many. respects fright-

115

ening" (8). It involves a paradoxical phenonicnolfigy of darknccs but also a secret alliance between night and day. Such a joining rat oppo!;ices plans a n essential role in Patoda's political thought, and a chougli he cites )11i'i Ern s tjiinger (Del A ribnifer and Der Kempf refs irrneres Eriebnis) and Teilltard d4 Chardift (WrilinV 10 ; the Time r,/- War}, his discourse is at times close to I leideger's very . complicated and etjuivocal discussion of the I leraclite_anpoieme, closer to it than ever arid, it seems to inc, more so than Ricoeur says in his preface. in spite or cmie esseittia.1 difference chat can't be elah.nratcd -

upon here. 1,Var is a further experience of the gift of death D'a metre domdri (1 put my enemy to death and I give Elk V own life in sacrificing itit vself -for m y countrvi. Patoa.a interprets the I leraclitean ;w k./not in this 1.4'a). : ChCT than being an L 'expanSioil of 'life'," represents the prevalence of >arid Les.i.. the "desire for the freedom of risk in the aristria, dot excellence at the extreme limit of l 31.1111.111.1 -

possibility that the hest of us choose once they ‘lccide to exchange the short-lived prnliongation of a HT] fortabk life fora durable fame in the' memory of MCFrl iS" { i 44}. This paemos unites :adversaries, it brings together those who arc opposed (I lyidegger often insisted on clic saint' thing). The print, as the site upon which the First World War ...V15 waged, provides a historic figure for this poletrur enemies together as timugh they were coninitied in chat 11T1 exceptional and the extreme proximity of the face-to-face, troubling dorilication of the front perhaps presages another type of niournicta, namely, the Insc of this front during and especially after the Second World War, the disappearance of this confrontation which allowed one to identif ti the enemy and even and cspedaily t(.1 ii.late lb' with the enemy. After the Second 1;Vorld War, as Patotka say in the manner nf Carl Schmitt, one loses The image or face of the enemy, one loses the war and perhaps, from Olen on, the very possibility of politics. This identification of the E.2 r. iiupu 1111.R.laug s. 1 ,leaf titirrh this V).' in j u i Ll , sank, (11 ReadinT Hmi.(go• r. rnmrsiergireh11011 clItnnmingion: .

17

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einem', which, in the experience of the front, remains always very close (1' an identification with rhe enemy, is what troubles and fasematcs l'atoe.ka more than anythini4 else. The same scrainictir

are there for Teilhard Chardin when he makes an; from the experience of the SLITICrhilillan and of the longer sit% S SIDine point 1 h:A• aS they attack the opposing troops beconie ty,0 parts 'if a single melding ink) :1 Singlc. body, and In; adds: "A singde 'AKIN. —what a StrAngt. comparison. Whoever kindersiands that assumes his awn ii:alue as wr.41 as 'hat of the enellIV, Ilt lives it all: SaITIC Ei3n4;'. in [he WI1CIIE: And in ViSkin

the parts. Such a person can then imagine himelf to he a divinity who is dangling the t` variegateci threads from, his fingers . , with a smile on his lips." Is it h• chance that two thinkers, so profoundly different from one =other, hilt having such an inrimate experience of the front, lxith arrik c from different perspectives ar comparisons that return tea the f Icrac]ttean vision of being ac poirenow? In fact doesn't OW` find tlu•re something, GC the irreducible sense of the history of 'INcsrerni humanity, an .e...pect of th e s.criSe that tcrtia' I cuiitics Ill r..! S4211.!1/41.! Of hunian history in general? (i4-19 But if it commernoraleN death and Vit - tOry over death, this triumph also marks the moment of celebration when the survivor who is forced to mourn experiences [IX! j&' of Nurvivai or " 5 1:11x- rexistunce" Isor-tae] in an almost maniacal way, as Freud pckinied OW. In this genealogy of responsibilir• and of freedom, of their iCittit ." .;LS ParOaa calls it. the tritimphant 411 irntarion of r he free 3ncl i.cponilklc r7r1 d1C: part or a mortal or unite being can indeed be expressed maniacally. Thus, in the same disavowal., it would hick, Fronk Otliel'S c ar frOln ilSelf. more khan one scCr•t! that of the orqiikstic hot stuni dial it lit enslaved,. ;..tibordinated, and incorporated, and that of its CrAill MOrtilliEV that it refuses far detlit. .; in the very experience of it-c triunlph. Such a genealovy thus seems indeed ambiguous. 'nit! intl.:rine. tation of such a philosophical or philosophico-political emergence .

R

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I:

PONS1 1; I 1.

of absolute freedom (."'die soul is absolutcl.... free, it Chooses its own destiny" II I 50 seems nothing other than straightforward and self-sufficient: but it INILT■MyS a disquiering assessment of things. For in spite of the implicit praise for the respollsilak freedoul that awakes from its orgiastic or demonic sletp. Patoka recognizes in "new mytholoL,7y." Although it is incorporated, this vigilance. disciplined, subjugated, and enslaved, the orgiastic is nen lated, It continues to motivate sklbterrallCOLISly a illythC.Iltigy of responsible freedom that is ;kt the 53111e (Mau a politics, indeed the will partly intact foundation of pc diries in the \ est , it Continues to motivate such a freedom afrer the second turnaround or conver-

.

sion that is Christianity. Thus there is horn a new and shining, mythology of the soul, founded on the duality of the autberwie (pra•e) and rCNpOntiii.Ilt: 011. IFIC one hand, and of the CXE•aardirukry and orgiastic on clic other, T111.: 11)IyiliSlie ir not dimitErnor Ikra , irk zkavrixna a Beinir.rw

Cattli sire.feb..y00. (I 15, 1111 .5

(The CITY recognize the proximity to I leidegger throughout Pall 11.1:11'S CliSCOnrSe. h.orh here and elsewhere, but the differences

between them, whether or potential. are rionediziess sig. lilt: tht:3[11.: cif authemiCity, the links AfflOng Gare, beingtoWarcls-dcat h, freedom. and responsibility, the very idx -a of a genesis or a history of egological subjectivity, All such ideas certainly have a Hcideggcrian flavor to them, But this genealogy is hardly I leideggerian in style when it takes into a.ecuunt an incorporation of an earlier mystery that blurs the limits of every epoch. Without wanting to assign l'atoda i partic:Mar heritage at all COILS, One might say that certain of his genealogist TeIRCIelleie!; St•ni :711 times [11011.1 NietZ:..wtheati than HUISSerli0.11 or I 1110100Vcr, 1_inn Christianity was the I I I:AlUniS111 1 1 31416:3 eitCS NierZSChl: itir skk is ... correct, " he MACS, up to 3 of the people (I I.f I. Such an certain point, rh difference, which is not negligible, being rather nothiv itself- residing in the horrifying thinking of the abyss one encounters in Nietzsche. the orgiastic remains enveloped, ii the demonic persists. irk;

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corporated and dominated, in a new eyipuricitc4.: of responsible frtedorn, 'hen the latter never byromes what it is, It will never heroine pure and authentic, or absolutell.. new The Platonic.: philosopher is in no bC[ECr position than an an to "look at" dcarli in the face anti so assume that authenticity of Existence linked to thy eprmeleia fey prykbes ac thanaiou, the concerned caring for the soul that is a concern that keeps watch forioyer death. And it is chrouch thai very [....ossibilitv that the doubling of hvcrcey or rtiV5tenr hi ors whatever limits form the inajor c Futli tae of I Icii.le.gge.r's

All that (Icri%cs therefore from illiVithOMOrphie or illselhoi_14.retiC incorporation. In formaltzmg and in rigidifying a little what Patcw:Lka says, without 14.)r all that, 1 hope, betraying it, I would hold that, in tIle first piace, he simp]v tleNcri6es the Platonic incorporation of demonic rriii..s:tery anti orgiastic. irresponsibilirw. But can riot go further and siv that this incorporation is in turn ripressed

existential critique. There is first of all demonic nirstyr.,.v in itself, tune might say- Then there is thy structure of secrecy that keeps that mystery hidden, incorporated, 4 oncealcd but alive, u the srnieture of frcc.• responsibility that claims to go bvi, und it and that

repression The essentially political dimension of this erYpto- or iitystogcnealop becomes clearer. It seems to describe what is at stake iii the passage from Platonic secrecy to the Chrkrian secret of the

:

in fact only succeeds by subordinating muster : and 1.01XpinU subjugated_ The secret of responsibility would consist of keeping secret, or inrorponitial," the secret Of thy demonic and thus of preserving within itself a nucleus of irresponsibilitN. or of absolute unconsciousness, something Ritalia will later "orgiastic irre! ponsibility" {121). -

,

Iii impothcsizing the moment that Patoeka identities as tha( or the Platonic philosophyr, we could perhaps recover the semantic difference between mystery and what should more St- ricrk . be

Galled secrecy, the minium whose :sense points towardS Stp.aration (M-cernerei acne mom gelierally toward ti le objectivt: rq wesent.ation that the conscious 5L31)ji.ct keeps '1,1, ithiri itself; what it knows, what

it knows how to represent, even though it cannot or will riot declare or avow that represent:16mi, The serrazim Liu pposo, the c, onstitutit in or this Liberty of du,: soul as ells CO(15Cit1101.: Lila responsible stitrpec't, lit ShCiri, waking from dyrnonic mySfriy, surpassing [hi.: demonic, invcdves :retaining the possibility of the sareitiron, of the keeping of a secret. 1:or it also involves galling ikCecSS to The individualization of the relation to uilLself, to flu cgo iliac separates itself from the community of rofiion. lliut this simply inc.mN cxChaliginij one Secret for another.:1 particular eyonomv would happily s.acrifiCt: L11. 10(clv for secrecy within : history of Truth is a hiSlOry of dissimulation. within a genealogy that is a cryptologv or general origrokry. -..

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by a certam Christianity, in the }precise moment 1}atoaa calls the Christian rrver.ai? One would thus be temptud to distinguish two econf_5roies, or one economy with two systemS: iir.mrporafion and

tremendirm In order to examine this it be necessary to cliLitinguish three important motifs in this. genealogy that combines stereov with responsibility, I. One must never forget, and precisely for political masons,. thai the myster... that is inc4.5rporated, then repre:sseci. is never destroyed_ This vecicalltio Ilan iiamelY, that history qrs. cr efiaLes xichat it buries!, it always, keeps within itself the secret of uhaterer it encrypts, the secret of its secret. This is a secret history cat kept secrets. For that reason thc: genealogy is also an economy. ()rgiastic 1ii7r.stery recurs indefinitely, it is always at 'I.V4P11; 1101 Oilly in MartnliSlil, :1S sue 11:1Ny seen, hut also in (.;.IiHstian. .

it). and even in the pace of the ilaijkliirung and of sectilarimtioit in gelter2l. Patc K".ka encourages us iti leant Irssoll from (his, one for tuclaN and witiorrow, by reminding us chat every ryvolution, whether atheistic or religions, hears witness to a return iitc sacred in the form of arm enthusiasin or fervor,. otherwise known as the presence (of the g.c.it.k within us. Speaking of this 'ands' rise of the orgiastic floodwaters, something that remains forever imminent and that corresponids to an abdication of rvsponI of the religious fervor that Luca:. sibility, l'atoika gives the exam p.e.. -

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hold (luring tlh.e. 'French Revolution. (liven the affinity Between the sacral and seci-co,., and the practice of sacrifice in initiation ctreitionic..-s, it might be said that fill revolutionary fervor produces its slogans as though they were sacrificial rites or cifec.ts crf NeCTO:y. 21

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Pattaa doesn't NV,' As much explicitly but his quotation from Durkheim stems to point in that direction:

needs to he related—however complex this relation—to the incredible unleashing of ant i-(:hriStlAil Vitiltn.Ce Wprt•s..ented 1) 11: Na-

The aptitude of society for setting itself up a.s a VIAd or for creating gods; was never more apparent than &Him.; the

z.isnt's 1110St official and explicit ideologY. something one tends to foNct ilscst &Ws). same I leideggeri an thinking, 4 plum ecl'ilSiSt Irt repeating rill :L31 ti 114 glc:iI I CNC I Chri s. 111 viii .CJ J.17 WU//xi/

first Years of the French Revolution. At that time, in fact, .under the influence of the veneral enthusiasm, things purely laical by nature NI, ere. transformed by public ion jut° sacred thing.s: these 1.very the Vatherland, Liberty, Reason_ A1Lc.1 after this quote from Trim Netttep.dary Forms qf ibc Refixibla Patoi!lia contintles: .

This is of course all Enthusiasm that,. in spite of the.• cult of reason, retains its orgia.stie character, one which is undisciplined or insufficiently disciplined by the personal relation ti reslx)rtsibiritv. The danger of 1 neva fall into die orgiaslic is imminent, { I 21) -

Such a warning does rin more. than is one form of mourning to another (such are the paradoNes or apofiay mcianehcrly toi tr.1.111Iph or triumph to melancholy_ one. m of depression to another form of depression, or, and this aniokints to Ow .5..111lc thing, one form of depression to :1 form rif resistance to cl•pression, Onc escapes the demonic Orgilist ie try means of the

Platonic- triumph, ;Ind one escapes the latter by rneath Of the NaecriJic repent:thee cif the LhriNfian reversal," that is, by. means. of -

the Christian "repression." 2. If ! in not exaggerating lip relating this interpretation of rite epirnriela p. ykik;:c tc, ;t psychoitnahrlic ceononiv of sectvcv ,

mourning or of nuiurning :N. secrecy, I might say that what separates that couninny front fleideggier's influence is its essential Christianity. IIciftgerian thought wa^ not simply a constant attempt to separate imell frtim Christianity (a gesture that always

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tian themes and ti...xts that have been "du-Christianized." Such thEineN and texts art then presented as untie_ anthropological. or contrive-4,1 41.11- tcrnp1s flirt (HUM trJ a N1.341.1(711 li;Lii c trl 1 ht7 ontological recovery of their own orivinory possibility (whether that be, for example, the shim corrriptionif, the difference between the authentic and inatithenliE or the fall (Vericiarn5 into ilic (MC, whetlI c t it be the sollic.itfal and care, tin! IlIcAsure of seeing and eariositv, of the authentic or vtilg-tr concept of time, of the texts of the Vulgate, of Saint Augustine or of kierkegaard). PatoCka makes an inverse yet syrnmetrii,.A gusi Lire, which thLrefore amounts to tilt same thing, E k reontologiYes the historic themes of Christianity and attributes ro revelation or to the nrv.ite-riton tremenartim the ontological content that I kideggcr afft:M1NN lo Cc.

iikovt: fruit). It. 3. lint PatoEka does not do this in order to redirect things filong the path of an cirth(Riox .hristi:mirs'. Iris own heresy intersects with what one might call, a little provoc.ativelv, that other heresy, namely, the twisting or diverting b' which the I kideggerian repetition, in it..; one way, affects Christianity. ()n two or three 0.1.:Ca .iions 1 ) :ItOna denounces the persistence of a type of Platonism—and of a type of Platonic politics—at the heart Of El3r0[1423E1 Chri!,[1.311 .11.V. 17 13r , itt short, thc latter has not sufficiently repressed Platonism in the course cif its reversal, .acul it still mouths its words. In this sense, and from the political point of view, Nietzsche's idea of Christianity as the Platonism of the people ...could once 2114.1.1T reinforucti (found., up to 3 certain point, to be correct," as Wil; were saving kist 11.11 0. A. 0.1 /24.1' ooze baord, for Patoka responsible decision-rnaking is -

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subjected 1.4 k 1-Wiedge : While all the time condemning the Km:Me solution, Christian theology adopts important elements of it lit con-

s

cLeinn ch• orgiastic., 4,:ertaintv, bur on the basis of a metaphysics of kiu.iwledge as syrilia tau kfismotv knom,l udgc of the order of the world ;Ind subordination of ethics and politics to objective kn4nvIcxlgel. Platonic rationalism. the Platonic desire to sUbürdirlate rt•-YpOnSibtlity ittielf to the objectivity of knt. , wledgc, continues to secretly intim:awe (T..pridzoni)Chri.slian conceptions. 'Theology itself nests on a "natural" foundation, The - supeTriaturar being; underSic pod as a fuitilling of II Le natural. (119) SUbortlinate respnnsibility to the ctla j cctew ill y or i....ntry. is obvio aqi v. in Pato47.k2's; v_evc.. to diSeinint resplinSibiHty. And how can we not subscribe to this implication.' Sa7,Ung uhat A responsible dmision must he taken uil the basis. of knowledge seems to dt..tine the condition of p4 6sibility of responsibility tone C.;13I 0 Make responsible decision without sci.ence or eonscienee, with out lsnowinv what one is doing, for vo. hat reasons, in view 01 what And under what conditions), at the 531111.: tittle as it tlernies the ConditiOn of impossibility of this Same responsibility (if d s Lin 11-1 flaking relega MI to a knowledge that it is content to follow or to develop, then it is no inure a re.sponsible deCisiOn, it is The technical deployment of 3 eoglirlive .apparatus, mechanistic deployMent lit 1 theOreni). This 11 .49 r3:1' wriuld thus 4.k-fine the

f)

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S IF 0 NsINLIAT

In the final anaivsis the soul [in the Christian rnystenr .11 is not a relation 0) :111 obiecr, however elevared Iskieh as the Platonic Good) twhich therefore, "such az, in Platonism where the soul is the relation to a transcendent Good that also governs the ideal order of the Creek polis or the Roman c•virai'l, but to a person ‘Yho fixes it in his while at the same ti talc remaining lxvond the reach of the gaze of soul. A for knowing what this pi2rson is, such a question has not vet rrceived in atietriate thematic development within the perspective of Christianity, (116)

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relation between the Platonic and Christian paradigms throughout the history of itioralitv and polities. 13. That is why, on the other baud, ahluingh Patoi!ka inscribes his ethical (Er legal, and itt partic11131' his pplitic,11 discourse. within the perspecti•kv of .3 Christian eschatology. he manages to outline something of what remains "'although(' in Christianity_ Whether ethical or political, the Christian co ric_olisaless i is incapable nf reileefing (En the Platonic thinking that it represses, and at the same film it is incapable of reflecting On the orgiastic mystery that Platonic thinkirT ilICOrporate.q. That appears in the definitLLUL Of t 11:1 t which is precisely ihe place and sLJ trjei t of all responsibility, namely„ the person. Immediately after describinv die Christian "re%ersal - "repressic in - in the mysterrum tremor:than. Paiodu vaiEcs:

1 - 111c inadequaeY of this 11iernatiLa L .; 031 LUDIC S CU rest on 11)42 hreshold or responsibility. It doesn't thernatize what a responsible person rs, that is, what he imair be, namely, this exposing of the soul to the g4i2e. of ;mother person, or a person as tian5eendeill ollicr, AN an other who looks :3t 115e, but who looks without thesubjert-v..110-says-1 being able to reach that other, see her, hold her within t h e reacti of My .'113C1 let its not forget that an inadequate th•rnatii.atiOrt o wIlat l'e5p01.15itnlity is or MUJI be is also an i•rtnpunSibir theinalilation.: not knoxt illy.. haring neither a sufficient knowledge or consciousness of what being resporsibie means, is of itself a lack of responsibility. In caller ro be responsible it is necessary to respond to or answer to wlial being rE,...ponsilble means_ For if it is true that the concept of responsibility has, in the most rcliable continuity of etc hastors,., alioca ,...s implied involvecont0.g., a praric, d'elisio n chat exceeds simple eo ment in action, th11 st:iertee or simple theoretical understanding, it is also true that the conc.ept requires a deCision or responsible aCti011 to answer for itself erm.scicatriy, that is, with knowledge of a theinatiCS Of chat is (lone, of what action siguiliel.4. its causes. 1kb., In del)ates concerning rcsi.)onsibilit% one must alNYa.%. s take into, account this original 4ind irnNitecibic curl TIC X V that links theuretieal consciousness (which mulct 3IKo he :3 1Itetic or thematic cOnSeiOUSI1esS) "praCTiCar C*311SCi I: nee (ethical, legal. political), if On! y (4) Avoid (ht. rrrr atii a Or SO Wall C1C31 IL 111L151 continually remind our'ehves that sollIC 'Nil Of irresponsibility insinuates itself wherever one dernantk responifilyility will 11mi Sufficiently G.Loncep-

"

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ON 1:

tualizing 2nd dielliatiling what - rusrat'artSibility - ralCatliS; thril' is to

5ay mrywillmre. ()rue can say el.vrywhere

it priori

;ITNI [11)11rT11[11.1'3e:illV,

for if the complex linkage between the theoretical and pr {:deal j1.15 11.11,:ferled to iS, quite Irreducible, Lhcal thu heterosreneity hilAvcrlt the two linked orders is just as irredkic.- ihi.e. Hence, the li•ti•ating of responsibility (decision, .act, praxiit will ali,Ailvs take place before 111141 _.14.:WK.1111.1 IlleOretital car tl1C1113IiC to decide without it, indepenticnil• from knrywledge; that will be the condition of 3 practical idea of freedom. ti 'C 4111‘1141 t hercfore climriclilde that 1I(It 011IV is the then12(10Cr liaVC

concept of responi,ibilitv always inadequate but thac it is 31wit'6"..% so because it must be stb. And hat goes here for responsibility ako f .or _AC 11' S:3111C TI.2.0.S1.331S, fin' Irl....e1:10311 arid for decision. tiZMi4111 c1I ale

heteriveneiry [h.al [x2tiolietli the exercise of responsibility and Ile t lieciret ical. tar cycn tic oet iheinatization, is also, surely, what ties TeNlTIH3*ittilily to Iwrrfy to 'he bziresi.s. as (.- lifaice, clot:lion, preference, inclination. bias., that is, decision; bur

141.."•PCI\NIFILI.1.1.11

OF

.liyierint..1 for itself, its intentions, its aiins, and for the name cif the au:ent deemed responsililt.-. This relation betwoen responsibility and responding is not C1)11111101110 all 13112:11:3LIN5 1)41t it dOCS exist in C.ZieCh (GldiRr4driCA51).

1Vhat I have said might seem faithful to the spirit of l'atoZ.ka's heITSV at the Barrie lime as it is; hereuit. al with respect to that very -

heresy. 'lite paradox can in fact bc interpreted directly from what 1 ;tto4`ka inaintailis concerning the person and concerning 1 he Christian mysleririnr iremen41,r4m; but also againSt it, in that when he .

)

speaks of an infide(11.1.1te Theillatil-artort he s4.:eill! , El] ApPeAl to some Idloriumce adequacy of themarrYation that et.11111.1 be accomplished. the SOMCTIfilt":5 phatoiliertolo.riCail motif of thematic COnseient - e, is the thing that is, if not denied, at least strictly limired in its pc•rtinenee bv that

()11 the 4.)ther hartc.l, the tliontc

Of Ille.M3tilatil..131.

riinre radical tlbrnl Of reSpulisihiliti.: [hal el...pOSCS ntt diSSYrninctrie:31.1V IA) the gaze of the other; where my gaze,. pret - iSelV i . regards me lit' r rrt me rr:E.Tarde], is no longer the rneasa ire- of all things. The t-nnccpt of responsibility is one cif those strange concepts that

Ocher

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for thowlig givirru therruit:Nui cri er to 1Isci11ati7.il-

also as a school (plhilas4rEillical, religious, literary) that corresponds ttb thu bias; and finally licre.s• in 1110 :s.crisc fixefl in the vocalmillan• of the Catholic Church and made more general 14.111. - e, EMTIlely,

tion. It prewilits it-self neither as 3 thcrile nor as ;1 ElleSis, it eivei without being seen [ions a tmer rr :wit], without presenting itself

doctrine, difference within anti difference from the officially and publicly sr at 431 4.14Kariiic and the in.stitittional coni1.31.1.1[1it% 11.113L is governed by it, the extent Him liercs:y all.•a•s marks a difference nr depart tire, keeping itself apnrt from what is publicly nr cornmonti.; &dared, iT isn'T only, in its veTv

the strucintuited, This parAdOxieal coulculat of scenet —Altai is called, in the code of certain ture of 3 religious practices, nrYsters. . The exercise r1f respoitsihility to lea•41 no choice but This ont:.., however 1.1g1i:01111 ortable it May be,

kleparlitT(' frarn n

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the e.SSCJItial COlicIttion tb1J re%rkarisihilit►

iiAradusicalk ,

it also cicslialcN responsibility to the Miktallee or dissidloice of a type of secrecy. It keeps responsibility apart [tient la rerponsairilikir

14 recant' and in secret. \rid responsibility insisis cm whar is apart (t 'writ 1 It'arril and secret. 1.)issitlen•e, difference. Eter•sv. reSiStancc, secrecv—so experiences that arc paradoxical in The srronQ sense chat Kierkegaarcl gives to the word. In lac { 1, I t ctrincs; clnu It. to linking secree.%; -

to a. reTeuisibil.itv shalt consists, :1(01_Prc_ling (0 the itiost ec.I11x IilL. 1I :knell convinced dans, in relponding. hence in answering to the other. before the other and befi)re the lake, and if po s sible puhlidy. an-

l

in person by nlearis of a "fact. of being 'e'en" that C41.11

-

-

of paradox. heresy,. and secrecy.. i11arc serious still, it must always run the risk of conversion al id aposta.sy: there is r11 responsibility without a dissident and inventive napture eirh respect it tradition, authority. cirthodoxv, role, Of Lille( rine. The dissymmetry of the vaze. this disprcrpurtiiiit that relates rite, and Vi1kal,:51 .1;1' eni cents FM, to 3 gozc That I llon ' [ See and that remains secret from me although it commands rile, is, according to lfratoka, icientitic-t1 in Christian ni•sti,J). as the: frightening, teiri#'x 1r1 nvi.ster.i,. the inViirriliM IrVitnemitint. Such a terror has no reSponSiplace in the transcendent eX1wricate4_' that reldFC.'S or docii; it have any place in the polities that bililtV CO the azaihrdi

S l C It 1 , S

F

I. 14. 0 1 1 E' A

1.1,

F'l1

I

L I_ I

instituted. But the terror of this secret •XCeedN and pret..cdes the complacent relation of a subject to an object.

will Europe have a future, and will their.: he a future in gencIll, for -1-1.1 rnka 5p'eak-N Icks L]t a past event Or fact 'than ILC tiows of a

Is the reference to thiz. abyssal dissvuunetry that ex-curs one is cxpost..d co the gaze cif the other a motif that derives firstly

promise_ The

and uniquely train Christianity, even it it be from .;in inadequatck theinatized attic v? Let us leave aside the q notion o1 whether one finds something that at least represents its equivalent "before" or after" the: GO513•1s, in Jud;tism or ill Islam. lf we restrict our-

selves to reading what Pottka writes, we have no doubt that in his view ChristianitY—and [he Christian ];.urope that he never dissociates from it—remains the most puvv urful means of plumbing the depths. of this abyss of responsibility, even if it is limited by the weight 01%.vliat fer11211iN unrhought, in particular its incorrig,ible Plaionkm: Because of its foundation (..:Ok.h.rd) w ;thin tlic abyssal proliditv of the soul, Christianity represents to this dr" the most powerful means—Ito:LT Yet superseded but not yet thought right through either—by wind man is able to struggle against his own decline. (1 17) One should understand rhat in saving that (.hrisi inflict.. has not been thought rig,ht through PatotAa intends that such a task be undertaken; not only. by Ineam of a more thorough theiliatizatiiiii but also by means of a political and Instorical syttiluz-in-train. means of political And historical action; and he adyncates that according to the logic Of a messianic eschatology that is nevertheless indisscwiabie from pheruirricnoloo.. Sonivthing has not vet arrived, neither at (:hristianirs nor by means of What has nut .

vet arrived at or happened to Christianity is (:hristianitv. Christianit• has not come to Cluistianily, What 111S not yet conic aboin is the fultilltnent„ within history And in political history,. and first and foremosr in European politics, of

the F14:44 .

responsibility

allnuuncied b the ttoysferrarn 1 reftWndgint. There Ilan nrii •ut been an

authenticall.... Christian politics because there remains this residue of the Platonic <:hrisrian politics must 'Heal.; 111131re aiid more radically with Greco-Raman Platexlic Frailties in older to AtPsvierieith irrtnrndrim Only on this condition

prE.11111tit.• 11:11 44 dread's . ht.1.711. InatiC. The. time of Stiell

"Rah the experience of the polierihim frernendrins and the doubt: repression -Iliac Ii stitures it, the douhlr repregion by means of which it represses but retains within itself both thc• orgiastic incorporated In Platonism and Platonisin printliNt: 1..tehheS

Vfliat is implicit tint explosive in Pator'ka's text can be extended in a •adicll way, fulit is her c tical 4x itls rcs p ue l To ;1 c.. . erta i n (I r k_ v and a certain I leideggerianism but also with respect to all hirrpean discourses, Faken to its extreme, the text The (ht: one Maned that Europe will not be what it crania to suggest must bc until it become.s tulle Ch.ristiaii. until the 7,7).5.k-rimy.* (Tema!. Arila is mit:up:itch- themarited. ()n the ulILcr hand it also suiziests

that Ilie Europe to 4.•0111{' will no longer be C ;rcek, Greet]-Korn n, must radical insistenc.c. of the ,01) Venurn Iranor even Roman_ ,

cgalfiar

.sti old) that it would

Would be upi..n. 41. Euri.pc

be frt.-{.4.1 from the Greek or IZonl;lin OlLniory that is so commonk invoked in speaking of it:. feed to the extent of breaking all tics with this tricinan., becoming heterogeneous TO it. What would he the seurc4 of a EtlrOpc camicipaled hotli Alhent, and Itonle? In the first place there is the enigma of :in inIpossible and inevit:aF transition, that from Platonism to Christianity. Viic should not lie sin prised ti) notice that in the moment of the reversal or repression a privilcii ed stands is •Licwrilcd. the unstable, and son-lel,vh:lr spectral historic fizure (one that becomes all the more fascinating and exciting) that is called Nee Tlattinism, and eolAatonism to the political 1 .my,„ve r notably whatever relates ttli .

-

of Rome. 13lit Pateri.!ka 110't elms 1'dt:us 1.0 the political profile of ;Ilse] makes oblique reference to stmucthing that Neoplar►nisui; is nor a thing but that is probably the very site of the most decisive paradt.ix, nantelv, thegifr lbw is not raprams. the gift of somealing .

that rcniains inaccessible, unpresciitabk, and as a consequence secret. The event or this jrif t yk.tnifil link the essence without e.,sa• that a girt ilrit sence of the gift to secret• ., . Var eine rif day, a gift destined for such in the could be receigilizet,1 .

recognition,

W4 )131d imineLliately

aninill 29

•lIC gift i the SUCI . C:(

SI (114.1.Ls (Pl. I LKOPLAN 11174PON'.7.1R11.1 . 1 . 1

itself, if the secret illoyean be told. Secrecy is the List 1,l'Ord of the gift which is the 13%T Word Of the server. ctuic.erning paSSage Imes Plat° to (ThristianitY immediatel±r. follows the allusion to the "shining new rtivilik.d.ile.v of the soul, founded on the duality of the authentic and the responSibk On the on• hand, anti [hr. extraor(hnary and orgiastic on the

other," As Pla.toeka then states, "the orgiastic is not clinlina.tei.1 Inn disciplined. donlinited:" . This therric take..4 on cwitni irnpirtanee when. with the end of the polis-civira(, the Roman principalit). presents ilie problem of J iiLLw responsibilil•, Foontit:A.1 tranNCI.711C14,11CC in lhe NCH.7111.1 context alk; well, a responsibility towarcls a State that can no longer he a community of persons who arc equal in respect of their remlorn. From Ilutn cFri ITEX(.14 )113 is (LC lenn inva not by relations among. equals (compatriots) but by a relation to the Erariscend•it Good. That poses nev,. questions and makes pICAS;ihle rte.w •

Si )111L1 11311N_ En ale :irialysis [he 54)ditl problem of thi.

Rinnain bnpirc iS ;Eh A) consfAiditted on grounds inadc p...*-

sible by the Platonic conception of the' soul. The Neoplatonist philosopher Julian the Apostate sitting on the imperial Iii repre.Sc•lIN—aS QUihpul tirade import.int episode in the rdations belv,ec.11 The orgiastic and the discipline of responsibility. (Iristianit• has riot been able to surpas , this Platonic siolinitm except tr... ri anosher rn.2erveri. Pn s ble ilife itself conceived in that cunt a 5 thegiff orsornething that, in the 1:31d, SS bile haying the characteristics of the Good, also firesente.4.1 the traits of quirething indatigcibire (r.topi-i.r.wpfleiy..) to which n tan ix fort:Niel ensla...•4.N1 the traits of a nwstery that has the last word. Christianit!... understands the good in a diffcrcn t way from Plain, as goodness thAt iS forgetful of itself arid As (in no orgiastic) that denies itself. 0 15, my emphasis) ,

-

-

—

Let us emphasize the word "gift." 13e.tucen (in the one hand this denial that involveS runo1.3 ncing the self, this 3hnc.•EI:trinfl of the

gift, of gixidness, or of the generosity of the .ift that must withdraw, hide, in fact sacrifice itself in order to give, and on the other band the repression that Would transform the gift into an economy of sacrihee., is there not a secret affunitv, :ail imavoida.ble risk of contamination of i440 possibilities as close one to the other as they are different from each other? For what is given in this trembling, in the actual trembling of terror, is nothing other than death itself, iluikt-. signifinnlee for death, a altW apprehension of death, d new way in which to give oneself death or to put OtleSelf 10 (Lath [Ye deRiner /a met]. The cliffcrcilcc betweei PlaniliSITI arid Christianity would be above all "a revcrs21 i31 the face of death and of eternal dt•ailt, Living in Anguish and hope that couldn't be more clos4..1v allied one with the other, trembling in the consciousness of in and offering one s whole being itt die sacrifice of repentance 0 17). Such is; the ruptio {2 that functions in the mode of, and within the limits of, a repression . between the metaphysics, ethic-s, and politics of the Plaionic Good (that is, the "incorporated" orgiastic mystery) and the mys.m.riropt rremendtern c.if ChTi5ti2n responsibility: -

'

-

,

NO more the orgiastic, which remains. not only subonlinated hot, in certain eNtreille cases. i;oniplelulY repreSSA:t1; instead, at IT.111ferilan liceALSC rerc- sitius beilleCiarth not in an essence that is

accessible to the homan gaze. that ref the GOIXI. anti the ( )ne, but in the relation to a SUM-Clue, absolute and inacces sibl e that holds us in check not h...• exterior but interior force. ( I Since he knows Heidegger's; ideas and language so well, Patc.11;,;,i's allusion is mak.lc with quite conscious intent. I le speal4s of a supreme beintr., of CIA as one who holding me from within and within his g.:17.e, defines everything regarding me, and so rousts rrie to re•ponsihilitv_ The dvtinirion. of (itwi as !iLipremt being is the onto-theological proposition that 1 Icidegger reicCES when he speaks of ;lie originary and essential responsibility of the Amity Within the huorinQ of this rail (Ruf) on the basis of which it is experienced ac originally reSponsilk, i wilt (SChuidig), or indebted 13.4:fore fault in particular and ticfore at14' Lktcrinincti debt., the 31

0 !N.:

at

F:

norin. is in thy' first place not rcsponsibtu- to any determined being who looks at it or speaks to it, When I leidcgver describes vi.lut he names the call or the sense of calling iktifstrtn) as experience of care and original phenol -minion of the Ihrstin in it s originar!,. truing-responsible or Lidng-goilty (Schtdelipern), the existential ana 1. vsis that he IA proposing claims to go beyond 3riv theological perspout ivu (§5•-1, 269 13131). This originaritv dix.-s not imply any relation of the add!' to a supreme being as origin or the wrier that speaks to the Gr-,....4ssen, Dr conscience, or as or i4irt art thc gaze before which moral conscience must stand ; in fact it excludes sod'. 2 relation. On several occasions. I leidegger de -scribes the kanrian representation of th• tribunal before which or in r..those sikthir conscience must appear as :in image [ffild). thereby discria]ilving it at lcaSt from an ontological point of view 27 I Pk §59., 293 [339}'1. On the other hand Elm silent voice that calls th e Is immune from all Frerssilil E.! identiilual.1011. It is abst."[Licelv indeterrni, nate, even if "the iwculiat indefiniteness of the caller and the U1possibility of making more definite what this eallur is. arc not just nothing" ("The. eigeonihnhch Unbecgionmaicif rt#d nbegronmbarkeit desNuji.rs ;sr nicht nichtf)(§57 275 1 3 19J). The origin of rktironsibility does not in way reduce, originarily, to a suprume being. Hut there is no filyL:tg:T• in Thal_ NOT any •ercr. There.• is no mystery to this indetermination and indeterminacy_ The fact that the voice remains silent and is not the voice of anyone in particular, of any dererminahle identirv„ is the condition of the Cie-Ice's= (that which is translated loosely as moral conscienec—let tit Call it the responsible CoDsCit:11Ce ), but that in no way implies that this voice is a secret or "iniisterierus voice" ( 1 1t,sebeintelisvolk Shimmy") (§5ei, 274 .

[3181),

Thus Patoeka deliberately takes an apprilne tack to i Icidegget._ 1 le is no doubt Convinced that there is no trite binding responsibility or obligation that doesn't come from someone, from a person such as an absolute.• heing who transfixe.s me, takes possession of rne., hOlijS iltic 111 its hand and in its gaze (even though through this dissymmetry I Jon i ' .see it; it is C5SC11(121 that I don't se..e.. irk. This supreme being, this infinite other, iii.st comes across me, it falis upon me Or ifi irne that I kidegge r . A m) snys that th e cat] whose

32

01: 1:11.1401'1 AN .

source remains indeterrninahle comes from me while falling -upon me, it conie...; O1]( Of me aS it CORMS across me:—"irk,r Rtef .kromni ails mit* and doch nix:r t1,144.11 i,557, 275 (20)1)., While seeming to comiadict licidegger hv si!431ing the origin of my responsibility tO a suprerry being, l'atoka akin seen! En contradict himself, for he sa:ys elsewhere that Nietzsche vias quite correct in de-scribing Christ ianitY as the Platonisn, of tlic people because "the Christian God reinforces 1114: Lorit0-theological conecTition of transcendence as something evident," whereas on the other hand there is "a profound difference of principle' between Christianity and ontotheologi, . I n order to escape this contruliction he will L1121 1_1 to keep his reference to a NATI C[1W being distinct from all onto-theolovieal meaning in the sense that I leiclegger, and Heidegger alone, gave. to it :Ind whose concept lie sought to legitimi.tc. This is without doubt an implicit project of l'ate,N:ka's discourse. The ervpto. fIT rriv.sici-1.Tencalogy u f reSp011Sibilit.y is WI)V4,11 wit is the double and inextricably interlwined thread of the gift and of death: in short of the gift of death. 'l he gift made In) nne (iod as Ito 111.31dS lac in his gars ncl ilk his hand Yr hide remaining mater: ssible to MC, 11 -1e terribly' dissi,•mmeirica[ uifl. Of the nrysterrgetin irrmenduny only. allfmq r31C 11T0 TeSpequi 211d only rouses me to the TeSpon.c it gi yt's HA! 1, y making a g i ft of death kn !BC don.tnenn icI 14iVirkg: 1.114• secret of death, a neNA eXpellienCe of 41:11AI questiOil of whether this discourse on ihu gift and on the gift of death is or is not a discourse on vac:Tit-ice :nut 011 ilyifg for ibe other is something that we must now anabize. Especially sines; this inve:sCigatioll into the SCCII C1 (pf rchiponsibiiilLY is eininentb, - historical and piiticol. CO-fiCCITY.; she VCTV es Nemec )r fniture of E-.iiropuati politics. I,ike the polis and the (._;reciatt politics that corresponds to it, the Platonic nlea, tlent incorporates &mimic n SEC ri iti tr ain; it inirockces or presents itself as a moment without nivsterv. ‘Vliat distinguishes the moment of the Platonic pais both jii.on the orgiastic rtivstt.Ty that it incorporates rrrld from 11111)istcriiegn 4'rr,in.1

1

-

-

erttiton that represses it, is the fact that in the CITSIL ease CHIC dechrcs. that secreriw- will not he allowed. Tlivre is a plare for sr.crevy, for clic rAly5terrenn or fret The mystical iri what j>1 4VaieS (1r 1-

33

NF

witatfidious Ilatonisni (ticirionic orgiastic mystery or the niriveriid.r.A1 irrYPOMIldlim):, but according to J'atoZka. there is runic siich in the philosophy and politic:* of the Platonic traditiim, !Wicks excludes the mystical- Thenceforth whatever there is in Europe and cvui in In...Alert] EL111.3pe that inherits this politics of Greco-Platunie prt)yenance, either neglects, mpresscs, or excludes from itself ewers• essenriA/ possibility of secrocv and (wet v link between rct5ponsi[Airy and the keeping of secret; everything slut allows responsibility to be dedicated tc.1, secrecy, From there it takes very Filth. to CliViSage ali inevitabk pa s sage from the demigralk ri3 the tolairtariari it is the simple prof. ess that takes place by (yelling such A paSSAgt, .the consequences will he most sc•riotis; they deserve a second look.

OI Beyond; Giving for the Takini4, Tcaching and I .r.,:arnintt to Give, Death*

;

-

The narrative is genealogica I licit it k not sitinEll). ;in :Kt a incitiory, It bears irrrr.5a, m the manner of an ethical or political act, 611T and for tomorrow_ lt [111C;LILS ill NI. id ;LII thinkenp iLlAJL.11. Whit takes place today. The organiTat ion of the norrativc follows a L',1211C::11.(114iCal detniir in order re 4[1(..-ieribe the current FliropeAri riontrri AFL nv...stery art(l Orgi:Pil h.: iii 1ilificaii(Hi; in Order to describe it but more particularN to denounce, ;Ind ecinibat it. -

-

AS OW [ilk leis CSS3V 1}Atil•:1

lochnologi-

tierline (ripadkrivd:l. The ;ITLSWCT sCVT115 clear; this fall into in4iuthenticitY inkiii.:Accs a Muff' 4)1 the orpiastic or 4,11C11 10E112_ Goiltfa.ri: 10 1X11:1( i5 irmall). 1 lionghl, nio4,1ernitl. doesn't neutralize anything, it causes a certain form rd the demoni' to re-errwrge. (14 COI:1CW% it doe; neutralize also, by enoittragiing indifference and bliredloni, 1 31.11 FIC14::{11542 of ihat—andl to OK 11:1.111C extent in fact••–it allows the return of tile demunie. There is an iiffinitv, cir in least a sYnchronv, lievwct-n a culllury of 1 >ore(lom 45rgi.aLrtic One. The doniination Hof techwilnip,.

GNI

Pi

in

,

-

he Mk rd this chas)tcr in the- 1:1.4.-vih prenkire annricr - 113 nwr-1.".

n•.111-dCra: dOnfli7r

plcralre_ ap-



T



1)

encourages tIcincFnic it resp.ot Lbi I It am] the sexua.i iIiipi rt of the latter di3e.Li not need to he ennphosiexcl. II occurs avainst clic back-

.

rr341]141 nF a boredom that aCT' in VOTICCTT vi:Ith tel.:hook-Of:al [eveliJr eit:Lct. tally prciduces heighr-

iting

E.1.1'

recrotiescenee of the.

wia. the Camiliar effecf.s of

and behredrall) ma in thy name nt a bill in the nainc cif anothYt 4.11i ssin)revelation i,r truth VS. ketpi killorion that. in %clut it 111 alas bacl..; Idea's N.J. riStire .0. Lie masted unit', inauthentic dissimulation, tliai1 nivstury

bores (43 1.114! 42xtcnt tkial it ClairrIE ti a Onvcil,

aesaheticistn -and individual ism ilia! atruid it, io thy exteiii ih itt it arty producc..s boredom_ for it .1.evells" or neutralizes the (iivHterious.

and excite

or irkpl.aixable. u.riitliieness. of the respiinisilble self_ J he in(liv]r11.101.•

fly ten. of ell person.-

-

it

4:j61.12:1111.311 rLrlie

prc. eisvIv c)n -

311k1.111d4.7-

ma[il]ing of the iinique sell. 11 is in iridivichmlisArk rclaLing VI. a !Wit ;And I ( pervon . la other words it niiht tic called 1 he indiviLit3:1.]-

bnl"f 3 11115 q 1-111: (.13. P .P71:'1 "0 .. a Ci 1 ar: 14.1 Cr LINPAcTrAiguSre I anti not i person_ TAatild.:3 rumintis us of aii2 inuTpreLaions—c:\pecially (ha( of Horctirdi—accni - ding to which modern.

JS it

(Levclopec.11 since the I 4..i...naissatiec, canc. erns itself with the rule live' -

11([1.E.I than ".% itls ihiS iffli4.11J4: i3aTS031 hiclilcn bellind the 5.0Cia1 [he SiternatfteS are Lonrused;

Sccnei rE.Lniains

or eollecti....ism, it qin11.111tek;an eihics Cir priliiics r,F siciLeidatiti. ; iiberalis ❑ jo.ins socialism. deninc.racy joins totalitarianism, and oll

clv.rything it hides (tat 'Abuse

111

irs remaining hiddc.n, namely. tbc. 1.1.0thentic

osscnce TeNiclo

/111.1Virt (111 1(g'CrichiS i

h is

;Ind vec sliutdd apprtitaCn it ma% by lotinv it

1,citlidrawn, LESSIMulalHL Allth(11t3C dissimulation is inou-

thenticall y dissimulawd by the violence of 1.31hVciling. Thu ..s.o.rds v `' or ' l2'.45Criflial 11SIA.11V 31111C3r 11,31V.:LiCilbp' in the firm! -

,

-

L

its [ngir and intonallioil,

1 )3 12;4:s ( pi 1 1 3L4.)Cfkil:S. 3111121e, MIITC:

1411.9,

3170FC I lel(1 1-11rgertall.

111 er arorlie.r concept. is; returnYd to here, and iii a niust 'deci1-:verything l'aroi,':ka tends to sive manlier, that of ford borednrn, disenedit—hiautbutticity,

FLTAES. 1- n1ES — derives frOill

liccorries

12Np05.Q.

"ntulaphySiC5 Of ft)Ta!" Cifelfirgikei

2 .7. ). 1:0R;L: has he.urhe (ht. iiiode.rn figure. of 1).cin. Brinu.. 1135 Li) )L du territilicil as at CjEculablc force, and Allowed

tlicse figures share` Lilt samc it14.1ifferencc ty5ward c cr....thing [Jul the .0k) pet tivity N The nth.. 1-`,qualiTV for ail, the slou:an of lbouvwciAs

insicad ref tclating to the beim iliat i5 /widen ,hrimicr this tigi.LTe of inrce, repTc‘sc:itts. hirriLiellf as: quantifiable power. l'atoaa descriL es

re% olurion. beeoirits. tht 11tole4.7Ti%e or (14aandi :A.1c (- quality rat rnlcs,

this ciminition of being a force in a sehuma Choi is analogous to

.

-

.

31.01 of IXISMIN.

,

hat employed by Elcideggcx in his tc.....ts cart Ecchnolos: . :

This eriiitiLiC' {If till'

1.11,111EC Clcai'ly harks EiaCk to a tradition, it is part of a kienunciation lechnolou v in ihe nantc2 origiiiary hennek v. without doubt :crimeinsenitiv-e . consistent this is., its Ii sic` sc loin is iiitint.r.triTred iron, Plow L, a E kidegg.cr. And itist 'LIS the role plaveal .

lkin,F (Thyrf) 11114E has

!plan h:is r.eascd being

furCe, cfinc of the In4HIL 1).0 46' 4.7 -

insread tPCC1 3Ile

ful, rThis supulainic (1441. pm ,

incleed

bides the aLithenticiiv ryt thc irreplaccable stJt ix..Lhind the social

fits thin Mali has placed hirnscill in a hornngeriecins rella.tion with the forces (NV the world, AN 0112 siror ..N..si A31101.41 thcisC

rhAsk, sir the civilizAtion horednm produrod E51' rec- hno-sciontiliL

for(-e._ I i lk.Sa bc,Lial elltikV, 12.1312611.11v, [Lc 11,is 1.3ceolue an

tirpNL.L.r$: " ilme niust retimil discoveries are buying tin[eqs Thol' [Cad ED an increase in th c ?1/41ystery Cfajeft,rs,rti) that

313111 en

r

%%airs behind i. is cliscavered, hehind iirrveilec,i for us" : I. 2 3), Lct us. outline (by logic if this diNc ciursc. J1 criticizes an inmethenric dksiniulation (that is the scrisc: 4,1 0. uiciLun tU (Lchilojogy -

trall5Ulittcr C nciine tyLL1 cosmic frirce.s 1 hat have b c cri stored and Ineked lip for ;L31 eICTInil ti . 1! WIAL14.1 Seem that in the world c Ff pore lnrcts hie has. t.pietairug: a grind 3CCLifilki[3t4.11" 1.11}11. On all: ( 1154: hand C`XpiloirS (1112SC liurccs in hand. o rder to uxit :Ari d re pro4.1tice.. 'hat that Cul the

arid inr tlic saf110 reaS011.. iv. plugged inti) the Sanlek:irtiLit; 37

13 L.

w I){.' i

t)(11(1- MiCtern

of forg.'es. t 124)

Might

bur of other Cornia.ilotiot)

OE ILTS.E NEk=ii) 1 kititggCriarl,

11.1ch

do Li num-

or ' Vor•e iy t ht is mind. 10 h. the most exircmc withdrawal cif be.ing. same Call 1>e NAid tor the idea 04 I hi: 4.1issirm tlat .of bcinQ Cot-cc Ilikr; 4155iinialaLiCP11 of living by the entity. (.}nc 113i Iii ;I hileitCrIA iL1 •OrCC:

d is..iimulat ion I ha( corri is 1.111 nlaking 3 Shi)W of c'.9)0ing it. ing. it Litt. l lrc iu start Or being is clissinlitlatcd by ThIS di.S.SiT111Ilali 4.311 that consists 414 IL's:posing Ihr....ing as a force, its mask, 11.01'0141 its iictiralk or its simulacrum. shay.iiig Por.'s "Purioin.Ld .290: 1atnLk3 Is it therefor .: .

iickrcil, il(1:111(ified, C:74.00itied and .1110.11.4}L(14.1%.1 1.jkL

"

,

1...01cr"?

-

LIME 1 ):ICTI6ka C[GCSEl l t N1.1 1• ;I WO. fr4.M3 SIA:15

only 'explicit referrhoc Cif E

a ruadiag c.% E.:11 if Chi: .

14 CS ;11 SErafhpLli OOdLd fChr ❑ 1..

E leitiuggur alluded mui hough, for (mt. rc.'11.51)11 or MEM! her, [lc is: not to be Itami2d, %%licit-as 1314e .11..r.u.n(111 are Thorned. in the S:131AC rontc.rit and to ElliJkL! a Similar 1.3<.FiTit., Fur "l'his vision of 1ring redilec41 by tilt- C(106El, has Exen prescniucl. [ht v1.111- 14 ora gt cm c.ciirk.311porary thinker without cri-dc-nrc 1.Noun given Or anentirli) paid 1EF 12 '5 1 lc itiegu.cr k there, -

not paid 3fl 1 attentil..1111. I Ic is visible [n.n. 31(11. SC:e1). [ci{kgy,m- is there lilt:` a purloined lei ter, he sculls to sav, although lint in so many words._ ly% shall :shortly the reiorh Sit chi.; hC iN

plirkined Eutt.Lr. There arc liowuer I:u.131.1ulaL1[311S; t ha( I. ICI(ICLIVer W4.AJ Ed newr have sithscribied tr., for ex.o3t1FIL., chat ...1.•ich presenis this metal. physics of fo.rec as a ' 11kVilh1014Vi." or again ql.■ ina lieu tic. fiction. The: mccaph .....sie of fore• is. Th.urciore fictitioli:1/4 :111(1 iii;4(11ThC.31114: 9

-

1_.6kfilit.ri a nrP•zg.'Ll -- L11.1(rucl." E is icic that

4r uci.LIci 1)4_:%. ha•IL! Said ilieinphysical detcnoiruni.oris cif being nr tht history nr the

1ILSNI1111.11Lition

of bein .?, in clic. tigures

rroxleS (1111. clitity op:al as my.rhs or/la/cm!. Sod!! Euriri.5 ti tau 141 EK: more thin I Icitiergicrion. leki.eggcr newur havc said that inetnphY:icicc. .15 5.1.01.1.v.as: rir holds L 4 h 12.

{)f (inaurIllemir)disqhmil.ation

that Llissilindalcs.(autheritie) LI3ssimulation 1.1%• means of TN.! simple gesture Of expnsing 4.)t i.af scciog ii. ordcr sot or i( st-cri in order to Nee (which is. the L cur "curiosity" 1 9 I ken (Me has hire an example oi i logic of sccreev. It is never 1>EitCr ]4 .pt than in lxingr exposed. Di!NSiall1-11;460(1 never better nie..131ff .i.)f this pariiet,IJr kind Elf ,

Force is Chills. found In be the WICIISt CitTe(ne 101•[Tl1thWe4".31 111,:c the lorrcr starcluAl for in the s1.1.)01' 1.1 0; being pcic, i s nink •I ici . i: i ii iiyori: 1.1.4:1 1. 1r12 p 1.1111.:1(1 1.3(31Lier Clic form 151 th.12 totahtv of the entity, that is to say rif forces th:ar cirganifx and liberate CICI)riVed ILN !IC 121 the-raw1%.es, marl 111'111g (V) ALI a ll TI.L irigs, ViSion 1)1 being reduccd 13% The entity has 1K-1.:11

UDC ` %ATV CV12!'.. ill

presentecl aii th• work rif a great corrrempyrrary i hinker willx.tit credence h.iiving lxVi I gi% en oi.

3LLuil...1011 [mid N.)

IE. (125)

hiL:. work, encri• ti) feSCET11511c.• A pui lointa

friduige.Lr Rimsrif.

-

letter. I lc i nog (icily .1111 niterpreter 1.3f the illa% [..1 dissimulation can tie likened to 4.gle %-1.1No. 0.134.1154.:s IL111.•:, he or it is Rho in piace of is callcd liere. 1)6.311.4 or the leort...r Veil(' on Ifirrei_ Thi5 i 1.0( rho first cirri. that licitlegger and PI OC are fnuilio.i. under ,

[

tlik: same: cover. -folded corthLr. for 1)cl.(cr or for 1.1.1.)c s. it 11101.3S1 1.', in rl.L'..%2[11(.! 1:11i)story of lcitt...r5._ this s]..,...ight 4.31 hand N.1.•1i1C als.o keeping E

.0.

performing in I rick rt) hide anCPC114.7. t [1 .1.0 play of nThe lkuloined Siriec the fact clef death Is 1 A:titer," \I•e art! brouglii back to the apprthr..hior, urt011. thIS of (.ric....ip.rg ri,Pjaelf iJc ih th:I1 :LiVE.1115 tCI urq dc3311.1.11ant impulse. uss:ly as A 11ac we are hcre .c.. 21.11ing the al.Tiehteision Or dualth rtf.i[as cali.cril for the HMI. much. 10 the cu1l.4LT11. 5.0licitiLd•. care as it flOCS ti] the meaning {[Pinreleta th .PS.)kh+25 ) irk the nrelLqe ihernairno 4.111Ela

L .

.

ki141.1r. i n 4.1ifferent culpis. Lill to f3C3(El by th42 , Niro Auld at parricillar moments, for okamplu, in OrglANEiL iti•stcr• chtn. in the Natoli:1c twabwr.Y., Ch•n in Lilt: Mysterifittr fferrICAlche. a ap,

39

21. 3.: prchen.(4 death differcntl.... itself each tune a different approach. I I3c apprcrach or apprcheilS11)11101dedth 5i Jlitic 1 ht.! .12.V.pi"rience 4it

anticirkalion while indissnciably referring

ruy;s1Lerc that has the last word. (I 15, Elk) colphasis)

1E1 1 he meanints.

of dc:Ith Ihot :15 illggC!411. 013 3 r3 this apprehemive approach. It is 01, 'Allis 1 1.31.i.laber 4.51 scuiri 4, coming %dial. one. can't Sec Opining, of giving oncsElf that •hiC11 0(1.42 can probably nelcr give fincL11 in 1 pure Ankl !inn* Way. 1:.a•h tune the 'Jeff aliti•iparcs (lentil by ..

-

giving to it or conicrring upon it a differenc value, giving riself mippropriatiiT what in fact it cannot sintpl...• appropriate. 11)c first mocakening Lc) ruspollnilaiiity. iii its Col CA.51respond ....:. for

.1..3:C 3)

Paroi.q.:..1, to ci com erxion with rc....ipect to the iici Pli.ilom.phv is brill) nut of this form of re-iponsibilii and in. (lie Sn11311.! 111110Verncin ph'ilosoptiv is 1111111 111.3 It I comes into it einiz r sad 31 1.11e. rniAllerki 16- 11c31 1Ire soul gathering itsch. in eh' prep3rotiOn for death hiGt when it is rk.....34.1y death, giving; it to itself even., in an acceptoion .

,

thin tkiivcr it from thic both:, and al thc: Name time it front till (1C1110J1iC Awl mons Lid [hc pAssaux di...Atli the goul AElninv. its Own freoillonri. But the mi..F.rerittr.P.1 tremeketimin announce.q, in manner of speaking,. amttlirr or.rafb announccs atlipthc,1- vc.v.- of giving klexth or of ;

graining oneself cluath. This time ilip wOrt.1 'gift" is kitterud. - J - his other Way of apprehending die-ath, and of lee ding try respomikil. a gill received from the other, from the (Me ',1,11,n, ItTifI5Ccndi2ncle, ices Mc withOLlE Sceing., 1101.C.IS in his hands rentaininv inacanzSible. The Christian that converts the Platonic conversion .1r3 hirOf ini•olve.F. the entrance upon the seem q Or a gift. 41.11 event gives [ht.! gift chat transforms the Gond into a r1c.K14111.CSS that is forgetful iiirn a lOve (h:1.11 ren011.110C!::. 1.31 absciltitC

The responsib[u lift.= is. itsLIC conceived as [hi: oft nt something that, in like: final ha•ing eharac....teri5tics of the Good [th.ii is, retaini]1.14, .11 41111:11C111 [31 7 Ike gift, the Platonic 41f,fathciri I al-co .chows traits of something ,

iitacoJssible to which one mom permanently subroir-

1 11.1.1:it is given-191 , J Illis would also rt.pr4.-setit i kind of cleath—i5 nni Elicit, but gi.ii...KIng22.1 .its.clf, a giving gcxwiness, the ACt of giving ci.r !ILL donation of the gift. A goodness That mtrit not only forget itself hkir w' it source remains inaccessible to the donee. 'Me Lanier receive..; by T11t:Irli a a CliSSvmmetry of tilt gift also a dt icIi..r &En i% err, tlrr gitL if a cicaTh that arriVeS in one wav LAIL ti at RillOthr[_ :141.X3AC all it is a ginx131.LS_q whose inaccessibility Acts as a Cci7Tntrii3n41. to [he donee, k subj4A N its {xi% e.rs, giving itNelf TO them as goo.4.11)0sg itself I .)tit also as the law_ In iyr 4ler 10 understankl 115 VI. hat way this gift of site lay' nieins not the ei.714.1-gence of a ney.. figure 'if feSp0115iblililv 'nil also of -

kind of 4,1.ealii, one hiL; ray takE i]W) account thi: singlilarity of tlie self ;lc Ehe means bv num..; cNisi_chec hich—And it is here that it mines close to dcnithi ubstitution. NL)W (0 have the expo-icnce e% —

rcsponsibility on thk! haSig Of the I.iw that is given, that k, ti , have the expericrice of one's obsolute sinplariity arig.1 aripreltend onc'i MiLch 1.11,11 5:a1ric: (h1.3L g. I)C41.1.111 is iieJL11, 41.11oLJIMS nay pl:acc. Nly irre which [1.1.;buidv d54.: LLLE3 undurgo or e(131.frEDIC .

-

placeability i therefnrc ennferred, delivcrecl.. - given.' one can !Ay. death, It i [ he SOMC gift. the Sallie Sol.LTCe. 131IX rimid s;IN' the goodness anti the SallIC law. LL is. iron) tlrc 51.11.KI: Of (14a1111 as thalt [ the place of nil. irrep[ieeal)ilitv, that i4 of (1101: (hil Sefiric onlv ;1 riii3fral can lx lu 3'01301105ility. ice! ,

respein.40h1c. Orii:c again, Pacg ka's gcSitlre IS, u p lo a Leilaiat point, comparapaNSES 1101:11 111 HeLPT d.rhi DOW' , bl e to E h heing-cowards-death to a chapchapter •herc 11.12 I.VJS ticaiing ler on consei.ence (Gezzusert), the call ircirdf), re.....ponsibility i ri [hit fa.ce 1 ht call, and exc.to responsibility as ;liar): guilt (Scbidarigsei.o). And he bad indent signaled that death is 11 -ic place of one's irrup]accabilty. No oile can dill: far nee if - fnr intans instead. urieft.srmizig 1 dEr ".1)er Tod ist , serer of roe, in my .

41

13 F. 1 I.) \ If

its very essence, death is in. 4...N.re.n case Mine, insular :1: 1; it Lis' it ill1")(§4'.7 , 2-R1 [Thil.1). This foritiula.tion was preceded b'' 3 consideration of sacrifice that frisk:Lily foresixs—expoSillg itself to it but excinpting itself ,

1

in Avaric•—the (hjeetiOn that I xvinas ConStailkiv In:IL:es in relati011 to I ieidegger, [hat, through the existence of the 1)asein, he

privileges "his

010.111 death, - I

I leiLleitkeer doesn't give any exaniple.s

of sacrifice Emit one Call imagine all sorts cif thcrli., in tile public

if religious or pcplitical communities, in the semiprivate space of familie., in the st-crecy (Pfrelarions beti.yeen a couple ((lying for God, dynig for the- homeland, dying try save one's childrun or loved one). C;ikring one's life for ille other, dvingiiir the other, I kideggc_Lr insisrs, does nor mean dying irL the place of the other. On the cuntrarv„ it fink to the extent that (lying—insofar as it that I .e,.an 4lic fOr an-other gar give ntir. lift: to the other. There is no gift of sell', it CAMILA lie. thought of, except in terms of this Fleidegger doesn't fornitilate it in these t rlri E ifikunicr, it SC-einti chat one does i mE t w t ra i,- hi s thinlf.ing if one translates. it in this waY, for iT has always, as ;115 has that of l_eyinas,. paid cK.instant aitention to the fundamental and founding [ Possibility of sacrifice. I sere again. after underlining • 111.! question of irreplae.eability, I fei t legger t leti l le s it as th e condition of pmsibilitv of s.acritice, aml nut of its impossibility : .

-

No one ean fake !be dying away from him (Keind hum dem .4 iteirrov sin A'terbetr ahnehmen). ( )f CrIllTSe S4)111COE112 (L11 .

go to his death for another" [this phrase 15 cikint-Alion marks 1.14:Cklin4,! 1)1 its almost proverl.n.al character.: To

-

in a situation where my death gives him a lade longer to live, can s.ave someone by throwing ms-self in the water of fire in Order to TellhporaE SIMIC.41 ILE 111M1 the' .txc s uf dCotli, I C3n give her

a

my heart in the literal sir figurative scn'v in Order tit attire her of a certain longevity_ Bin I cannot die in her place, I 0.1r1n1.31L give her my life in exclindtv !her death, Only a IllOrtal can die, as we said emlicf. Thai should noxt be ad)usted to read: and that mortal can Loll- give to what is mortal since he c-an give everviltinig except immortality, everything except ..Alvation as uninortalitY, ..

,wine definite erffe,iir" iffhr den Apderen itch r.O.Tn L'in cincr bestiniinten Sache"). 14: . 2+0 [280 -

1-{4.7itlegger ontlerliElCS ciner ih..1 In Int CH Sack, which IA tcai LS 1 (_11 a deternlinate reason," from 3 particular :and Writ a total point of ..

I

"in place of the other"). If something radically impossible is to Le conceived of—and everything dierives its sense from this i m poNsibilit.v—it is indeed dying* the wirer in the sense of dying 1.4 place of the other. I can give the other everything except immortality, except this dying far RI- to the extent of dying in place of her and so freeing her 1 1‘3311 her L'AL n dearth. I can 4110 for the other

In that respect we obvionsIy remain v. ithin I leidegver's of sacrifice, a logie th:.at is. perhaps. not that 4pf Paci 4:i even if he scums far fidluw it up to a print; nor is it that of I xvinas.

die for anuilier ('fir in .Inderen do; Tot I that illxv:ays rneATIrc to SaCrili•e on•5elf far the

kt temps [1../K3S11 and

.

.

.

/. EMI/Liam:el 1. ..c;icus. "1..1 ELME cL

view. I can give Inv life for another, I can offer my death to the 11114.:T, L I LL L ICI doing this I will only be replacing or saving surpahing parlial in a particular situation (there: will be a nonexhaustive exchange Ur sacrifice, An economy of sacrifice). I know on vrounds and in an absoliiluly certain runner that 1 will never deliver the other from his deaf h, from the death that affects his whole being I-or thccc ideas concerning death ate. 314 one well knowc.. motivated by 1 teidegger's analysis ail what he calls thy ilayei mparzirrie (ELL toidilv o r the ileAcria). That is. very finial chat involvcd When In give ones: life "for" the other means to give :leach, Death's dative (dying for the other, giving one life CO does noT signify A substitution vo- i isut Fro in die ScnSC the of

.

Vilrfrrrt 61.1

But the argument"; intersect in spite of their differences_ They as cx pur i en c e of singularity, in this ;}pmclalctiti resp: u

itemise approach to death. The sense of respringibilitv is in all :arcs dclincd as 3 IliCide of "giving oneself death." Once it is estithhshed th2I I canni)c die fir ano[hcr (in his place) althou0 I can diefor him (hy sacrifieinu ill vsclf for him or dying before his eyes), my own death hecomes this irreplaccabilit• that 1 11111. t aiSlIT111,•

.12

41.

IL i. 3 (.)

wish to h3vc aeccs5 to %Ala( is al)Folutel....

Ill) Ell(ITC than

\IV first a[id 1;?st resp]nsibility., rriv first :and irks' desire, is 1 hat responsibility of

CalirkOt ailllEblartg (LAC: 1 11)111 arIOLher tcx 5parie 111111

responsillpilitv that relates me to w.11:1( no (me

C:iri do in n.tv

pos-sible ‘:'UbSCitiltill31, the CleaCh that eine' e:in neither take Cron') the

aim Alzsu Lk very cc.inl.c.xt EiOrn.r.lidtkeir EILAL by rlg., :Li oilittnticallv reiatcs inc to mi.' trik•n puSSLIAlitY As pc sNibllity

4 ,t her nor to the oth.cr, mrrtt4l be Taken up4.111 C.lt1M 1 f(em.fsich neilnrc.o)_ L1. LS Mtn *t said that the death that "dving for" siiiititics 417C119P.111.11C17 spared the nth4,...r, .\lorc n u way Elicans death ran ht .

plac.c. It

:rack frecdom of the .1)...Esirm The 4:6S.C15tial ro

of this 1..hca•c-, that

zenor Tirtre, can be kimiersrood l31 ITS itrietesr serts.L.

tlic

4.6(11:

Slighi•5( LleS1.1.4.1 (irm ..1.ncle•en . abgeltominar rail. (ihirl.,) PC111(11:12 fri.51n)

is 1.o IN

o.i.tripauckl,

the. nerir sentence, with An Aufnriimen, qnorher way Of taking, [ALi ng ming h jag upon oneself, Litisurcing. accept ing. J lecange E ca n nor take kleath away from the. otIter 1..4.1.i.3 can no Marc L a kit it from rile in rettirn, it remains for everVi.)11c Li) takc his ua rt ticath. up birnst.if: Fveryorie 1r xt fi 45Stime his Own kath, that is in eta v thc Line thing in the that no one else .can eitlYt Ricre Or take: [h rein Toides And

For {mu can 52y in 1..Puncti., Thar IL:ost in terms of this logic, nLt one can CiEhCr 1.3112 de-lth 1.)r it from me [pozimne !.le rear 7;J: me Aligner LA rneyn' Jr me' preurire .

.

Even if Qnc f i x e s inu death ro the extent flu!' it .m.e-ans killing Inc-, dirt doith will 1m4.11 mine Lila US IOW 1 L3 i'i rCVCIVCIA iL from aliVUILC 1.!15.12,

Thiis dying .t an never he 1.41.4,..n,, borrowed, transferred, delivered, .

nroilibaxl.. or transmitte.1.1. And jilSE as it c•an'r he given to mc, so cqn't be (aim

.

-

exactly; " Dv

is COMet El i lig I Ira' eV(1 ) 1 )ag&in irself must take "

.

- - - .

C31.311e I 10.AI Eli

1V: Lan FIC1131. like or rake niLilc), SI.LC11 vOid OE ArIV

.

'Ton itself at the rum " ( 1)cgs Sleril e.11 jakc ihoem ...reLL•

Stich dying for (Ss14 114 3 Sietben fil:ri can no cr siLmify thai the ()Ther has. thus had his death taken away in (-veil rho

This Ahlthmeill

'

from MC_ I )ea.th wn.ulL1 1}41.. this possibiEity

of giving and ittikin. dooner-prrndre that aeL1.3;d1• cXt1:11.1pts f frail] clic same realm of possibiliiv that it illTilutvs, namely, from g]ring aid faking. But 10 xti that is far from contradki illy the fact thai ,

it is only (.10. 11112 baSiS of dLa.E):, and in its 112E3IV.. that git ine• .11.1i4[ taking beeorrie possible_ -

The idea5 that lead Lrs to these 1:1S1 rr,per It Itii

literal }]lac iricither in Patoaa nor hi derive from tlic latter's Nensc ()Foul rgo5 nehmen (mu lakc 'Upon One'sdli),

+4

,

%.1,451CF3 have .1

nor in

Heidegger„

altfilleittnEY.1 hi the

deacil ( hilt one

-

1:141

mitio

iJsacb nar.P.tgr.r.1 1 %)

In Qrder 10 Etui oneself t4• death, to give oneself CIC:Ith in the Nclisc that even.• rehrion tn. {Iva LEI is an intuprernrive opitreherision and 2 representative vproach to ticodi, death must takun upon ,ppotr one.,cElf, for it lerking oneself, i it has to givc of to LoteSelf ol ir.„. be ju i rw dl u ne, irrtiplaccablv. That is !qo even if. AS WC:' death earl nit-J.1.4er he taken. nor giverl. But Elle. idea of beinu: neithur taken nor given relates from or a.. [he othe.r., and [ hat is

intleLd wlvy (Hie cant ftice it 10 ...mese.f.r.onlv i y 13king it Von TILL 4.1austion bccomes 4:.1)th.:4:1Ltrifi:c.i irk this oneself." in l'IkEL -

identily [k. meold cir oneself Ile ...-01-]renreJ cif the ITN(ErTai Or CIVIL112: Self.

-

Who' or " `w hy[ " VCS: ilt". 11■ I I . ILI 1::11 Ilk or Lakcs it upon I hcin....clIel:S IN-LNsing, 11EIL ill [11)31L Sal these dkcnin- su;

1,41:t 1.11,

Cir

hErc

WC VC

rrs rqkt!

does the niumult Ot CirlIt• 12ive room for mu. as if, as it 1.1.:rnilci b tcniptino

ACCoLlirt sexual

.

not count in the lace uf

irnagirM, seat i31 differenee Ll,

.5c.CLL2[ difference 1...•ould I_141: .3 hcintHe.gp-forlif-klealh.

1

Thu y3L]LL:MS5 {)f Ilh.c self, what rifiriains irteplacelthIc in &imp.

onlv hecontes what it ig, in the scrim..! of an identit.... :1 relation of rhc self to riself. by rtitonLi of this itlea Lir iLiorialiiv as iricillacc-

abilirv. In the logic that I leiticggcr develops it is not a. niait-ur of oneself—.L Dasciri that tares• •oppri:hunding its jernriO/igki* and. Nil coming. to be a being-towarlq-denth. It is in the Lheing-rowardsdeath that Ow self of thelogernigkri

cortstitutod, coillus into its

ii,1121nity 01.1.•n, dud( is. Ci.)135f,ts ELI fcalizA,.! of the 41m:still is gicer.i by death, E,ti the being-low:Irdq-dcAth that I powni.m. Tn4.! to it [t k nnhv. ro the eNkent that this idearriy puSS.0.)le as irmthicibly (Hifi:rent singularity !h;LL 4111 [hC .

Lica[11 for the of

or altr &Al ot.1.1]4: okber can make sen..T. 45



FIEVONI)

I

an idea, iit ar)• C:rt:Se. neker alrers the (Must:410f the heing-towardsdeath in the irreplaceability of the lowciffiQ.kett; iii fact it confirms

it To thi.. extent that the mortal onesclf of thr liwir,4?&k.kei.r is iii-lkr.inory And it is indeed the .VII ieh the cull .

(Reef is heard anti R-SpOnSibilnv e41191eS: into play. lit fact the Darin must in the first instance answ e r for itself in the SAnle-

nes& of itself, receiving the call from nowhere else than N.k itself. Thai doesn't hoWCAVr prevent the Call from falling upi)n DaSein. it falls upon tlie nasein fruin inside irstlf, it imposes itself up tin it Rutononlaileiik , Such is the' basis fur .iititontimv in the l antian sense, inr example: " I hc call curill,7s from nit: and vci /from iniond me and erme err{ ' (" her Rhf &mint ails ltir Mid doh 61.1421* Mith" 0 57 , 27 5 [3201), could find here LE)c principle involved in I xvinas's: 4)Elij.C• t3(Fn to FleidegE.per.twe will need eta 11:16; to it later in rereading I kideggves analvsis of death as possihilitV of the impossibilit3' of the Dasein), Levilias wants to rVI ❑ 1114.1 115 that TeSpOnsitiilitv is rbOt at first responsibility of Jo•Nell that Nantencss nivtieli is derived ir4-3m the other, as if it were second Lu the (.1.thcr. coming to itself as resporriihic and niortal from the poNitigm of my fuSpoi before the other, lor the lither's death and in the face of it. In the first place it is because the ethl.62r is .11/Ortal that my .

-

-

and "in;ilienable":

r am respire...114e for the death or !lie other to the eXIctil 01 int:11.01n4 Ilivs•ir in that death, That Call be shown in ;.1 mon. acecptablu proposition; "I an] responsible for the

other inasmuch :is the mher is 11114)11:1.1 It is the.that the: rorcincISt death. C I I et le teilip.s" 313) .

li'Vhat inclusion is being talked about here'. f low' can can• includekl in :mother's death? How can one not be:: What can be meant by "including myself in that death"? ,arc able to &Trace the logic or topology that [neve-m.5 grtod sense from thinkinv that or ]iving" it, •(.• will have no hope of coming closc -

2. The uanslaion% Iruui

1..c.,ilus

are ininc.--Irans. ruitc, 41%

lxvinas's thinking, or of understanding what death teaches us kous .apprati], or gives tp; to think beyond rhc giving and taking Idomterprow/R.1, in the adieu_ What is the &Iva? ItAliar does adieu mean: Vault does it mean to sa .5 "a.dieu'i'-' I [um,• does one „sax ..Ind heat "adieu"? 'tae /IN a.dirld Emit Lurit.u? Acid how can we think or death .

starting from adieu rather than the inverse? We cannot effect such a displacement here. Let us relnernber houtNer that I A:vinas defines Ow first phenomenon of death as "respon:selessoess in a passage in whiel) hr iicciftms that "intentionalitY is not the seerur of what is human (tie] many paradoxical and provocative traits appear lin the way to recalling the origin of responsibility }: "The human am is not egnands but disinterestedness -

and adieu" (2 5).

It sterliS to nit' thug adieu can mean at least three things: The A2luration or benediction given (before all consiotive language "adieu" earl just as wc11 signify "hello, " I. can see you, '41 ,sec that you are there,"' I Speak to you i.eforc telling you any-

-

thing chic—and in certain circumstances in French it happens that one save adieu 2r the -moment of meeting rather than suparation0; 2. The salutation or benediction given at the ni4nuent of separa. tion, departure, sometimes forever (this can never in fact be

excluded), without any return •i this earth, at the moment of death; 3_ The a-dieu, for Ged or before God and Liefure anything else or any relation DJ the other, in even/ SAM adieu, Even. relation 1E1V [ biN else, an adieu, to the other would he, before and t We can only glimpse here how this idea of the adieu (of adieu) also challerTes the prirnoriJial avid ultimate character of the qucs, (ion of being or of the nondifference of (lir Dastin with respect to its own being. Leyinas riot only reproaches I leitlewer for the fact .

-

that the .1)asern is argued from the privileged position of its own death ("La Mori et lc temps, 42) but because it gives itself dca.th as a him* ann ihil a tkm, a passage to northeing, which amounts to inscribing the gilt of death as being-towards-death within the hori7.on of the question of being. the other hand the death of the other—or for the other --that which institutes our self' and our -

rcsponsibiliry, would correspond to 1 mare priginary experience 47



W C)

HL-:Y0 N

than the comprehension or preconripreherision rs f tl Le seri.s..e C1.f 11c.•. ing._ 'Ile to death, mini: ancient than oEher 04[wrifmcc., is neither of ileirig or of rioLhir kg ric ..„ N - (25), 'Fiat is mosr ;fficiunt ...amid here he the other, the possibilitv -

.

o

of tI•ing r [Ku (014:1" 4Prftir The oche-r, Such a death is nor given in the Si]Nt instance as at It insL1t - 01.es 112-SpOTISihilitV AS A petelitcg-0.1700f-10-darf.b or EferiP.w-w.re's.ared..ilh, that is, °mei"; fijr, in the

echica.i tilITICEMLOTI of sacrifice. Pot.oZka is closc Ter both 14:i4.1erger, whodie lar•ork he knem. and LC•illas, hcf. may Or ilia." lull have read, tnit what he says differs Cron' cach c_1.1 thcm. Even if it St-iris slight and seconda.ry, i Eic.• difference does 31101 lust reduce Lo I eve_5; (I. .fiti)ilatipn. 4)i

-

pathOti It can he quite. Cleeisive. is not only Patotta'A Ch.ristianity that Nyarxtcs Him from thosie thinkers (for wrgurnent's sake let Lis Cullom . Chi: 11V)utlic5iY. that iii Whzdf Elkwie Say in c:Eltral Et:jai:T:6Kr and Levinsts itrc not Chrbaian, SiPmcthing that is far front being clear)_ Along with.t...hrisi limit): there is a cc-rrain idea of I.:m. 0[w, its li .Lskon.' and fiortire, that also dis.thlg u i s h eH hi 173 thcriL• And since Pat0.64.3's Utristian rctains IlUretiCal about it, onr might CN•cal Nay a fiCeided prcAli5positikm towards a cell :11.E1 rld nciple of InFeru.L:y. the situation is ...Try contplicated, 31111 WI say 4: quivtFaL, .111.akCs it all the more inreresting.

1-43 return to thnse intt:rscetions Agreenient and disagreement that, up 16 this point_ have been itlentiried in I Ecidegver's and 1.eviros:L; ;tnalvses of the 'girl of death" dial rely rim resporisibilitv. In Ildwai vic limi .x11 the sanic dunIrricts but in. an overdeter Mined 10.1111, anti L1 243S tea FM FM Med b' his rele.rence w .

-

nc- rworl.:. of thiTnes frr n3 ChiriSin3nitv. Thu fACT that („Thiristian i li(LnieL; arc identifiable droes riot

111i5 teat dom:1) V..) the last word aind in its final signature, an essentially Christi3n one, even if Pati.54:!ka could linnse[f be said

co he_ It nutters little in the end. .iven that thy e-ssav iLtiti attics venea.logy CFf Furopeain re:somsibilitv or of responsihiliT.v 1- ..Lircipe, of Diropt.respzem;bilify through Flit:: decoding of a [Nritain hi s -toryfmsei,thrnop3iadtherps:.,icH)

L5

inasmnich as th.c 1.,A[ter passcs through a curtain hikitory 4.)1 Chri 5t1 11 • (arid Vb 11.0 03411(1. 2iay Al.oreover the a k I Ur native 1)C,E Weer I heS:e tWri hypotht:244:s (Christian text or not, PatokIkka as a C..hrisitiot thinker or not) i5 of liniito1 pertinence. fr time a hurt:tie:LI and it don invol.ve Christianity, his at the [hal form thereof. 1'atn.61.oi speaks am] thinks in the places 1 .

:

Chriscianitv has IMF 1. CI thought n.r spoken cif what it he uld have be.E.Tri and is not yet. stxri icF rcycil'vc around thee ai The (.:bristioo Lhefoes cats 1 -

i CL olduith, the fa thomluss: gift of a type of 4.142:11b: iniinirte love (thy

salvation.. C.:noti as goodness that infinitely forgets itself). wiry efigenders all ElleSe 111INEliAgs and repentance and saeriiice. Ehuip, iLSi rL , a IL wafid neces5aril .v., is a logic that at bottom I:th.rit is it can skill, up to a Certain poinE, Ise eAlled a - logic") aor euntr. LE has no nei..d. of r k event of a reveircitillt/ ray tbe revoraewn IRA tilt: Ci•c2ht uVunt such needs Co think This k a major ix.not of difference, perniining such m diScourse. to [142 (lc% elopcd wit holm. reference to religion AS inSiitlitiOT1011 ilOgfri:L, arid propt.rsiing a genealogy of thinking C4triourinng ate pos sibility and 4..sse1ic.-4:. of The religious that (it ou.„11.`t amount to an article aCCOUCH cert iin (Ilffer121LCCS, LLsc SAirie Can of faith. it (FOC Liike5 be saki for Man): diseourscs that seek in our 4.1lay to be relifious• discourses of a philosophical Ti llm if not philosophies thenis ,elves-

tbedice-4, einf I hat would 13 14 their •cry theses xvithoor ptitting structure !cad) scAnuttiiiitz. corrcsponcling. Iii 1110 41DgIlliiS of a given is subtle and tinstaH And 31 1.5.01Lid respxts arid wiih for careful an4.1 vigilant analVSe.k.:, En difftrt.ni results, the 411.5CoLll'sc:5 of LA2virrts or Marion, perb:aps of Put in Ricor.1..ur also,. ;ire .11.1 the &uric situation as tllAt . ,

die final Amilvs:i.:s LiliS list haL; nip etch and it cm be` once again taking into ACCOLICIt the differCTICV.R. that a certain Kant .Knid a cer-taii L lege!, Kierkegoard or eoursc. and I might even dart: to sa.). for proyncativc effect,. I Ici.cicqcr also, belong ro this tradition chat consists of propusing a newid.ogni...ntie doubler cif phill-

possible TO say th:al Parc-kEkn'A teNt iicci, phers, rmonstitures, or tven 1.1 I: CiWiSirLIC.FA the hiStan Cif riti..;

nNophical and rnenipliysieal doublet, in arty case a ir,tinking dun IC:Reath " possibility of religion viitliclut TO.igiu3k. 'A ill ElVed LO ri:111.ril ILO this i111(111CDSO: attic{ thorn) question els:evliere.)

48

49

always

L'

It 1- IC 1.) N IT

How dotes what we might cal] this logical and philosophic-al dtuluction Of relOuns themes: operate in terms of the gift of the Good as Goodness that is forgetful of itself, infinite love, gift of death, ci rS, repentance, sacrifice, salvation, etc.? !low docs such thinking elaborate, m the style of a genealogy, a repiv to the question concerning what conditions render responsibility possible? The response involves [past] the logical necessity of a ponibility for the event. F.yerything toner to paft as though only the analysis of the (T►ncept of responsibility were. ultimately capable of producing Christianity, or more precisely the possibility of Christianity_ Might ;IS u ell euncludt. n v ersely, that this concept of responsihility is Christian through and through and is produced by the event of Christianity For if it is as a result of examining this concept alone that the Christian event—sin, gift of infinite love linked to IOW CVICrlierICC: of death—appcars necessary, does that pat mean that Christianity 21s inie has made possible access to an -

authentic responsibility throughout history, responsibility w history and as hbitc.}ry ut Eurppr? is no choice to be made hi:re bet ween 1 logical deduction, or one that is not l'cl2ted eta thc: c um, -

and the reference to a revelatory event. ()lieI .1rIpCS 1.1C other. And it is not simply as a believer or as a Christiana affirming (Ing rn -

thc revattiOn, And the event, tltatt Patijka makets the declaration Arcady referred CO, as would a genealogist hiSturian staLiiig what

point history has arrived at: Because of its fiiiandation within the abyssal profundity of the soul, Chrktianity reprel.ents to this day the most powerful mcans—never yet suipergetleci kit not thought right through either—by man is able to struggle against Ilk (PA n decline. (11 7) On what condition is responsibility possil.)..le? On the condition that the Good no longer be a transcendental objective, a relation betv,een objective things, but the relation to the other, a response to the others an c.N...iierieney of personal g,toodlicss and a moven-Kum of intention, That supposes, as we have seen, a doubly. rupture; both with orgiastic mystery and with Platonism, (hi what condition does goudiiess exist beykind all calculation? On the condition -

50

that TINA:loess forget itself, thim. The Ltioyement 13c 2 illovuniunt The gift that renourk a:.s itself, lief's:4 niovernent of infinite 14.)vc. Olds infinite 1.091.1: can renouhee itself and, in order to berimrlinitc, Ibi„.4.-.1)ilie incarnated in order Lo love the either, to It ive the other as -

-

'11-its girt of infinite love comes from iionieone am] a finite. is addressed to sonic:one:, responsibility deinands irrephiccalilc singularity. ‘t:et only death or rather [111..: apprehension of death can it this irruplacc:ability, and it k only on the 'basis of it that one can speak of a responsible subject, of the soul as conscienee of self, thus deduced the possibility of it of rrrylelf, etc, We act:us...A(5u lo rcsponsibiliti. through the expuricnce of his iirrcplat ei ng 4.1eath or the approach of death al.nlity, that wIlielt an :appr( %Cry gives hirti7. But the ntortal thLI:.; -KC 1.ILICCd iti SOnictifre not only with an responsibility requires that he 1,;(110,11:111. -

,

objective (_;iikoLl but with a gift of infinite love, a go<xlsiess but is fOre:Utfill of itself. There is thus. a stmetnral disproportion or diSSyrnrneTrV hetween the finite arid responsible mortal on 111c ont.: hand and the gooi.lness of the infinite Lift on the other hand. ()lie earl 0011.42Ci1;42 1.)f Lllis t.11411 0[141411.Lill WrIll ❑ 111 assigning Li) it a revel Ilec I cause or without tracing it Imek. TO the event Of original sari, nut it inevitably transforms the experience of responsibility into one of I have never betni and noel will Lac' up to Lhc level rif infinite voc_14..Iliess nor up to the intensity of the gift, the frameless immensity that must in general define On-define) a gift as such. This pull is originary, lik.e original sin. Before an fault is determined. I air guilt\ itLaa.wiLitacla a I ank rcspc.1.11SibIC. What gives me thy singuhriti,.... namely, death and finitude, is whit makes rue unequal to the infinite goodness of the gifl that is also the first -

-

responsibility. (inilt is inherent in resixinsibility bec_ause responsibility is als,VaN'S Unequal to itSell: ono: is never responsible erioult. One is never rusponsible enough because one is finite but ointradictory movernents. also bet...mist: responsaltiliTV :appeal to

It requires one to respond as oneseli :Ind as irreplaceable ijvcs: but it also requires ILI alisy.er for "Alai one clots , gutsil :nit! through goodness, one forget or efface the origin of what one gh-es. l'ato 1: L.( tesn't say that in so many WOrdS, anti I aril Strinchin1114 drink:74 a little furth4.21 he or the ,-

.

ci 1

1. 11 . ()

lc tk^r cif his UAL V.ould Lill )1X .

it is 1 .1.42 Vitt) deli

VU11.11. and

!ti I El—aild SO 1'12134•Malice% liacrifice, and clic sAlcking of iii i vi cLEJ , ) —i n

the siluac14111-1 DI III(' rr;Exrn!.; Me indi VICLIJ:3 ! re.ponsiblu ntan as such :15 a reit an individ ua l th oE

do.u.skt`t coincide with 4fly r)1C. (ha( let: ril*ht happcn Di) nssur1 i. fan inrcricir and invisible self i L:c...(Tc...E self at button11—...omeching l'Earo expre.sm:-.Li through the np,.(11. (.14 c'hy it 4)1 pre (Airistiim myth then. one that prepares for Christianitid; l'ur.p.)3Lsibly. self UL-C2 LI NC, ED eor)front ing death and in dealing with nothingneNs more leitityperian ' than "1 xvirilisimi theme], he upon himself what urilly arse. of 1L Carl realiy.A. in ourseftes., Lich rim kc...s each. 4.)f us ivreplaek!able. u.k4', lickwever, individuolicv 11.0 been rclawil LI) infinite love :arid n3an is an individual Eit-causi,.. lit. is guiltv, piltv with repect Lea 'Jim. li)ve, Pa empliaNize-.5 "always : like E he dcfirkes there an cariginor .. rmilt that doesn't wait inr iPric Cn COITirilii 3r3v partiC11.13.T faith, crime, or sin, an 4i priori guilr rhat is inc.lu.il •d irk the Corr e]resp.ormibiliLv, Ell tilt: or ig.ina tic which one can ranoil.att. ' respon5IbililV" a v•c1.] as "guilt. Btll fIcideggcr has na need to n1;.41:0... nufuTclicc., no •xplici[ rdercnoC at least, to this disprEporti45n viith respect r(i. in infinite love in urdcl Lc) ;milk:v.; Ulu ciriiginar• ..Cebleitiegweind Each is Llelcrmini:cl as indil idual [}V the tinikikleDeSS uf wl):LE Ji%) him in the geneenliry iyf sin, ,

.

Whom to Give to (Knowing Not Ii ' Know)

-

1

-

,!

L

-

.

.

.111)..,qerr unr irmogd,r.dm :1 frightful in7r.5Lvry, a s cc:rt=t It) fnal :c you ,

tremble. Via, a k dc.c rine di when one trerobles: Whitis it kiln! CIL:31.412S you tremble? soi.1 1: [

a]vaii .s. /mkt! you [reitililc. Nuit 561110y Lill I •Cr iar siuktr.. ....hid) also happens sonictirnem, but Ercn Ibtc. A quivcr c:115 uf course maniFcst fear, afigidich, ryppruhellSi.0114 1.1 death , Pic when one kiiiivers in advancv, in anticipation of %Vila( Pi W come. it Call Lk; slight. on the surface. of i h.' kiss, like a qui% cr r.lic :3 11 EtE31111eLS tllc arrival of pleasure or an .1)940s[31. It is a 111{1.E31(11 t in pas.sing, the suspended time of seduction, A quiver is not always very serious, it is sometimes discreet, barely disctrnible, Sa)rile%VhAT JE prepares for, ra[hcr than fOlLOWs the event. One knn14.1 sav that wnitcr quivers buffiry it that is au: idea I vitas rcfc,rritig lo as seduction! a superficial prcnbuil. a prelimirvary an 4.1 .

-

-

.

Rgilotion.

On the 4.)tlicr band, Erclubling. ar 14232,1 as. a signal or symptom, AN Gn 1.1142 ease or .DTI is something th:kt h;.IE JIrcady [akin trail ciir when one trembles all over_ It earthquake. (treenVemen? is no Ifin.ger prthminary eYcn if, unsettling everything 50 XS to lino.vint upon the 63.1.1%.' an irrepressible shakier g, du: CkuLlE that 52

5

I ki 14 I. I.

makes one tremble ponrenck and Ifireaiens still. It kunzgests t hit Yiolenee is going to break out again, thief some traumatism will insist on being repcitted, As different as dread.. fear, ainciet•v. torror, panic, or anguish remain froin one another, IlheV have alre.ady begtui in the trembling, and what his: provoked cheat continues, or dirt:Acre; to enlItintle, to mike I, N; trenit)lc. Nlosr Often we knuw what is coining upon us Mir SeL: 1. 1.6 origin:, it therefore rcntair

S

a

SCUM. /1. 111 . C:

arc afraid of tile fear. we arlifUislt 01,•er

in that slraniz. c repetition that tics an irrefutable pas,c 1;1 shock his Irmn t'elt, trattinatism has alreacl) affecie{l us} to future that cannot hi: anticipated; anticipated but unpredictable; apprtherdol, init. and this h why there i a future, apprehended precisely ill iinforesccable, tinpredieNhIc., approached 1....Y en if one thinks rifle S %VIM is gching to happen, the nem... instant 4)1 that lhappoiing remains Untouched, still unaccussible, fad unlivable, In the repclition of what still remains im•)redi•table, \lie tremble first t all tweause don't know from which direction the shok-k came. wlienee it was given (whether a gc).1.11.1 w un.prisc or a bad s1io<1... sometimes a surprise received as a slmek) ; and NV(' ErC11)1.111: Cr0113 not knowing, in the form of a double iceret 1/4 whether it is goinv, Ti continue, _start again, insist, he repeate4.1: it rII IrcrxX it will, where, when; and why tbir shock. Hence I tr4.Nnble beCaUsc I am still afraid of what aired LA' Ma Les n)e afraid, of ►hat Can neither sec nor foresee. l trenthle it what exceeds rriry !tieL.! .C114 :t1 rc [ knoviing Iragn a mon Artvirl alch.ou.gh it concerns tlie innermosi prts me, right &Dun to niv soul, down to the [JOUR:, ie., we. Say. Inasmuch as it Wilds to LITUIC} h $pcing and k i itiv i nu , trembling is indeed ;131 tar p rrience of secreev or of rievsterN.•, but another SCcret, another enigma. or another in...step,- comes on /4)1) of the unlivable experience, add ii112 yet another seal or concealniciii to the tremor. (the Latin word for ' lrcrnbling, _ruin .r/rfM1), which in 1( ;reek as in I..atin MeatiS I trrmble, f am attliered by iremblinz; in Greek there is also !roam& I trentble, I ] am afraid : iromos, which ineans fear, fright hi Latin, I rowardurs, treineadu►n, as in mysirriron t rrnrrnrlrrrn is a gerundive derived from .;inguishi, and we trernhle, We tremble .

.

,

L

-

,

5.4

CI 4; I V .• •i

loc

!ran: wheat niakes one u croble, sannething frightening. diStresSifIC!, -

terrifying), Where doe c this sti[Tlementary seal conic front? One 4,10esn't oth. fremble_f. 1 11is Limit to knowledge no longer t )1111 1: -

.

relaters to the caus..e ur 1.mkriown cvent, the unseen or unknown that ilPkes Its tremble. Neither do we know why it produces this particular a certain irrepressible agitation of the body, the uncontrollable instatmlit)„ of its. okeinbers or of the 41,11.1StalICC of the s kirtLir 1111L5C IX by clues the irrepressil)le take this form? does terror woke us tremble, since can also ti.enthle with. .

analogous filwsiological manilestations translate experienc4....s and Sent inlents thal appear, at least. not to have arivlbillg: in I.:0[11.1110o svotipLiarti:atolorgy is as cnignlatic 05 tears, }'.e'en

cold, and such

if erne knov.5 why - one weeps, in

Vital situation, and what it Signi-

Ite .c 0 weep hccauSe 1 ha•e lOSIL 01W Of inV Hit:in:St and (IeareSI., the

child cries because lie has been beaten or because she i not loved-, she causes herself grief, complains, he makes hirrigelf complain or allows hiniself to be fell sorry for—by twaltS of the other). but

chat still doesn't es:plain why the lachrk Ind glands come.: to secrete these 4.lrops of water 'A hiCh arc brought to clic eves rather than [11.!w e lsewhere, the mouth or die cars. 'We would need to make IfISOakiS it Lick diinking cnn•crning the tli )cly, t dissc rciiiini .

the registers of dis4. ourw (thought, philosophy, the bicr-sretietieu-

esr ull;s 1.:71 117: in : iirkde ir.h0tn p..••haanalvtie sciences, 1,11Vlu- aind ontogeneS ilS),

elan' ainie closer 10 '1.11110 ri kes us EreMble nr to that cam( which is not the final e:11.1.Ce that can be called (furl or (Lath death (God is cite cause of the on-541teriurn fremcfhigyn, and t that is given is a II 5 what 111a1;.c_k. US tremble, or 'attar Mike% its wccp as welli but Loa closer cause; not the immediate cause. that is, the accident Or cireurnstanee, but the Cat1Se closest to our bcptlY.. that which rucans that one trernbles err 14•:1:1,}N rather than doing something else, 1.STiat is it a metaphor or figure for? What does tic

body mean lo say by taenlbling or ervin.g, presuming one can speak here of the body, or cpf saving, of meaning, and of rhetoric? ‘Vhar is it that makes tIS trellthle in the nly.drriwyr trettierniUm? r• that exists bemecn the is the gift ill infinite love. the

55

H ii M

rCgard

sue-.4 111E, dt11.1 myself, who tioesn't sec lk•hat is

looking ar me i it k the 4ift and endurance of death that exists in ihi: irreplaceal)le, the disproportion hctween the infillite gift aid ink finitude, l'esporisahilitv as culpability sin, salk:ation. repentance, :end sacrifice. As in the title of kii.Tkegaartl's ess:iv Farr doul Trrmbiing, J the myiterium frowellarrom includes it least an implicit and indirect reference to Saint Paul. In the Epistle to the Philippians 2: 1.2., the disciples are aucketi to work towards their sa•ation in fear and treilifilinLz. They will have to work for their salvation krimx.ing all i dorig that it is Gtid who deckles: the ()tiler has no reason to Rik.r to os and nothing to settli.• in our favor, no r-ason Lc) share hi2 i reasons ..with us. Vi tear anti [remit* because ;ire alrc...ady in the hands or Gtxl, althotigh frre to work, but Lip I ht. liamic anti under the Ltaze cif Cod, tic 110111 xti c don't see and whose will we cannot know, no more than the decisions hu will hand down, nor his reasons for ...valuing tIiiw or th:mt, our life or death, our salvation or perdition. 1)Ve. fear and irerrible before i he in:14, , ressible secret of a God 'alp 4.iecidcs for us JIthough %ye rentain responsible, that is, free to decide, to work, to assoloc our life and our &ail]. -

:

.

So Paul says—and thus is one of the "adieux" f 1pidierefore

in

OW

rriv KrIno:(1, as

of earlier

vc Kay4: al %yip,. 5 oLicvcd. 1Yot

is

pitswir.e. Only. bin tura - much more in lily akenec

(Melt] ut

14' F. I sr

(apousia) of the master: "...without either seeing or knou - ing, without hvarinv the lirkv or rite reason.; for the law. Vii - ithout knowing from whence the thing comes and what awaits kis, WC ;tee given ()yinr n, a.bsolurtc soliLudu. No one cm speak with us and no one can speak vlvcs 1 CaCh of us must Like ill tor 1LS; WC TE1L1Si1. take 11 1.1fX1r1 &NA, Upon himself (auf sicb nelvsren as Ileidegger say's our death, einteerniN v-hat is always "my death," and which no one can Mk4.7 on in place of me). I3ut there is sontetitinv 1..:VC11 IEJ1iE -12 serious at the origin of this trembling. ]f Paul savN "adieu" and absents himself as he asks them to 4 - ihev, in fact orklering them to obey (for one doesn't ask for obedience, one orders it), it is because Cud is himself absent, hidden and silent, sel.)arate, secret, at the moment he has to he obeyed. God doesn't give his reasons. by nets as he intends, he dcm...-.sn't have to give his reasons or share anything with us; neither his motivations, if he has aril'', nor his clelitrerakii)ns, nor his decisions. Otherwise bC ...voilldn't he God, we u►i al, him!! Eit clealiiti; will'. the ()ther as God or with C.041 as wholly other [tont enitrel_ Li the other were to share his reasons with %LS 111V them Co Us, if Its were to speak TO Us all the Time W11 hoot WETELict S11:11'C A Ell 3E - of any s.ernets, hl woukIiit. he alt.: th :1t S:1111 -11,11C 11 14:. 'X(' don't homogeneity. I hisvoitrsu also part:114 US ipeak with Cod or t11 Cod, we don't speak with (i-od or to hod as W1(1 1 1.1t11.1: I'S Or lo our killow•:,. RILL] ccontincluiit1 filet: -

pruaattia mei tannin?, led multi) num: in abtentia Alva ,Pne: h•s riT robvia tzfitr ,P,tuntint edla nun p41115

Vor it i'• Coll whic.-.11 worked .' in vou both to will and to do of his E.,•lwx1 pleasure. Whilinians 2: 1.3) 3

Vousia vr'ork out keour own salvati4.)n with fear iiltid treinf►ling (rum rem r.t tremore .! meta ply.d..iou kat troynok), 2

()iic call wider stand 1 1 hr Kicrkegaard chose, for his liar. the i sh (71)11%- En , 1 .) nitl, in order to meditate on the words Of i3 gTC:1 t

mation err

14;

hiS is a first explanation of the Fear and of the trembling, Anil of "fear 4ind trembling." '1'1142. disciples are asked to work towards their salvation t h at in the preAence (parVIIIEFial hut in the absence •

I.

ki

siirrn Kicrkci4.1,ird, Fever and :Pi-milling, and NT_

, v NI 6. kirrkegaura",

and Era*. I tr1 arts 117. litprkg and Edro..E [ I king .11Prini-r..iton: Print -Ctusil Univerciry Press, 1.9.13)). Page rvicretier.k ire En this edition. 2. 2: 12, Alf hiblic-al Linngittii Ins arr (rum Elk King I a %I-Nil in.- rioie. 1Vriirmgi,

.

-

56

1 1

3. ] aril fallowing E151: Cirosiean anti E..6turrn• tran.51ation (FlihLiorhcior de ]2 Latin sIcr;xs. Whig P1.6aile) here. 11111.1 will rifl find it 110,--k-Ainty .1% pklluR'"}1.14.-K21.41't meter (i4x.i•s plea :urc. thVy 11 -311514 11. 4; by MIT 1, it tenth{ thr kith .2A 5 IS lir 111.11. iOy1Lirtd Li)1.:X1131■Llit, junt I but lo Ill mrwcruilm tit ■I LAN( intends without reLealing his scam reamins, without having tu acciiiint lot his name Gixi•s pleasure bin his %. i I I prr actions ''r eNpl.iin them The tcitt fiCA pig in 11 it 're I 1 c tr ea! r tir blerVf der rg. t W f.:Ndotia r11CiiiS - gc.xxl , .0T .14 p.C:1511T1: , :L5 in their of cicsiri up, Ills tr4x3ii , but lti t131: Will I hit juilizcs SVC II .1 I Lppeive, .335:.l it suffi421.-. Euelarei. I judge fui El Era' talor rilenitire in "I cviriltrg.• virrietimek "11 am plNic44.1" "

1

•

.

5

1115 1



1.1.k103.5

still le . A ish experi•ne• oaf a

!LIC.L3'CL,

.

mysterious

SCparatt..

Tli ___C (331.0 15111)

abscnt,

WithcPU( 3L5:.L.-11 1E114 Ilk

minis, (4) dem:1114 t of ‘1)Tiliham that MOIST L.rlILtil untenable :12VSILLTe; to offer his son Isaae s•cret. Cud l,cLps

sacrifice. All that 2,4111.1!..;

about his re4.34.)11.

10

x4 Ltic:E1 fhc latter ask:, hini %.t here the Naerifieial h ml) is [13

fot] 1 d. 4.1.Eicsn'i rcspond Abraham 1./L Mid tl Y iE to him. I lc .5i1 v!"; (4)(1

rca-

irnpn..sih1c, and

,

1()G1.1.k.

Goa will provide , :1 lamb for the hotocanst (1`burnt

wiJI

offering'l Gt...necis

.10. Abraham thus keeps his Ae.crel it the

alum 4.h.hes

same Tinic as 111L replicN (.1) INAA.{.:. 111C doesn't keep silent and he

big by lokii)0 1::,

clocsn - t doe:m-1'i speak monism h. In Fee,gr Amu' 7.re.P.41.* (Prob.-

tit; S314'ntio ( L 'a poetic p.erson who only.. e.xisa ,... :ininng poets," Kier-

IMO I f Kicrk.egaard reflects on this double secret! th.:it between

LAI iii

and the Imok is not signed hv riles. jE1 [Inc: niargin of his

(P.ap.

Ls ;{9. Fern-

( ..1. . 1.d. and .21/4.1-yrnhArri bur also (hat hielid.-ee.n the latter and his family.

Tremblink., 243).

Al)rahani drxlin't :sixtak of what

This pvci.lcinnian keeps silent, it eNproses the Nilctlui: (hat

docsn't speak of it to Sarah., or to Eliezer, or to Fylae.

all psenclonvms, is ~t'e'rns destined to keep surrei ic.a]

1:.C'ep the

parronyrii, that is ; the name of the father cif the .i.k . ork,

in rad die name of ch.• father of ih4_• father of the ]3 c'11r

Lt 7 n ti` m, one ainonz

that

has ordered him alone to do.

Thix

r.2egiard c ❑ pliaccti, re-

minds us rhaT a inediimon linking the que..zorion sal .. . . C'tTC`Cl." to thifir ,

kOrp 2Li

301,110

secret {that is his 1 Li3[1...., _lin _E _s .1_So I :1 !..crriolt that h -1.101.1t de 3let - C-.4 ,d(V EIVC.;1.11W in the end by can imty

1r.110

keep it:

Lloesn't know it, hi: is unaware of its ultimate rhyme and reason. I lc k sworn to seerec!... because ht is i n SIL-Crel.. Ilurause, i11 Eh is

he

Teak, Abraham tranwecsse5

cif VCSFICOSibillitli inirnediatch: raises the sllLesti1an of the FUME' and

rhc ethical order. Acc. -ordingto k.i.erkrgaaRl., the hi.ghe5t expression

of the signature. One

oaf the ethical is in terms of what binds us w our own and to our

.

acting. and

[.111C[1 think.s that responsibility constsas r Signing in rre nalife. A responsible reflection on rcspon• .

fellows. (that can

1)c 11IC hall93

Em! J.IISO Chic ac Liu] C1)11)1 111.3rlitv of

sthility is inteTc•sto.1 in QdvaTICC in •hatuver happens 111 thc name

irimils or the nation). Eft

in the vent of pseudimnvmin.,

['onion...lily, in The. 311.il-

ethics. His SilCrICC, or at least the tact that he doesn't divulge the

unc say.li or w isiws

secret or the !..;;Acfirieu ht: has been. a!.,kud Lu make, is certainlY 11.01

lxr of what constitutes a real miour.

It mire CFlucEi•dv.. more ::141tile13tiC.0.11v, i1I a1YC Ncc,:rN

sti hich 'Jae mar uneielr, that mile. gitey wte n-if ryr in the official

coure, in sonic R-KEK-cts

01114.1 named in the rise:110031s ro than tlic: public patronvui.

The trembling of Jr .r.ar drd

dcsio,i5r.ti to save

to give

-

Eh(' name that is Mon:

by

the sccryt, Ahl'.111i111 hetrays

hT.-lharn (Ines speak E le says a

lot. B1.3[ even it . he save es- cr.:thing, he need only keep silent on a singli2 thing fin' uric (0 culielludu 1.11aL Liu h:32.111't spi)kurl_ Si1c, -.11

rreMblincco:, Is, Dr ND it seciris_ the vr•v

oi.wr his 1.1.•holc. dAscokirsc. So he 5pcaks and doesn't

e .silerierlee of sacrifice. Not, firgt of 211. in the iich.roie the !Agin. frartm, which refi2ry, more to an appro2ch, or a - com i ng

srKak. l le responds...aid -icn respürldiniz. He responds and doesn't

close t.r-11.4 and Whiell 1)0,=Cfil VI.T1..11 151 V ifilTd.a(Cid as `sacrifice," bur -in the senAe that snicritice Suppos.Ls die putting co dcalli (Ft- tilC

anyilting ;1.1_giut 1.11.12 C'sscnria[ LI,i1ti E IYHL lY must 1.. .c.‘up secret_

liniqUIC in terms ni its being IllniTILL, irrcplAceAble, and toms] precious. It also EllurciOfc ri2fCCS. ire the SUbStilk(16(11(1,

keeping 3 secret. Still, .Nbraharn doesn't jug speak in order not to

.

[]lc

unstilbsritutable; and Own alsiLli tea lllt Ida tittttjUift taf atl

frtar Man:. arid fiT1.,1

especialtv

a i l s L1L}! 1

this, by ril.inns of this impoNsible

substitution itself, is refers tc u hal links 'he saenr.41 [4 ) Ancririee.:. and -

respond. He responds indirectly. He speaks in order nix T( say in order not to say

anything when he replies to Isaa4..... 1•{e says soinefhing . that not nothiny and ttuct i s iwt IIQL1-1.(13(h, 51.3111e(Iling

ri ;he 1.:!Klit3li 11113(, nt 110( N:1.5.1[112 . essential

1

Silcntio recalls AlAraliards.Ntrocr-re reply

le bays SOT11(gbilig aul is Or.crepo 1.110 1111.thfidigh

xti ill (Uri) 1)13( 0..1 be Zi'Lle.

5ilerifICC E(.1 stet: IC12 1i. K.31231C1j3:13d-CLc

i5 always thc: best technique for

Lea ISSO.0

t ti

5Ctarek bet IA:ten (F04-1 itlid

:15.1)railIL11.1 (11312513 . 1 434Aik, Lit XS59

113

D I (1 I. 1 L. '1 C.1

1{E. E

surnes the responsiloilitv that consists in al.i.eays lxrn a.lone, eutrenched in one's own singularly., at the moment of (leeision. just as no 111LC 1,1%111 (Alit: ill Inv plaec, {RIC cd1l make J dCeiNii)11, Wil3t WC La11 u a decision,' in my place. Hoot as soon as one spelks, as soon as one enters the medium of Ungual..re„ one luso that k cry sin *11l rirr . One therefore loses the possibility 4.)1 deciding (ir the right to decide, Thus c.leeision would, fundanientally, remain at the sante time solitary, seret , and siterm Speaking rclicYt.% . us, K.ierkcgaaril notes, for it "translates" into tlie general (1 I .1).* '['he first effect or first destination of laiignage thcrctiarc illycilvcs depriVing inc of, or ideliverinv.„ me from, my singularity. RV il ly alisolutc singularity in speaking, I renounce at the sante time 111V lil)ertv and inV ()liCt I Spcak l all] never and ni) longer myself, alone and uniqiic. It is a veil,' Str;11112:c contract—both paradttsical and terrifying—thin binds infinite re• ponsiliiiity to silence and secrecy, It .17( )E'S 2gain ,it what one usually thinks. even in the riiost philiisophical inode. For common sense, just as for pililosophical TCAS011ing, 111C widclv 51iarcd is that rcsponsihility is lic(I lo the public and. 10 the nonseeret, tr 5 the possibility and even the ricceSsity of aecountine for one's won.ls aild actions; in front Of others, of justifying and c_rwriiitif up to them. Here (in the 4.70Tigreirk . it appears, "lint ati Eli:eu.sarilv, that the absolute responsibilitv iyf 11I actions, 14, the .1.2X1.4211 ( [ hat qlleh responsibilit y remains minc., singularly so, son le:thing no one else can perforfil in my plaCC, instead implies secreeiv, But what is also impliecl is that, by not speaking to iitlaers„ I 41. 1.1-11A 2.1X(.11.1.31t for my actions., that answer for nothing Nue je ere rerondt de riod and to no 011V, that I make no response to others or 1114:fort fathers_ It IN both a scandal and a para.i.lox. According in kierkegaaril, etbicai generality-, and it therefore defines a reexigency is fegulated sponsibilitii that consists of ificakiwg, their iS, ill 1ntilsltiii ones;elf sufficiently in the generality to justify oneself, to give an acecount -

,

-

1

-

.

4. 11w Ensii5h translariro giv rc

kinivcrsar lid. der Ainmr. %.1,11r.rras the tam Dcrrida outs \citr Jitis) kicrieInkiividuar) 211d erbtr'fi (").1r.111.ildr} thg ;135-

guncrar sx thISCF (c..t I hr 11.1.11611 and. b t11C :t1:1.nr4{ ..; .

sii ncrion lorlween erre/km(1a C

-

iitip2rm. DcrrikLis licis. Fur thi. Anti CY! hcr re-fill 10 l'iSCIN1 iNstriip and !cilia; 'I 1 urn 1671 -

1

Kfisiish tr33rda.rinn note.

for one's actions_ On the other hand. what does Abraham teach us, rnY his approach t4.5 sacrifice? I generality of ethics 111 That from ciisuCuily, respon il lit t_ie CiNS tci irrcspOnSibilily. it impels TIlle [CI Spelk, to reply. to account for somcthing, and fill's, NI dissolve mi. singularity in the medium

o f o n u 's d ucision, and 10 anSWCT

-

of the concept _ Such is the aporia cif responsibility: one ali..4.-ays risks not managing to acc.cdc: 1.0 1.11C concept of responsibilit5r in the process of th.r.r.P.iiitrif it. kir resIx insihility we would no lounger dare speak of -

the universal concept of responsibility") demands. on the 011C hand An itet.-ountiniz, a general answering-for-cineself with respect to the generJ.1 attel before the generality, hence the idea of substirtition, aml, on the oilier hand, uniqueness, absolute singularity, hence nonsubstitorion, nonrepetition, silence, and secrecy. \\That [ ant saVing here about responsibility can also he said about decision. Thu uthical involvcs; me in substitution, as does speaking. I.'Ventre the insolence of the paradi r fiir Aloraham. 1...:icrke1;aard declares. the eibtcat is a femptatron. nriik therefore resist it. E le keeps collet in order to ax old the mural temptation which, under the prcLcNI. 4Acalling NIT] ILO rusporisitiilitl', (0 SC1 ficat ion. weitild make hint lose his ultimate responsibility Jong with his singularity, make him lose his uniustiliable.. secret.. and absolute responsiisilit I-his 3S •tiliCS "iii-cspOriSi1 ilizatiCIT1," AN; all insoluble and paradoxical cOnitaclicrion between resp(insibilit. ,. genera/ and thrnaluie responsibility„Alisolute responsibilitl ..v is mit a respnsthilitv, at least it is not general responsibility or resporisitiilitV ill general_ It needs to be. execptional, or extraordinary, and it needs to be that absolutely and par excellence: it is as if absolute rt'sponsibilrix could not he derived front a coot4.-ept of responsibility acid therefort, in oilier for it El) be %viral it 1311.11ST 1st it must remain illeonceixable, indeed unthinkable: it Tn1.3S1 kInvrefirsm irrespcirisiabsoltLtelv responsible. Abraham Cannilf bit! in circler cr) h•el;:.1 111S-12 hr. cannot say that which would explain en. en..thing . . that it is an CirtIcall such that, please: Doh:, thu ethical is the tempta!

,

-

tion" (1 1 5). Thu ethical can therefore end up making us irresponsible_ It is a temptation, :1 tendency, or a faciliiv that ....could sometimes have 11

1



-wiz) J. 0 lip:)„

:Limp a mio....cite: pu4).ti311 '.1:31VOLTOCIS11 agli qapimlud lElli 111)!ci;1liqp

si '.:C1T11) .[(1. `111Ilim 3 Lp

s1 h!ta lqap

-r.3414,„- 11,]e'-' 01 -14313r..0.

.

.

)

51.01) . 1:1110

.

sucricixa ,

-

s;:)1.1113:EX1 . 3:1111/

.417.17)1LaS

1[1110j

1.1 '.C.11111(1r.1

pa9tisli! 4)u sawnssr

4 I ,3 11[ . 11 , '

-

"111.1S.D.1113(1 -alp

wog] imi:FILLI

`ssiliopri,i Lpns

tiNt1.14, -1.11! 5r put: 1..;•?S'irc.6:;.}.13 41..] aura

kt! 1•3 !.!■ 1.11.4-3

01 Jiro

su

h:.11)1.)1)

.Irs:11:kit[11 311.1to vo5opsip z510.10.):.K.1 01 pur

cs3u173prit sill Jo mo jiasEuN

Isri pue

'11;Wpni ;111/11 st

lairlij :5 111

1

n

.

Y ;4.)19

:)1;1111 II wit! '5.P .1 .10iian3a roLila S.H■pautucouF I i pp.ruS n11 Ie,a 'pnpuopp aq louurD a3ripuo3 s L uLlwricti„•

Intl] - irs.m....!un oLp J;)10ti S! irnp!.‘q)11! olit.r!s Ivt1vq.11101,34 Ji$1.Lis LIl lu Li] 1,11: 1 oti I L..1! 1..).4]4,01 ss:,41,11.1vilpy 01.1 sr akatp. JI alIRS purls im:Sr . jpstuN 'Atris()Ezlism itinip!ds rosi..nu .

U! L 1EMLEJEILI

1171111,:.1 kt 1.V1.11 pur

sp119 1r4 i_11:111 3311l1)sne

5i 1rnp3..savin :1C1] Sr [unprmpur .- ].gurs Dip :*i[1. 1 114) .135p:1_1(1 rose(' 5! ar aalns bpoiu!rx.)ui ;)41 .yoi[u 14-)u

ivorpried

1111.tE3113.17•1{ ;21: inp nJ 0 11pluiao}1(021

tn

01 uourpi olur J31u1 14 pu Op 1 jias;1! .ty11f 3117 In

03 1.3p.ri. Irr,)}1111 Sup(' ,tiq

ZH t1

c

.timp

iou 111LU I -pip...)

ina

CLIT,31.I1 ...t]

Au SI 1[1411m) 1)0!) 1111710.01 .44111/

,4411.9

.i1F1M171113g

.%,1.11]p

poc.0.351.3ptin :-141 Jou

sp.[ ".atolrount]!.

'it:1451wpm Jijuis.

S.! 11 1r.S...32quit 3y1

.)q1 (Jill] 111

sr =ics1..9un otp s! tpris sr

aiLL

atu, •u:Ipri ct lrire. ..vian.p• 10

1.109

Jall[11.31.1

1lett11 SI

Ll I.tt :.)11(1F.111S41.751.431LIWIL]i. .

71;13..)11 - 1.)S.011.111J

.1 411 1 ;4 1 .

i! Sr

.

1S011.1

:UV :11;‘141,1. '5(11.1 1 )j

-

plicular

AL1C10

ul

.

CI] 011:11,1 13.10,111 L IE1,1;1111;'D2 111 V...S9'...);1[111.1) 113 1

1.1.1 LAI

.:314.11.) 10 1 Oli.IUJ31011,1L Sr SI ...C...11,1J3:1S .

-

.

-

.

untuo, Fraippnw_lq :11111 . e s! 3! Intl

'3.111 ,401:1S11 1 pureurn[lo] If 10J 1t1.115ISII0a '11.1;51[1 -11611.1W11103111 p;)gpsn!

5:(1011_)uti4 Liviji323, put : iciap Lociti a.:91.aar:N 1.10b; sa!.id1111(1.(111EU Ia r -;;;03•911.5111 . s .-191 In vue ampscp Imp attn'tS 1111 01 si ]] -.tilnp :13n[occ]r

I'' r) splr

1+ . 71110 10 UOU3ll. 713311 IT SP '.11.F.1 :IT Jr} !,:;1.1.X 31111V;1111VS,1;,1.%Iun

1(3 1114),.2u13m:

...C.1 11S0 10E.i pur .. . 14111:1 AO 100,, 1D1:

lulu)! 189)

r.(0,-

.

put: }1u0. 441 utglauni rs1L1.1(

A:11111 1_10!) l

1)3111,`3ILT1111(111(TrIz, pnivirimu 'pp

1;1p10 ul '11.1.'1 1 ) 0.1 001311..k1 .tiLLI 2411.11N11114 .3411.1 WC I 'A:p1.19

fi

In .t. i1, I ..ji ',N:311p11:11 . p - D

11(11) (11 11:7011.S.;1•3 1[11e14 171.1.1 s3.Y21!1110

tip] *AL) 311. s '31.10,40.n:

1' 1.)ipo

-wilunuro

Jounixa JO1J;n1F11:11[1 Attu:gm:Li lit ISISUOD ILT1'7 4141111.15:1111 111 1I1 (t\ •(6 1)} .i:111.1411.111xn

1,1 11 11; JO K(1l:fend. atI 111 Lrrl 13J3, )S 3141.431.01.331 Al311.110StIr. üll $3,143[]u 1s3!Lila put! Aidnsoinid ast.itp 01 papprt silk] vol Jo az)iropan pur.-(Fundiv:Pri 10 tropEVLIE'll 11N1 1 1..1 vuLp A1[1190110 -1 -11:

ppm') 1 -1.3[3 9 44111 tr.)

se- os 1 10,1p

'13.1aas alli

tau tirnplAyui alp (11 i(q.i.xlits si .tiltielauaS

s1,1S;;.19.11.1ULU 3111 . •s3!.1104.1 JO 'c1 11.11:1

tiativan ;.•)ip 1,3,100

. 44.1 JO:1 s:p.r. kil s F uEi D EI

. .:1:11.00S0111

Joi 15a11b..1 ;1411

pLIo idiclosyqui{1 saJidsui

11:1[) u!!

`1,14)13C1:111rU31.114041

`itifinogi s1 I1 •smil 'UOLIELs1pUIALI .10. 1

▪

10 411.1n3

-sorqd s,[3.ri11 I Lne.,ti:).viiino mininsqr

(umuLuoinciiii, st Lpils:4.1.oq

-

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-P+11101 (Xi

pue `L.13Uo

I [tl3t LI71.10p1.1 J[1 10.1..1111 1 111;144:)..1{1 DI .411Ruk-4

Situ-Louie

a.nincrun'LL Isinu ,11.1 4 11.1.p. ak1 L)I _wpm) u!

711 C11111.1 tit 0] Dilo

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.

.

frurtat7

1111(] '71 0..;Jnoo

Itipturiqv

h.ir.r..ru Si trip . 4,114.11:11io!Liu3Inr

`uouElyE1511!-45.1.11e-:

5;-}01.1.).141 LI 1.1.1m1 Iii

31.1i 0114

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L

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(M(1-11..q.op1ku uoljriskivi I linds of pur Lipp' jo ..3.7)11iri %no sx lurni

.1.01 1.3j .

.

1.

.41. 1 ?.1

,

:1 :1 kI 1 t .1.

I. 1) 11

RI

Vi I [ (.1 '61

o. .1LIT11:kT1 general it v„ i. dun; i:1 hate iti implied. En the orderf Kierkegaard quotes Luke 14:26: " I. :HIV 10 Ile (-03T WS to me and thics not ]late his 0" it fai her and mother and hih wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes_ and even his life, lie cannot he nW disciple." 1.kcognizint that this is a hard saving" (7 2). Kierkegaarc.I nevertheless: upholds the necessity for it. I le refines its rigor without seekin4: to make it less shocking or paradoxical. But Abraham's hatred for the ethical and thus for his own (family., frientls, nei0bors, nation, hut at the kl1LISitit' humanity is a whole, NS own kind or species-) must remain an absolute source' of pain. If I put to ticath or tuant death to what I hare it is not a sacrifice, I mirs:1 sacrifice what I love. I must corm: lc) hate what I Itiv c , Iht. :ante MOrnerrt, at the instant of granting death_ I must hate and betray my own, that is no say offer them the gift of death by mealks of the sacrifice. itch insofar as I hare them, that vic)uld too easy, bun insofar as I love chem. I must hate them insofar as I love them. }late ‘vouldn't he hate if it only hazed The hateful, that woull I'm easy, It must h:Ity And betray witat is most lo va bl e . [LEE Cannot be hate, it can only be the sacrifice of love to love. It is not a matter of haling, butravinLr 1)V one's breach of trust, or offering the gift of death to what one doesn't love. But is this heretical and piradoxical knight of faith Jewish, Christian, or Judeo-Christian-Islamic? Hie. sacrifice of Isaac belimo: to 1.8.hat 1..me might just Jan.: iu the common trea.surc, the terrifying secret of the myszerium IrMiletriffifin that is a property of all three sT)-(. -alled religions of the Book, the religions of the racec of Abraham, This ri$4-or, and the exaveratod demand it entails, CLDLlpel the knight of faith to say' and do things that will appear (and must even has) atrocious_ They will necessarily rel-olt tho• who pri)fugs -allegiance to morality in gene.ral, to Jitdeo-(1ri-stianE s larnic morality, or to the reli.grion of love in general. But as Palona will say, perhaps (..:hristianit• has not vet thowslit through its own essence-, ;.-ifiv more than it has thought through the irret'ut. able cvents through which Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have come lo ass. One cannot ignore or erase thc sacrifice of Isaac. r.i..coonted in Genesis, nor that recounted in the Coypu] of Duke_ has to be taken into account, which is what kierkeqaard proposes, -

-

I. ID C. I

T

by keeping si]oit„ he comes to hate his univ beloved son by consenting to put him to death litei donner Pnral I. 1.-k hates them not out of hatred, of course, but out of love. I le doesn't hate them anv kss for all thAt, on the conlran,•_ Abraham must lOve his son abs-olutebi. to come to the point whcrr he will grant him death., to commit what ethics . alk a LOIlleS .

[0 hate LhoSe LIDSLNI LiF hLM

would call hatred and murder. I low dues one hate one's own? Kierkegaard rejects the common distinction between love and hate; he finds it egotistical and without interest. I le reinterprets in as a paradox. God wouldn't haveasked Ahr2haTii err Fr Isaac. TO death, that is, to no4kr," as gift of death as a sacrificial offering to himself, to Gt.d. unless Abraham had an absolute.. unique. and incommensurable love for his scm: for it is indeed this love for ISA:1• th:31 ItlakeS his 30 :1 SitCCiti cc by its paradoxical cnntrast to his IOVe for God_ But the distress and the anxiety in the paradox. is [ha[ lillnlaELIV SpLakillF., is LhOrOLJOLIV illealflable Of (1163khNg himself irrialersianclablu. Chilly in

the inyearn when his :let

is in absolute contradiction to his feelings, only then does NadifleL haae, bLJL BILL lealilLN• UfhIS iei is that by v

la c bulonvs Li) the universal, and iherc 1112 IN ;MCI milains Tni,mkner. (74, translation moditicd'1)\)

-

-

64

1 hatic entrihr;i1..c4.1 the uord insianr: "the instant of derimon is niadriess,'n NarN: ChieWhil2Te. The paradox cannot be ,grasped in time and through mediation, that is to say in language and through reason. Like the gift and "the gift of death,' it remains irredueil.ile gal preseiLce Lir to presentation, it cic ❑ aiKk II temporality of the instant without ever constituting a present. If it can be said. it belongs to an atemporal temporality, to a duration that cannot be grasped: something one can neither stahilize, establish, gray? Iprendrc.1.. apprebrnd, or arniprrikw-d. ritivrstatiding, CA3111111011 54.11se, and reason cannot sc.ibe Ifm4,Trrili..q, conceive, understand, or mediate it; neither can theti negate 01' deny it, implicate it in the work cif rnation, work: in 111V grvrrog death, sacriik e sus. pends bc1th the work of negata0.111 LILLI work itbelf, perhaps- cycn the work of mournint.f. The tragic her enters into mourning. Abra-

-

os

FICI\I

I UIF]L, 4)11 tili2 1)EILL:r hand, is; neither a man of niourning hor Li tratzie En order to assume his absohite responsibility with respect to dffiv, 10 put Iti.ti filth in (pod Cu work, or to lit! test, Iii

must also in realiti..- remain a hateful murderer, for he ec...liNents iu put to death. In both general and abstract terms, the absolinem!ss L] LILY,

tcspons III it v, and cif obligati on eierrainly demanck Thor (BBC trA11Ngrcs:s ethic-al duty, althiitigh itt Lietraving it one lid/longs to it anti at the same time reeovnizes it. The contradiction and the paradox MUST he ertiltireci in the inclani The t ti4i i duties cc Hirrodict °nu imnt hc r one mLiST slibOrdinaTe (incorporate, re-

1 () Ci I ti

E

1

(1

while still recogniYing, confirming, and reaffirming the very thing -

one sacritice-4, namely, the order of human ctliies i13c1 TeSpoil:Sibilit‘, In a word, ethics mug he sacrificed in the Elaine of duty. It is ;1 (1.11 113' 110 1

to respect, out cif cult'`', ethical duly. Oile 14:11:41.A2

noi orily in an ethical or responsible rnannt.T. but in a nonethicall.

nonresponsible manner, arid one must do that in ibe Hartre of duty, of an infinite .1 1.11 1.V. !he name of absolute duty, And this name Vti Inch 1111151. Shill:U.11f 15

here none other than the name

ctt (.;ckl as completeh: other, the nameless name of (ioti, the unproriounce-ahlL! (if)(1 as otKel' to whit:11 3111 bolirki 1) 11. AIL ;111S(FILIEC, Uncarildati011al obligation. 1)); an ineoiliparable, nonnego-

press) the other. Abraham [HAIR a'..01.11.111CilbSOILITr responsibilitY for sacrificing his min 131.' sncriticinv ethics, but in (irder for there w

liablt.: duty. other as absolute other, namely, inust runain transcendent, hidden, socret, jealous of the love, requesN,

he a sacrifice, the ethical must retain all its value the love for his son must remain intact, and the order of human ditty must •on-

and commands that he gives and that asks CO be kept secret.

tinue to inSiS1 giin its nights,

as sacr ifi c ial fesi)onsibilirk . -

;

The account of Isaac•s

I)C read IS a narrative development of the paradox constituting the concept adult... and lute}SaerifiCC Carl

kite responsibility. This •oneept pits NIS into relation (Ina without relating to it, in a double secret) u iii i Ike,' al,sol utc other, with the

Secrecy is essential to the exercise of this absolute responsibility In terms alt tile moral if Tri►rahrV, let here insist upon what is too often inrOtTen by 1112 noralizing moralists and gcxFd eonscienec's who preach to LIS with assurance cveTV 1T5crri)inq and every week, in newspapers and magazines, on the radio rid on wl•vi-

;dm:ohne singularity of the caller, whose Itallic here is Ge.d, Whether one believes the bildlical stop,. or Flcit, 1.1.11c1 bye ori•

sion, ;bout the sense of ethical or political responsibility. Philosophers mitt) don) write ethics. are failing ill their tiUtlf . ., one often

it credence, doubts it, or transivises it, iT Could still be said That flit:Cc is a to th Ntury. even if we take it to be a fable (but ..♦king it tiP 11C Calk dill an Hi lulls to 10Sing it to philoscphical or

Itear , and the first of the philoscpphec is to think about ethics, to Add a LILTED' 4.311 ethics tO each of his or her hocil,:s and, in order

pnetic generality; it nw.ini I h2t it

knights of good conscience (Ion't realize, is that "the sacrifice of Isaac" illustrates—if that is the word in the ease of SL1C1] a nocturnal

IOSCS

the quality of :1 hiStorie

eveflt). The mural 1.1.14: W01111141

Mt 'Miry itself, at the point wlutre nioralic4 brings into pLI the gift of the death that is

so given. The absolutes of duty and of responsibility presume that one denounce, refuge, and transcend, at the sinner time, all duty, all rtspiinsihilitv, and every hornan law. It calls for Crcnithing that manifesi.s ilself within the order of universal

generality, and everything that itself in _vent:rat, t h u VIL:1"1: order and ess.i:1ici. of minifmation: namely, the essence itself, the .

,,

10 do that, till t•CITTI• back to Kant as often as possible. Viliat tile

in%?...i.c.Tv- [ht.! ritost COrnrni)11 anti uvervd IV expericnce I ii responsi-

bility. Tile Story is C10 tiritiht monstrous, outrageous, barely conc•ivable: a father is ready tn to death his belmo..I. son, his irrepliicirabli: Inlet! ocw, and that because the ()thvr., the great

Other asks him or orders him N.vithom giving the slightest •xplanation. An infantici4.1e father who hides what he is going to do from his sim and irorn his tinnily titi ithiii.IL kni. wi11t2 why. at 1.2c)1.31.d Lit' ,

u.sseitce ill' general to the extent Thai it is inseparable from presence

11101"C abominable, what unystery ecmld be more frighiftil (trcown-

Ana from inanifestaticiii. Alisolute duo,. duniarids. that one behave in an irresponsible MAnricr (by MeanS ot treak:heTV (.1 1 . b1.•1 . J.V;LI).

dion) vis-;z-vis love, !infirmity. the family, or mciralitv? 113e 1110.St cur-

Ilut isn't this also 1 he most 67

if

sory narnination of the concept of responsibility

.L'annor fail to

affirm? I )1ity sir responsibility binds me to the other, to the other as other, and ties me in my absolute singularity to the other as other_ God is the naiiii of the absolute other as tai her ;MCI As unique (the ;0(1 (if Alirolum d•tine(I as the one and unique). As sfiOn I enter into a relation with the absolute other, alisolute singrilarit!!.t enters into telaLioili iris o h Ilse level of oblig ation and duty. I mil responsible In th.c. other .is other, I answer to hint and answer for what I do before him. But of course, ,,hat binds me thus in my singularitr ro the absolute zingularity of the tither, -

,

pUDENai

n LL. irate

. SpitCA..!

Or risk of absolute saer

There .arc also cithers, an infinite number of them, the inLionicrable generality of others to whom I should he hound by the same re-

sponsibility, a 'general and uniyersai responsibility (what Kicrkegaard calls th e. ethical orders. I cannot respond Lt) ( h Call. the request, the eihligation. or even the love of another without sacrificing the other other, the other othurs. 177r (ow.) i5 elyr) 'bin other Item( cadre est Iva autrel, 'every one eke k completelY OF whoilY tither, simple 1 4.)ticcp[s of alters[ I: Mid 01 singularity constitute the concept of duty as much as. that of rcsponsibilitv. As a result, The COnCepLS frf to q pc in si lry, of decision, or of ditty, ...

are condemned . priori to paradox_ scandal, and aporia. Paradox, candid, and aporia are thenisel!..es 1)C111.:r ['TIM Sacrifice. the revelation of conceptual thinkMg at its limit, at its death and finitude_ .As soon as I enter into a relation with the other, with the grid, look, request, love, command, or call of the other, I know that 1 can respond only sacrificing ethics, that is, by sacrificing whatever obliges me to also respond. in the sine way. in Eh: s.ami: illiSrant, LID all the others. i offer a gift of death, l butra‘, I don't need to raise my knife over my son on kt Moduli for that, Dar and night, at every instant, on all the .11110.1rit Morialis of [hi:, world, I ant doing that, raising Iny knife over what I love must low, IW' 014)St to whorh I owe absolute Fidelity, in ccilitinco. surably. Abraham is faithful to Gad only in his aliseilute treachery, in the betrayal of his own and of the uniqueness of each one of them, esamrpll.fied here in his only helov.ed SOIL E ie NX41•1.311.1 ILEA. ht: ,

IVL

I 4.)

able to cipi f{ 5r fidelity tt r lin own. OT to his son. unless he vete. to

if you wish. bora% the absolute oilier: IRA us not look for (naruplcs, there would he ton many of them, ;la every sic!) we took. Hy preferring my NM wk, simply' by giving it my time attention, by preferring my activity as a citizen or as. a professorial and professional philosopher, writing and speaking, here in public language!. I"rench in MN" cast!. 1 am perhaps fultillin rriv duty. Btu I am sacrificing inn betraying at evta ! moment ail my oilier obligationS: Inv olbligatienis to the other oth-,

ers whom I know or don't know, the billions of nu.. fellows (without 1.11UrgiOnifig the animals that are even more other others than my knows), u; fellows who Are &kin: of sitairvation err siekness. betray my fidelity or my obligations to other eitil.enS. to those who don't speak my Ilarauage and to whom I neither speak nor icspcyrid, to each of those who listen or read, and to whom I neither respond nor address mvself in the proper manner, that is_ in 3 tiing111Iiir Ellnlin•r (this for the so-called public space to which sacrifice my so-called private spud, thus also in those I love in private, my own, 'HIV family, my son, each of whom is the only

sOn I sacrifice to the other, every one lying sacrificed to Vvet V one eke in this lAnd of Moriah that is our habitat every second of every

day, This is not just a figlire of style or an effect of rhetoric. According ro Z Chronicles, 3 and a, the place where this occurs, where the stcrifice of Abraham or of lsaar (and it is the sacrifice of both of them, it is the gift of death one makes to the other in -

puttim.t ofteseirrto death, mortifying oneself in order to make a gill of this de=ath as a sacrificial offering to (;(1.1.1) takes place, flit* plat4' where death is given or offered, is the place here Solomon decided to build the I louse of the I Awd iii JeTIEUlern, also the place vitiLit God appeared to SolOtnnn's fisher, David_ HOwuvef, it is also the place where the grand Mosque of Jerusalem stood, the place called the Duitie of the Rock near the grand Aksa mosque where the sacrifice of Ibrahim is supposed to have taken place and from where MUharrimAd mounted his horse for paradise after his It is inst above the (lest ri iv& temple of 3cinsiduu and. the

I

I:F I

Wailing Wall, not far from the ligr'aV Of Ole CFORS. It is therefore a huh,' plaice L1L1t alm; a place that is in dispute, radically and rabidly, fought (Jeer LI V all the Illonotheibtlb„, I11 ;dl the religions of chi: unique and transcendent (;(KI... of the absolute caber. These direc FighE over it it is Li

st'Ie•'is Cr ,

denv this in lenns make v.Ar with fire and blcicd, have always done so and all the more fiercely tiiday, each claiming its particular perspective on this. place and clainking an original hiltorical and political interpieration cif Messianisni and of the sacrifice Of I SA:14,7 . I lac reading', interpret - arum, aiyd tradition Of the sacrifice of Isaac are thc111Sul%cS sites Of bloody. holocallSriC sacrifice. Isaac's sacrilire continues every &IV,. itia.chine of death wage :k war than has no front. There is .11(.1 front hem Len reSpüllsihillilly Mid irresi.lortsibiliiv hilt only berwoon differfint Inc yriations of the _same eliffelrent Orden% of responsibility, different 1101CT orders: the re' igiott5 and the ethical, the religious the ethien-pcinical„ the theological and the political, the tlieotogico-political, die tlic.41.cratic..: and the ethico-political, iknd sr un; I h e SCICrS:( I](l 1 lie public., the pr o f:aim an d t h e sacre d . t h e specific inch the generic, like human :Ltd the nonhuman, Sacrificial war rages not only among the religions of the Rook and the races of Abraham that expressly . refer to the sacrifice of lsaae, Abraham, 1- Ibrahim, but betuceci the rest of the starving world, within the immense Enajoriiv of hLunanlilld and ucer' those living friot in mention The a It hers, dead sir noniiving. dead or nut yet born) who don't belong to the people of Abraham or I brohin -1, those Others to whum the names of Abraham and Ibrahim have never meant anything because such 41.1-13 CrOnfLIT1 11 or correspond to anything. 4,:.an respond 011k to the one (or to the One). that is, TO du" other, by sacrificing that one to the other, I ant respc_knsible to any one (that IN to say OA any other) Only by film; in tic!, to all the orlacrs, to the ethical or political generality. Aid [ can never instify this sacrifice, I DILA( always hold ]T1 L puce aliont it. 11)Chether I want to or nor, I C3.111 lac +er ilJNI i fv' the fact that I prefer or sacrifice any one (any other) to the other. I will a.lwas, s be secretive, held til seereeV in respect of this_ for I [eat-e nothing sa e in

)

Widc-CVCCI IN4.4C1 1CfliS111; they

lti'

]I{]C1() .t; 1 V F:

singularities, To this one or that one, male or female, rather than that one or this one, rcutaim, finally unjustifiable (this rs Abraham's hyper-ethical NACrifICIA at; Unillstilidhic a.s rlle infinite sacrifice 1 make at udell moment. These sinaularitics represent others, a wholly other form of alteritr: one other or some other persons, but also places♦ animals, languages. 1 Iry W01.111 VOU ever .y1.1:itilv the filet That you Nacritice all the can.; in the viorld to the Lief that you If at home every morning for vi.hereas other cats die of 'hunger at every instant? Not to mention 4. priier peop10 How would you justify your presence here speaking one partic.....nlar lani,Rtage, ratlivr than there speaking to others in alluther language? And vet +At! also do our dirty b' behay. ink thus. - I - here is no Ilanniage, no reason, no generality or mediation to justify this ultimate responsibilitv ...vhieh leads me. TO absolute Sacrifice .. absolute sacrifice that is not the sacrifice of irresponsibility till the altar of responsibilitY, but the sacrifice of the most imperative dais,' (that which hinds me to the other 3S a 6E101Ian! v 113 general) in favor of another Absolutely imperative &Loh; hindilig ow TO ever}' 011.11er• Gold decides to suspend the sacrificial prircess. ..tddrusses Abrahaul kkho has just said: "1 ler(' I am.' - Here I am': the first ♦rul mil% possible response 0'1 the e;111 by the other, the orig.inary moment. ol resp4JUSilhilitV ‘.1.111..1i as it cX130SCS 11W CO the singular tee NAN

about it. What hinds

1 Ill2 to

rile One ho apVcalS tO 'lien: I ;on" is the only h.clfpresentation presurucd. by ever form of responsihilitV: I am ready ton:sp.:Ind, I reply chat I mil ready Ces P2141(11141 Wlic.treaN Abraham has ins11 %;aid fere L am - and Liken his knife to slit his son's throat. C;(K1 saVs "La... not thine hand 1.3011 rise lad., neither do thou. anything Unto Finn: for now I know that ihou fearest 014, seeing thou hasa nor withheld thy son, thine only son, from mu" ienesis 22: 12). This terrible declaration scents to display God's .s.itisfaction at the terror that has been expressed a see that "you. For r;od [Floin]ied, - V01,3 t ruin hle before me). It carries one to trern-

hie through the fear and trenkbking it evokes as its. only reason (1 we that Y.1)1.1 have Ireinhled before nic, all right, we are quits, I free VCR! fruiri %. our oblig,ation). Bui it c311 also be translated Or 11./ 31 xxl ccc that you have unclerSt004.1 what .absolute ;.

.

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pl10{-[..4..A..] (F] .nual ..s.putitu -RUETFLIE 7 X71 F .1. -

v, mom To

11 II it F.

_ . .

speaks IV! 111.1(11311 IIAMIZI.13Ze. AI Id even if he imtlerstood

all the languages of the worh.1 , . , he still coukl not speak—he speaks in a divine Iac u he svicaks in tongues" (114), II he .0, ere to speak a C*4)1M114)(1 4)r tr.mslatable lanonge, it he were ro becorne -

bv giving his ream lilts in a convincing niarincr, Ile i.yould givin? in tea the [ 1:1111A31.14.111 of the ethical gencralit% that I referred to as that makes one irrespon....ible. I lu 151) 1..11.5.1.11). Abraham any more, the unique Abraham in a !angular relation -

wirh the unique (iod. Incapable of making a gift of death, incapable of SOL.Tificing I1C blrp'L:41 hL31011.: ilicapahlt of liwing . and of hating, he wouldn't gi g anything 3115,1114)C4.2. Ahr3113111 says nothing, but his last words, those that res pcintl w Isaac'sLlur riiyrt , 11aN..e. been recorded: "Ciod himself will priwide the Iamb for the liolouusi, 1I1V ti41111. " If he had ....aid "There is a lamb, I have one" or "[ don't know, I have no idc.t where to rind the lamb,' he would hal. e been lying. speaking in order to speak fakchood, By speaking without lying, he reqvinds withour responding. This is a strange responsibility that consists ni:ither of responding nor of not respEmding_ Is on': responsible 14.]r whar one says in an tininteltifziHe Lulfz3tage, in the languate of the other flu( besides that, ntustn't resptinsihility :iiiwnvs he expressed in a laquage that is foreign to what the community can already hear Or 1,3micrstand only 1.04) well:: " St.l he 4.10es hot S1.31:2k lint neither cloys he say arn,lhing, for he is speaking in a Stronizu tongue' (1 19). In Niel...ilk's Bardcbv the Scrivener, the narrator. a lawyer, cites job kinizs and counselors"). Ilcvond what is a tempting and ohy'ions compaliCal1L, I he figure of liardelni could he compared -

-

.

-

-

to lath--not to him who hoped to join the kings kind counselors orie after his death. but to liiin who ditamed or 1101. being tywn. Ecru, instead of the test God makes Job sitimlit to, one. could think of that of Afiraliam. Just Ahraliam doesn't speak human language,. just as he speaks in tont,rues or in a langua.ge that is foreign to every other human language, mid in order to klo Ella! rC.5pOrldti -without respmiling, speaks withotit sayink; anytliine. either true- or Sari: nothing determinate that would he equivalent to ;1 stateinent, a promise or a Lie, in the same %vat.. fiartlebv'S 74

F

ureter not to takes oil the responsibility of a RVOTISC without TC.:sp 4.)115C. it evokes the future without either predicting,

"1

-

or promiSirlg; it utter!, nothing fixed, determinablt;„ positive, 4 " . negative_ The ❑ udalitv of this mpg:acid uticrancc that says nothing. promises nothing, neither refuses or accepts anything. the tuti.se of 1.1115 singularly insignificant statement reminds opu: of Turnlangituve OT a secret language. is it not as if Barth,...by were also speaking in tongues"? But in saving nothing general or determinable, Ilartleby doesn't say absolutehji nothing, I T.:gide/prefer not 1 19 looks like an i flaw ip/ete .

sentence, It indeterminacy creates a tension: it opens onto a sort of reserve of incompleteness: it announces a temporary or provisional reserve, one involving. a proviso. Can we- not find there the secret 4.51- a hypothetical reference to some indecipherable providence or prudence? We don't know what he wants or means to say, 'Jr what lie doesn't Walit to do car Nay, but we are 12iven to understand quite elearlv that hr urgild preftr not eo. The silhouette of a content haunts this response_ If Abraham has already consented to make u death, 3n{1 to give to Old the death 'hoc he is going to put his son to, if he knows that he will do it uult:ss God stops him, can we not say That his disposition is such that he would, precisely, preli-r got fo,, WiElhintl being able to say to the world what .1'4 ilitiO1VC:d:" BCCAUS• lie loves his SOni, he would prefer that God hadn't +.1.5keiLl hill! anything. E le uould pret er that God didn't let him do it, that he would hold back his hand, that he would provide a Iamb for thc holocaust, that the moment of this mad decision v.ould lean -

-

on the side of nonsacrifice., once the sacrifice were to be accepted, He will not citeick gat kJ, lie has clic:eide,' tee, but he %vould prefer ;c:1,11 to theCde not to_ lIc can say walling TrION and will dr) mitihaitznreif if die Other, contintici to lead him towards (e that is nffe-red, as a gilt, And 13.311.1ulw's L'I would prefer not 1.0— 21s.41 3 Sacrificial passion that will ',cad hint to death, a death given hi, the law. by a surirEV that doesn't even know why it acts the wav it {loes s . of woman in these it is diffiralt not to be struck lair the all two monstrous yet banal stories, It is a story of father and son, niaseuline figures, eft hierarchic c arnong men (God the father. -

75

IA,.

t• 11 it El:

C.; I.'"?

T

.‘brahani,. Isaac: the TA oniati, „Sarah. is she to Yilioin nothing is said: ;Ind I3artlelax ilte Serivciter docmt't make a singtc allusirail lo

says what he has to say. I Lis response to Isaac is in the

iin•thing fertiminc

and still can not cap' anYthing. (1 1 8)

cren

3111.1 hong that coillil

construed as a tiE,.n.ire of woman). 1..Voult1 the 144„Fic of sacrificial responsibility within the implacable universality of ihe law, of its law, EFL: altered, inflected, alEciinated, tit displa4,-.e1lI, if Fire to intervene in some conscpiential manner,' I )oes the system of rhis sacrificial responsibility and of the double "gift of death" imply at LIS VI TV' basis iLrt c CI usion cw sacrifice of woman? ..gs. woman's sacrifice or a s.iicrifice or %von -Lark according to one sense of the genitive or The other ;. Let its leave the question in suSpLetise. In the. ( ...1.Se of The- tragic hero or The tragic Aacrificc, woman is present. her place is central, just as she is present in other tragic works referred to by Kierkegaard. The responses 1.vithour response made by Bartleby arc at the sal ine time disconecriing, sinister, and comical: silper1)1Y,. so, There is concentrated in them a sort of sublime irony. Stvaking in order not to sav anvilsing Li' to sav something other than what .

One thinks , Spcakinu, in sitch a %•al• 3S TO IntrigL742, Cliscancut, EiticS• .

.

tion, or have sonteone or something else speak (the ia.w, the lawyer means speaking ironicailv. TrOnk. in particular Sod'aiC ircxiat , Of nut saving anv(11644, clalarine that 1.)1 LC ClICH.Th;11 I 1131:{2 311V IZTIOWICTIVe cat SOMCthifig. but doing that in nrdcr t4) intcrrogatc. 10 have someone or somethinr..! It he lawyer, thy' la..11 speak or think . . Eir6neia dissinaulates, it is the act of 4.1nestioninv- b feigning ignorance, ho.• prctcriding. T] Mc 1 -4..i.vrild prrfer tart ro is not without irorio... it cannot not 'cad onc to suppisc that there is crime ironY in the situation. It isn't unlike the incongruous yet familiar humor, the Knbeinurich or uncanniness of the stun:. Ors the (FL I1CF hand the author of Thr Concept 9!f Inyrry IIWICOVeri irony in the response with. !•

6

.

nut regponse that trareaatcs

Precisely order to distinguish ironic pre-tense from a lie, he writes: Hut a final wctrd by Abraham has IbC4.11 preserved, ...11111 insofar as I Can understand the paradox, I can also understand Abraham's total presence in that word. 1;irst arid forcEnost_ he does not say anything, and in that form he SI

Conn of ironv, fot it is alwa4,.s

%Alen I. say something

'Perhaps inorly would peroLit Lis to find s.oluctIlling, like a COMmirill thread iii the questions i ha% 4.: just posed and what !lc-gel said about woman . that •lle is "the eternal irony of the comnitiniTY."' Abraham doesn't speak in figures, fables, i1~aral.)14...s, metaphors, elliF us, 4.111 enigmas. 1.1is irony is meta-rhetorical. 11 he kncw what %vas going to llappeit, if for cxamitle G:id hail charged him with Lite nlissiou of leading Csaac onto the mountain so that 1k could strilx him with lightning, then he would have been right to have Tecourire to ettigiinallic lant„►ilage.. But the problcin is precisely that . 7%,:ot that thrilt 111.31.CS hi m hink-t...yel.. His lir doesn't nonknowlollge doesn't in any way AntspencL his own decision, -

which remains resolute. The knight of faith must not hesitate114.•4.1ing off towards the absolUtC ! le accepts hiz4 Te_ 51.1-onsibility rcquest of the other. beyond 1,:nom ludge. I le docides, but his ahsolutc decision is neither guided nor cimtrolled lay k114iwletlgc. Such, in fact,. is. the paradoxical cclindition of evert,• dccisitlit it C3oncit be siniph. deduced f•oin a form of knowledge of which it the effect, conclusion, or explkitation. it structurally breaehes knowledge and is thus (lc...Sancti to nounianifestation: a decision is, in the very instant of in th e e nd. always secret. It remains its performance. and 114)w can the coneept 1)1 decision be dissociated from this Iyure of the instants [eon) The stigma of its pine-

.

A liraham's tlecisicin is absolutely responsible bcCause it answers f4pr it.Sell" lore the absolute other_ Paradoxically it is also irresponsible because it is guiciec.I neither by reason nor by an ethics justifiable before men or before the law of some universal tribunal, Everything points to the fact Chat Lase. is will& tea be. responsible at th e same tune licfore t h e other and hcfore others, before the others 4_51 the other II (kid cornpletely other, the figure or ilaritt of the wholly other, then every other (one) is every (bit) ether, roiel anti ( -

[IL nhi5 reg.r.I, I refer th4: rT.11.1Er Prcht., 1980).

Ncbt.o..12



„

15

fi r a ki T n c;

T IT 11. I'

esf rgigl awn!. Thi s 14..Prmula disturbs Kierkt..-goarcrs it istctLe r. t MI level %VilliC at the same tinic reintorcing its most extreme• rninitic.A. tions, It implies I hat ( kid, as the wholli,' other, is ro tie found -

-

r,..-vervvi here there is s4Priiething

of kilic:

1)1.11X1'. And SIlleE

lath

in it5 absolute singularity. inaccessilile, solitary, transcendent, nonnianifest, originarily nonpresent to T11V 1,1 (2 .; I 11 INS; II C III.] MP& L).1. TT) that nuVcE Ire originarily pre cut to 111N' CO.nscic.i.u•511e:1•5 awl what lie calls taippecsallaikti and that can iipprelienkl (Indy analogy), then what c an rulaiiim. tct ( 3(.14.1 can be said ahout my relation iiviihout relation ti euery miler fmr-) r,..Try (bps) other [rata arirrr trrrrtttrc /via arirre], in particular my nr ilw relation to mi.: 11{..! LAI Ones who 1 rC i ti inacuessila (0 me, as secret and transcemlent as jahweh. (ii her (in the SeTISe of each other) is every bit other lab soltitelly other) Frump this point or vit." who/ Farr arid Tre grbieng Sales aIMJILI tF1t SA.eri.fiet: Isaac is the truth, '1 ranslate(l Alto Iltis extraordinary story, TFIC trwult is shown En possess the yen structure of what occurs every dAy, I hrthigh 1Ts paradox it speaks of the roiporisihility required at every moment for every man mull c.tven. uoniali_ Al 11 3r :LIa1t there is no longer any 4:Illicitl generality that doe,. riot fall prcy tci lice paradox of Ab.rahain.' At the instant of every decision Of

is i1111111. 11.CIV other

US, L'I'CINOrli:

-

..

,

,

-

%

-

,

'

I v

11

and (1141)11114h the relation t4) 1,7:C orii.er (one) as {bit) otherone eke pdc.s: tiN :11I every ninintAll tit beh.aVe like knights of faith. certain emphasis of Kicrkegaartrs disPerhaps that dim)laces jahvich doesn't tolerate analogy; cf•the absolute 14'L arc E1011 ;LH AbrallarnS, IS3:LCS, or Saralts either. We arc not jah%•eh. But what scents thus to tinivcrsAlizu or disseminate the exception (ir the extraordinary 1)v imposing a supplementary complication 'upon ethical grneraliltv, (11,3t ti L r k Ilaitt ensures that Kier. kegaorti's tu.Nt gains added force_ It speaks to US of the paradoxical truth a3f our ruSptinsibility and. of our relaticin to the ATit Of death cif each instant, Furthermore. it explains to us its 4 0,Yri status, namely its abilit‘ be read by all AT the very moment when it i5 $1)Caking To us of socruLs in secret, of illeObility and absolute undeciphyrabiliti.. It stands for Jcivs F Christians, Muslims, bin Akiit for everyone else, for every oilier in its relation ro the wholly other_ We no longer kiwi", who is ea1.14..1 :kbraham, :Irttl hit: can no lonizei. even 1

-

tell us. Whereas the tragic hero is E rreat, aiinlircd, and legendary from generprion En generation, Abrahaln. ill remaining faithful to singular lc.we for cvery other, is never conNiclercd a Itero. 1 Ie 1,14.)esn't make us shed tears arid doesn't inspire admiration: rather Beer r. FnE it 1 4 3 terror that stupetieti horror, :1 tcrnir II1OE is brings us elose to T hr,: ;L1atii ik43te secret, a were( that we share without Ni.nntzulic else, Nhnthalii as the other, sharing ir, 0 secret [Pet Alir:3 ham himself and :1.110111Cr,, God J:L; 1111: Other, u xc 1 LSAI 0'1h is in secret, cut oft lx)th lentil man and from (od. But that j4 perhaps v.•11:,it we share with him. But ...dial doe!, it 1110.3111E3 share a Necret:.; It isn't a mattur laf knowiT4.!, i.4-11;it the other knows. for Abrahrini doesn't know anything. It knit a matter of i

.

.

,

-

ni

nbiection

Iiv

Kictkcig;LJELI, 1.11C gtorral.

tr. Kierkegaard: "I-or

For him. rily du: ',elf

ould

b-c Iricr under a rule valid few all: the geneTality can neither cemiam ririr expiry.% the lozrct '.I the 3cII. 11

CV1X, it Lh ILIA. It ill 4:1:11.3111 t11-11 LEK•

p.•here

InEiks

m11[7 ..

&In 11(01 1.1. 1 5-4: 011 1C in

3

3S thi: LOel i 1:711C

lir found

recpoitiihilan, tireiLaril% the

fir Jruin it. it singularizes_ it pr. )silli

unique individual_ as the

. In el:Liking Aliraham. he tlescrIbt-; the

triceting 4tMel4 arg3 n3 rprcnrring Y4 lure.

raiard tcF the Iccrl d the

4I hies. Bui roe (1.16 1;x1oit the Lint rare: the AETt-fiLsilti

he IS 14) Abrallain

ih 143

to clic slACC

111,11 hi

him back. L., else uckiik.41.ftrtici

him to carry out the human sacritice. 1:c the ntek“ triten..e moment of the .

tr 45 there, in thr ethical, that 4hcic is an Ip1.r..11. co 4 hr ti.nkiii3r-nos aAf

drama.... -

the. IiiEojecii

sharing hic faith, for the latter ItTLISt Ternain an ifliTilai've at)Sfailite Iiii)FCCPeur, we don't think or speak (.11 Abraham singtilariTy. from the point or view of a faith that is sun:- of itself. anv more than did kierkeg,aard.. Kierkcy,aard keeps coming liaek to this, re.

and givoi tn. hir iu cle:•uincx- 4Af drAch" (1-:.iiiniAmbc1 .N:ungs prapier [Nionepril icr:

1 : 313

\turf:mu, 19761, 11

my tranilation, l); '•1 l.e% inn s's criticism

prevent hull from ailimring in Fiicrkrg aard.

'78

#1_1•sullUlt1:1. no.k " in

1- 1131.41 p4^.1L1 rhi100Khr1h ,"

-3

!WY%

rnrikialit• of ihe I rue," "dor

truth' (11-1—ISL .

74)

ide2 of

2 percevtitod

W II 0 NL

calling that he doesn't understand .A.bra.h3ni, that he •oulc.lift bc capable of doing, what he did. Such an attitude in fact seems tile 1."11.• possil,lt 'me; Lind tr•e,:ti if it is the ftloSI widely shared idea in The world, it seems io ix. reirired by this nionsirosity of' such prodigious proporrions. Our faith is not assured, becal m: fa iLh cm) never IA:, it Must never he a cermintv. L share V. ith •\braham what calinol ltc shat col, a sic rt1 cw e knOW nOthilil AMU, lleither him nor ILN. ro share a secret i s not to 1.,:ne.A.v or I n roi c a] th e s tcr c i, it is to share Wf: kni tw 1101 what: nothing that (an lac dcterniined. a iriti is al secret EIJI ai aS•Cref AhnlIC nothing and a sharing that Alocsn't _share. am thing? Such is the secret truth Of Faith as absolute respunsibilitY and 2bs011ite passion, the 'Lhighesr passion" as Kierkegaard will sad'; :1 2 1 13 !`;siion that, ...,worn to qeerocv, Cannot he tronsruiited from generation to gencrati011. In. this Setuiv it has history, This transtniscihility 0 +; the Auggicst passion. Elie nornial coiklifiLm o f a faith u high is thus liolind co seCr4TV. TIClierthelcss dictates to us the following: iirce must alwaVS. start wit..t. A secret 0213 ha: trallSalittelt bur in transmitting. A SeCrcI s.5 a secret that remains secret, has one tranqrnitted ai it .11/1kumil to his1.01 V, to t ,story '

T

g

(4 I

E

(.1.

sPicr: that seems, in its literality at least, to be evangelical_ Thar doesn't necessarily exclude a Judaic or lstatnie reading, but it is a certain evangelical text that sioenls ID orient. Or dominate Kierkegunk interpretation. Thor tear isn't cited; rather, like the "kings and counselor!..." of "BA rt I eby t he Scrivener," it is si inp IV Suggested, but this tirm: without 11)e quotation marks, thus being clearly brought rn the attention of those who linow their texts and have been brought op on the reading of the Gospels: But there caw no one who could understand Abraham. .1nd vet what did he aehieveF lie remained true to his love_ Hut anyone who loves God needs no tears, no a.diiiiration; he forgers the s-uffering in the love. Indeed, No completelv has he forgotten it that there would not t the slightest I race. of his Nuffuing left if God himself did not remember it, for I'M recs in Ferret and reecignizes distress and counts the tears and forgets nod. •hus, either there i a paradox., that the single individual stands in an absolute relation to Lite absulUtc, or Abraham is 10.qt. 2(1,. elliptlasiN)

-

Ye:5 ItTld 110. .1 - he of Fear and Tronigine 'wins. in sentence,: 3ftt:r llrat this itiVhcst passion 1 h2r iA faith (Iowa he startcd co•ur cad) generation. Each generation must begin again to in-

volve itself in it ..without counting 1..13L the generation before. Ii tlius tles(Tibes the rionhisrory of absolute beginninu,s which are repeated, and the very historicity that premipposes a tradition to be reinvented each step of the i.vay, in this incessant repetition of the absolute beginning, With Fear anti Trembling, we hesitate between two goner at iorl irL LEK! iinCilgC (hi: religions of the Book! we hesitate ai the heart of the ()id Testament and of the Jewish rekion, but also the heart of a rounding event or a key' sacrifice For [slam_ for t]1k. sacrifice i4 the "ion hi; his father, the con saeri6ced by men and finally sal.•ed lw a God that scented to have abandoned him or put him to the test, how can we not recognize there the foreshadowing or the analogy of another passion? As a Christian thinker, Kierkklaard ends by remseriiA..ng the secret of Abraham within. a -

x]

r (.1

Tout Awn. All! Torn A titre to . reed lbw I mime the .rioppresyiforY 1?) the object_ sm:DELALFLE., Vibe (

—

that stroke of grItiay calla Christianity. Gerwoilp of .11oraff I . A se

-

1

t

sf't 4,

Ever., otter lone) is every (bit) rather"—the stakes seem fto be

altered by the Trembling of this dictum. It is no doubt too econoniical, too elliptical, and hence, like any formula Lin, isolated and capable of being transmitted out of its ixiiitexi, too e.14.)se to the coded Iniguage 1)1 A password. (Inc uses it to play with the rules, [-1,3 Cu t NO11.)cu lc or sonICthing *hurl, to circumscribe a domain of discourse. It bucornes the secret of all st....crets. Ls it not sufficient to transform wit.it (Mu complacently calls a context in order ro dernYsTily the shillholc.th or deciphcr all tilt: secrets of the world? Is: not tlii.s dictum—Alai aufre eft 1014'f the first place a tautology:: It doesn't i Relit anything that one clottsn't already knoikv,. if by that one simply refers to the repetition of a sullied in its ptimplcment and it so do- ing 0ne avoids bringing to bear upon ii. an interpretation that would distinguish herween the two hon -irmyms foul and tout • an indefinite pronominal aiiijeeti•e (some, someone, sonic other uric) and an adverb of quantity {totally, absolutely, radically, inlinitch. other). Rut once onc appeals to the Suppicillinkt of a conk:x[13:d Sign in order to mark a (iiST"Inction 1-K• 1.1(Cell the TWo grammatical functions and the (Wu sense's of what -

T

r ete t .

E:h".1" T

7'

L"r R

appears to be the same word—Foul—then tau; must also distinguish between the two auirrs. Iiihe first lout is in indefinite pronominal adjective, Then the first illare becomes a noun and the svoond. prc.ibability, an adjective or attrihote. One no longer has a case of tautology but instead a radical lietero[nr,. ; ;mkt( ' t h[; intrcKluces the prineiple 4)1 the MOSE irreducible heierolog2,.. Or else, as a further alit.trna.tive, one might consider that in both cases tautology and heterologv, with or without the homonym) the two ararcs are repeated in the monoton:i... of a tautolugy that vyins out after all, the monotnnv of a principle of identity that, thanks to the copula. and sense of being, would here take over alterity itself nothing less than that, in order to say: the other is the other, Than is always SO, the' alterity of the other is the alterity of the other. And the SeCTCE 1 r f that formula would close UNIT 3 heterotainolligh.al dint aluati - s; risks r71 rliT3g nothing, But we knoYi from experience that the specula' k.(„". always requires a hetcro-rainological position. That is its definition accord;.ng to Heturs specullti•• iticali ryt, and it is the impetus for the dialectic within the horizon of at)Süliiitc.• knowledge..) - he ka I position introduces like liLW of speculation, and of S peal I V jOil on every secret. nut itis.c pia ii•r iN here, turning this little scolcncv around in order to make it (Insrzl• frorn every angle. ).. 41 . 4.- would rink pay slight and L ieiolrS0 .1 tatt eation to this particular formula and To rile. form of this key if. in the: dis:Lrect di5p1ac c mcm El li n Affec ts the functions of the two words there didn't appear, as if on the same musical scale, TWo alarmingly different themes I partiikaIS , (musical) scores) that, through their disturbing likeness, emerge 2.q incompatible. [ . One of them keeps in reserve the possibility of reserving the quality of the wholly other.. in other wore) the e'rifiTfixe other, for (.0.1.1 alone, or in .0.11V Cam: for Ninvie oilier. The other attributes to or recognizcs in this infinite aitcrity of the \AIDA ... other, cvury other, in Other words rat+, each one, for example each man and V .4 niuln- E.ven in its critique of Kicrkegaard concerning ethics and generality Lc.-inas's thinking stays within the gable.—the play of difference and analivy•--between the face of God and teat I:al.:4: of

t' 0



1' .L f.' 1 FC t. 1.

my neighbor, between the infinitely other as God and the infinitely other as another human.' If L"arif human is wholly other, if everyone else, or every other one. is every bit other. then one can no longer distinguish between a claimed generality of ethics that would need to be sacrificed in N4lCritiee, 31141 the Nth that turns lowards God alonc, as %dirtily other, turning from duty. But since Levin:1.s also %ea r1 NS to distinguish between the ,

infinite alieritV o Gütl

and the "same" infinite dterity of every

hi 11 tra n or of the other in general, then he Can1101t Sinip]V Lo.c. said

In be saying sornethintr different from kierkegaard. Neither one nor the oiher can assure himself of a concept of rhi. ethical and it the religious that is of consequetiec; and Consequent 1 c they arc especially um:11k to detcrrninc the unlit hut weeri tl1OSe iwo 4.mlers. kierkegaarcl would have co ad , as 1.e•in3s reminds hint, that ethics is also thc nrder of and respect tior absilliite singularity, and Illot only that of I he sciterality Of of the repctition cFt t he .saute, He c.a n not therefore d iSti i h sci conveniently between the ethictl and the religious. lint for his part, in taking into Acrouni alpiolute 5i tip 1.3131 ItV, That is t he a hsfil late alterity cibtaining in relations between one human and another, Leyinas is no longer able to distinguish berwecn the infinite alterity or and that of even human. I Iis ethics is already a religious one. lit the cwo cases the border but wrc n tIle e Llyic4I and T ig toils becomes more than prcthleniatic, tie dO ..11.1 attendant discourses.] l'his applies all she more to political or lega] mancr5. The con. CC 131. Of responsibility.. like thatt ot detisiryn thus be fiiiticl ,

-

.

.s 7'

T

AL ERE

work in efvetvd.11 ti iSeoll [Se, in the cm:rt.:be ilAikkirkatics f private, pubof justice, and first and foremost lic, or international I , ill the ccinduct of internal politics, liplon iacy , r, i a lexicon conc.erni 11 g responsibiliry that can 11.12 Said Lk.1 hover VikfZUCh aboUt a concept that is nowhere to be fonad, LVell Li u c can't go 2-iSJ fair J.S. to say thIlt it doon't correspond to :inv concept at all. It :Irnounts to a disavowal whose resources, as one knows, are inexhaustible. One simply keeps on deri.ving the ;tl xiria Alli41. thnotly , tirelessly, treats as nihilist, relativist, even poststructuralist, and worse still &constructionist, all those who remain concerned in the face of such a display of go4 bd con.Vi. 1 Lai is L114.1 161.1ad it :

.

'

-

science_ I'll

aic.rilit'€ of Isitic is an .abornination in the eyes of all, and

to lack C011ef Lace or eon Se411.1ellee, even lacking identity with re-

it should continue to b.e. seen for what it is—atrocious, criminal, unforgivable; kierkegaard insists on that. The ethical point of view must rt'ril a in Valid Abraham is 2 murderer. I Eir.vever, is it not true that the spectacle of this murder, which seems intolerable in the denseness and rhythm of its thcatricalitv, is at the same time the MOSE common event in the world- Is it not inscribed in the stnicture of ( 11.LT erv(iStellre ICI the eNtent of no longcr constituting an event= IT will be said that it would be most improbable for the sacri lice of Isaac to be repeated in our day; and it certainly SCCIIIS that xvay. liVe ran hardly '1.illatr,Ine l father king 111:5; MM. to he Sacritico.1 on the top cit the hill at Montmartre. Et God didn't wend a Iamb as a substitute or an ant1c1 to hold back his arm, there WEJ1Lki SO be a prosecutor, preferably with expertise in .1l icicile Eastern violence, tip aectriv him of infanticrak• orfirst.( legTe.c rmur-

spect ro itself, paralyzed by what can lie e;illed an aporia or an ffmtimony_ Thar has Dryer stopped it from "funciioning," as one says. On the contrary, it operates so much better,. to the extent dial it serveS Lo (kW Life the Rirl•SS or fill in ire absence cif fcrianda-

der; and if a psychiatrist 'who was both something of a psychoanalyst and something of a journalist declared that the father was ' nevi )ns ible , ',Wry 'ing on a S if psychoanalysis had dild112 flunking to upset the order Of diseourse on intention, conscience, gond. wi ll,

non stn bil izing Chaotic process of Champ:

etc., the criminal father would have no chance of setting away with it. I le might claim that the wholly other had ordered him to do it and pe rlia [is i.rl seerct akisii.' would he know that?]. in order to test his faith, hut it would make no difference. Things are such that this man would surely be condemned by any t;iviliztA society. On the other hand, the smooth functioning or such a society, the

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,

in vi liat are called conventions,-. Chaos refers precisely to the• abyss or the open mouth. that which speaks well as that which NiRnilics hunger. (II ri44.c

-

p. 724, ark/ Vi()Ierict! and Nk t2F5Iresiei." in INtrritia.

franc 'idan

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anj

Press. 197Kh 6, I JOIE

.1

85

4'y 4".1

It: W.

1 T".1- 44'

7".r ra 4"?'

t

monotonous roiriplacencv of its discourses on morality, pola1ics. and the law, and the exercise of its right's 0.yliether public. private. national or international), arc in rio WaV impaired by the fact that, be:cause of the SISLICtUre 01 the hiviS c)t the market that societ y has instituted and cunt rE'llS, becalm(' of the mechanisms or CNtcrTIAI Lit and other similar inetioilieS, that 'Sallie - tiolkietv - plaf TO death or (but failing ici help someone in distress accounts for only a minor difference) ailfrxs tc, die of hunger and diseas:e tens of millions of children (those neighhors EA' fellow humans that ethics or the discour:.;:e of the rights of man refer to) without any moral or legal tribunal ever being considered competent Cu i4JLig 0 such a sacrifice, the sacrifice cif others: to al uid being sacrificed oneself. Not only is it true that such a sociily participates in this incalc ulable sacrifice, it actually organizes it. sniutith functioning of its economic, political, and legal affairb, the smooth functioning of its moral discourse and goad conscience presupposes the permanent operation of this sacrifice, And such a sacrifice k not even invisihle, for from time to time television shows us. I, hilts keeping them at 40: _31.11.3_1:11J_C a distance, a seriest 11[ AnageS.. 41114„1 a few vaiees are raised t4.) bring it all to otir ::ittell(lOn. Bur those images and voices are completely powerless to induce the slightest effective change in the situation, to assign the I cat.q. responsibility, to furnish thing More than a convenient alibi. That Ellis order is founded 111)011 a bottomless chaos (the :divas or open mouth) is some -thaw.; that will nec-essarily he brought home carte day to those who just as necessarily forget the same. We are not even talking Ji..101.1( wars, the less recent or ihost MIAMI 1..131CS, in which cases one can woil an cterni1V for morality or international law (whether violated with impuMty or invoked hypocritically) to (loerTniiie with aril.' degree of certainty who is responsible Or guiltv for the hundreds of thous.ands of victims who :ire sacrificed fur what or whom one knows not, countless victims, each of ..yliose singularity becomes each time infinitely singular, every other (one) being every (tart) other, whether they be victims of the Iraqi State or victims of the interimli.i0(13.1 coalition that ..iccaisestlic la tter of MOE re:I'M:6111f he law. For in the discmarses chatIconi_nate during such wars, It is rigorously impossible, ern one side and the 411 ther. to discern Elie relif;iciti.S pearl)

the moral, the !col from the political. The warring factions arc woratiperS tit the religions of the Hook_ all irrCeurteilable t h a t nor makc ihings converge Once again in the fight to the death that contiiiLle:h R) rage oh MOLtlit .N.1( iii WM. thlq [ 54355 4.1 NSi of the .sceret of the sacrifice by an. Abraham %vim never said anything: Do they not fight ill order to rake passe-ssion of the secret as. the sign of all alliance with God and to impose its order on the ocher. .who becomes for his part nothing more than a murderer? The LNILlbling, Of the 1011111411a "every other (cant) is every (hit) other" can also be reproduced. It can do so TO the extent of replac.inn one of the every others" by (kid: Every other (t.ine) is God." tar "Ciod is every f bit) other." Such a substittat [int in no way alters the "estcni" of the original formulation, whatever gramirkariell ftiliction L,c assigned to the various words_ In one case GOE.1 k defined :Pi infinitely other, as wholly other, even' bit other_ In the other ease it is declared that every other one, each of the others, is Go(1 inasmuch is he or she is, like Cod, wholly other. Are we just plavine here? If this were a game, then it would need to be kept site and untouched, like the game that must be kept :dive between humans and l; or the game between these two unique "ct cry others, - like the same '`every other,' npcns the space anti ii i is rii ti cea t h e' hope of NL3 vation 1 the cet me inn cif SO:CUT oneself" that we shall shorrly discuss. Linking aherit% to singularity or NJ .i.vhat one Could coil the universal exceptiun or the law of the exception (mut rimer( es! tintt mare signifies that every other is singular. that every one is a iing111:16 1N, which also means that every one is each one, 3 proposition that :seals the contract between universalio, and the exception of singularity), this play of words somins. 10 contain the %cry possibility of 3 secret that hides and reveals itself at the same time within a single Nem- ewe and, more than that, within a single language. Or at least within a finite: group of languages, within I lie fillit ode of language as that which opens onto the infinite. The essential and abyssal equivocality, that is, the play cmI the several senses of tour Dare tai attar mare or Dieu it emit afore, is not, in irs literality (thai of French or Italian, tor example), tiniversallY translatable according to a traditional concept of translation_ 'The waist. or the play can no doubt be

;46

8

,

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,

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-

-

-

.

Torn.- A i'T.Pf EST T()VT

1 -1.NE

trqnslated by a paraphrasi.. in other languages:. bur not the formal

visible in it %You'd keep secret the secret that ViNiblu.

economy of rhe slippage kitiLiceen two 1113rnonyrns in the language

Can 31 1NateS

Ehja t ti titre be called singularly Iny OW11., that is r [1142 tiNe

fouf

bex'ailsc . i l s Nt:crel M:ZeSSible Onk (i) sensa.-s other than sight. For

an. inked.). and r.a.ape as

eharnple, there mig,ht L,csonit writhig that I can't decipher (a letter

as indefiDitu pronuminAl AdicctivC and .15 indefinire

adjective and violin_

2 .Orbbo1ra., a secret Formula siieh .

...LAN

.

in 'a Certain lanuttAr..

ilim.:ifislatability

have here a kind

AS' CAD I e irttcred

A5

in Cllinesx or I TIL1)3 . L'.4 , of

only in a c.-crrAin

ChalleL or alektiory of

the

or this formal ecorkornv it ❑ etitans 1.i1;.c A sUCITt

kin one's so-called natural or mother tongue. {One c.-.art regret deli a limi[inQ FLOIC6.011 or tin the con[rary rake. pride in iv, one can derive

_NOIlkt: 11:111.1011D] pfeStigC CEY11111, it

but either

there is

tongue. It k there het iori. its in its possihilirv,

.

To most prlders. f t kn't hidtien but it is encoded or encrypted. Thai which is hidden, as that which rernain_s inaccessible to. the eve or the hand, is nor ilec. ..esNtrily encrypted in the derivative -

scnses of that word

trast To beinp: hidden in The shadows Which is whir it also mearir .

Cree p '. laic Gospel between the rprcek and the Latin of the Vulgate? In

ri iki , in shots lo he I'm-n 14 .

and in the family of wurds 4.1vrived from brillo—honlf.`, ore. Whar laugh! this secret of rhe 3116(hier kt)111.,nUc have to do will that the father sues ilk.. (.11.1,1 Cii.)Spc] Act:cirdirlif Ai2E-

they.' piltS it. 31141 thIL Veet- kcimgrd refers ti..1 al I l'A‘.

end of Fear aid

Tremblitixr? There k a *€ rut of the mother tongue. the secret thit the fathet's lucidity sees in. and !lie stare[ fir the g3crifict - of Isaac. .

It is indeed RA c....:unon3v, literally a REIM!' of lilt: hood immics) of Ilse home (oikos), of the familli f and of Chu hearth Vavel'.. licardt,

j.17 dbmonrifto, aiturgtiiiirteg refers rather to the hidden. the 'Secret, the

mvsterious as that retreats inn] the invisible, Ow which is lost from sight. The majority .1.4 e'ca ntiple r Fr igureN on he ba5i.s of vihiela absceoodirms has ennie to nwin seerce!.. in general, and Se5

10CLIsh and of The splice separating or assi)ciritincE the tire. of the

Farnik hie rd) Hrli.1 the fire 01 the sacrificial holocaust. A double Cover, focu.:., or hearth, a tioublu fire and doulili2 light; two ways of [(Tieing. 'limning, arid seeing.

tlimensioli. 'Chu i3b5ollutc... . drawn Iron] view). privilt Lge sense of withdraws from view is not ino.. cssqrillv,. of .cQurse. -

:IKE of a visible thar conceals itself. for ex:iniple. my hand under the tattle—T111' hand 'IA vlqible as such belt I earl render it File absolute sense of invkilAlity railicor i.n i1,a idca 4.4 that

LYiclr has nO STructure of visibility, for example, the voice, ...v hot p; said Or meant, and 5011111d. Ml.3SiC is nOt invisible in the same Way as ;t sculptun-.... The fliEff docsn'll. have [he s.:iine as the FLUditill

Ik.fore recognizing there a .quore fritiiin the Gospel arcorcling to (v.iderg: err 01 11CAtldifti I En blEptin) Let us note Thai tbe proetration of the secret is entrusted to the gaze, To Obscrvvion, rather than 0 3 hearing, or couching. one .

intagifix A . .411.!1:1- e.`t that CO.L111.1 only b penetrarec,1 cir travel - Sed, or Opened OS a secret, by hearing, or erne that would only

that u a c it

.kvould escape the gaze or 1. 3-1:' inViSihle, Or indk.L.C4.1 because '4R

-

the sarne

under clothing. The nudity of 41, iiEllbre Q1 a wh .15.1X!T

in Secret—v.11 3't can that nlea.31?

FOLICIICCt Or kit, preCiStiv bec.n.k.15C in

rerireci,

hr 13.eranie AVfirin4r]1 011P1 WiTli 5eCrah.P11 3SCp:11"Ate,

,

allov.. itself to be

Ciphe14:(1, Citlid“.1, to be interpreted—in con-

the home. trr rhe Morh.41101t1d, 10 the b]rth-

EA.:(.111101111,', tc_l. the 11 1, e cr1 ri I

.1 4 ) lice

—

What should we make of the slight difference that appears. in

1 1

secnit

handu-rir-

of

-

1.alauc,

S11[11.)1 . SOHLS: 1.310cuiplIcrtbk

;rig) but that rurnAins pli_TELedy viNihle in spite of its being scakd

nothinE, - he clone or said 21){11,1t such a secret cif the mother

language [hat ries it

reveal w the gaze something dial still nurn.ains secret

or a man's or womon's

breast; 3r sig-nifies neirher the same nudity nor the same modesty.

In contrast to ab.y4-.r.nrilitus (wit IR mention myssique), the (irec1.4 lexicon retuning ro tilt. cryptic. (.12.0.r.rti, krok.u. triphai6g. ac.), of course aiso referring to rlic camccaled., ,

cl.iLAInn31.Att.d., secret, clandestine, etc._ seems on the other hand to cleline.av: .strii...ter sense, on.e thanifes[ to sight one [night say: It c►ends bevond the visible. And

in 1.111S SCIliaraie 111.Stid% the

cryptic lyas come To enlarge theIo_ f secrecy he r..33 0.1 the notivisi.

89

1 ii . r.si

.i

LaJ li/Wk.l111Slial..Lvur rusis.EN.Alcciplicring, the secret as. iltr„...yible than invisible.

f11135691.1dird

b9

!GIL/

blep51.1

,b5 kropi6}ck

echoes across

Of (11.CM: 16.1113L3.

Neve.rrhele.s,. that the two senses eorrirntinicatc so easily, .thAt they can be translated i)iie wirhin the oth•r or one into !he oihur, the fact, ani.ong (11.1)cr5. ti131. dl.! Em2 undo - I.:tom:I, it might be id in 1 [here is a Vi in-viqible., an invisible of ih.c. orticr (IF he. that I c ir1 ke.cp in 5 ccrer by keeping L1 (Kit of Night. This Calk t)C artiliciakbr. kept CrO ❑ -';101( • I111.11.; remaining vi what one can co[] exterioritv l hick I t 5r ...3'SC13.11 in 1.1111,112.1"iS pc.- rhalas aitrilmitali111 1.0

,

ground silos or hide explosives in a cache, there is A visible surface in•olvc.:(1.., I Ilidc 4I. parr of nly 1)04.1v unikr Clcirlx . s or it iN It matter of con.,:calin iir (MC 511 1 '.1a0.: another; wliarcyer bccomes

one conceals in this-

s..eeret {quo 1...i.deir in

:

but remains hin the order of visibility, it remains ch.nstitorivelv visible. In the samc woy lAit according to a different structure,. o ne calls 111.e. interior organs. 1.3f 1.114: ly...)4..1 1,'- ❑ ly heart. 111V kichievs., nil.. my braia-are natur3Illy said co Ix- The order of visibilitv-. an orrarion or

Ina they are still of 2rTICICnt can 0Ni rine Thcni 'jr bring them. to the surfacr... tIteir interiority is pr.iviSiorial and -

UrirKt'in.u: their invisiE3ility int() IL 7 11."1 11 i5

01.1.41. UM

be pro-

posed or prornisiN1). 21411 that 1.13C 1.3TL1LT clt the visible 2 Hit there is also absolute invisibility, the Rh...S(111.1E0 1 v non. visible that rt furs lo %.1.113(InTr Falk outside of rel..iste.r of sight, nAil.3C15.".. !Ile sonorous. the 1.11.41S .LCill, dic 1,..(H.:;i1 or pllOniC 01.14.1 llcncE

first p12e.c the allusiim dcscribcs a relation to the Cr[her, hence an ah•cnIllt.0 dissymmetry. It is All 111.:ii sLftiices th provoke rht m'ystepi.ria9 fremendtem itst.11 within troy order Ill CliC

of the gam. God secs me. lie looks into .11)C. ill sixret., 1iu1 I 414.)ii . C. NU: 11101, st...e him looking at rue., cu.iy though lie looks at flit iodide ffteing roe And not, like. an analyst. from behind. 3 .11y hack_ Since I don't see ltini looking, at Tile, I can, and TI1LISt, only hear B ii L n tost often I have 0..1 11C Let] to hear or believe. him 11tx dot PIC Jr dr.ogncr enicArdre], I kir tell 14.hal. ht sa•s..., through the flimElirr, nilior, a ITYM;NCL1g12T, nClgLI, prophet, 1114:SSiall 01 [a.nstman 11 . 1ivestr],

a 1pearer of tidings.. an iiilci . miaiiary who :speaks bct...yeen God and mys.clf, .I here is 11{1 131M-1n-face uxc1i:13L - C Elf 11{14111E.S: 13CLVI•ll:C1.11 God and myself, between the tither and ;C141 1.(1014S Ai frIC 311141 I don't see him and IT i on the basis of this 11.2W.0 that singles me gill. If-C regard Tat Inc re4ardel LIMA ❑ % YLS1.)4..1.11.ibillEV CLoint'S ink) bl:ilig. TILLS iS insti01311LCITIS 13IL " Or " if ' S 3111' 11.N.4.01_1! " [ a me t t c.d. or FE•COICti 1111: [111; 1.]11:SirleSS, 111• AllaIr. rtyareirl chat lc-ads me to say "it " llut not in the sense huntianri a.utoconiv Lw A.t..... I seL myself aetinii. in R3tal lib-Li Li.• or aecordin.o. to mulls of a law that I rellike for mys;clf, TaihUr in the liercrcrnorm: or ii -

-

it's my lookout" C. 1:4:11 wficri I 4 -.9n't sti4. mivthing

iirld Can [:]Lt:

no initi.alri ye, I'llurr 420.11111)I. pre4:1110 1111• 4.5Y.[7

1.134: plmnnIfigiCal

or discursive in the griet 5CriSC), hut 'aim) tile tick and ,...cloriferom..Anil like curiosity, lila. the experi-

to lnal.c cicCi italr , 6.1CCI.S.ISICS that whatever is cinnen.iodnig Eleverth -elcss I nc` mine and which I al.nni2 will ha.vc (i) Lkilswet for.

ence of (111EKEVS [pfarer.irl and the tinveilin of socrecY, the revealing cif the pudenda C_Ir kb: 121C1. 4.1.1 .1 5L-Liniz in SCCIT't,.. ,11] thulc that take secrecY beyond the ...Jeerer nccessirilv 01A[]: into play_ But they ctrl mbar piny onlic within [hose lirrYitti q5cribcd ti

it is Elksyrnmetri coil: gaze that sees in liprIlhaldlt 111• ST.V1r1Q very ecr4.:t even when I invsell it bnkini.4 At rile_ II klIa4 1.."..; 4i4int see it And C5:1231. t111311 - 1L 11.1H: SLIcrinic '`Enowyourself" seems to install the philosopliieal within [Ile lure of reflexivity, in the

Ellu

dis:ivowal of A Ne,...1- ct that is all...cal...slur Ai r Altate, That is ro say fir • ebe ober: fin- Ark'wlrsi nekcr sees an•thing in it, and lu:ncufvr f other olone to 1.% horn, iiiroulzil tIlL dissvinnictri!. .. a socret i:s rc•calcd, For the other my -..ecret will no longer be a secret. .111.e. two uses of - 10r" donir have. the same scrim:: ar least in this ease idle secrrt

encrypred invisible or the non.Aisible as thar v.hich i other than visible_ 'fins is lan immense problem that jiliwarN tmtil CIASSiC 2r34.1 criii431.141.tk each time as if new,. and s.4.•• can merely draw attention to it here. thc

Vi ben. I..J.Lrkc.-gaard-de Silentio niakLs A barely Yeilcd referffnee. to the C.Dspc.l N /malt•mi , the allusion ti.) your father who 5 ii i r

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.

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.

90

,

mitt is foT in. is %Alm I

4...;t1I ' r SLC:'„

91

the 5CCP1L 1.11git i 101• 1.1IC other is

1 ()

e 1'0 ("I .L C .

U

what iti rewealctl mil% to the other, that she alone c ait see. disavowing this secret,. 111ulu:0301y ...Youlti lia%e come to residc in that there a misunderstanding of what t hurt: is (0 know,. -

.

is seed s' and Limo it is ineornriwitsurable %yid,. L.:rum ing. with kriou loiltr,• and with objectivity. as in the iiteoniinensurable "sttb-

jeetive interinriii.." that Kicrkegaard extracts from every klIO NICtigc -

1

relatitin of the Slibic:cl.lubit:C1 typelow can 313other see into tile, inrn rrp,' IDOST seenet self, w iThOLit illy being able. ro see in there myself and .0. ithout able to set: hint 1D Me? Anti if inv St:Cret sLlf. that which can be revealed imily to t Ltt• villa-, to the wholly Othur • 1.44 Gegl if YCILI wish, IS a secret that I will never rctio..1 •ri., that I will never know fir vizi •ri-

.

-

t..nee or posses?. as ftv!.. own. then what sense is tht:re in :saving that it is ninv ScCriet, cur in saying iSltlt4 gencralk that a secret bcirm1(05, that ii 75 proper to or Iselon t.-s w some on.c:` or to caime other who -

remains sorneleile It k perhAps there that we lmtl the secret of st,.-recv, namely, that jr is not mailer or 'knowing and that it is there kg' till-oti.r. A seeret t.b..esn't belong, it can never be said to lie at horny or in its pi:a•e soil_ Such is Ihe L..rnheingficbken ?

.

the Geheirronis, Anti we need to systematically elite-stiffn the reach 01 YySiCTIES this concept as it funerions, in a regulated inanner. .111 although indifferent way.s. hey(1111 Or thought that extend an axiontatic of the self or the chcz of as sro crs.rito, as consciousness

i . RE ES 7' T (.1 "F•

r T R 1: -

into The realm of sacrifice. .‘ccess to pure alttY is, in Kant's [ams. 41so sacrifice of the passions, of the affections,. of so-called "pathological" interests; everything th:kt links my sensibility to the ill pi [LCUI WI. irk]. (11 4'o.1{;iilati4.311, and to the CE1114.1;64Whdjtv of hypothetical imperatives, The uneunditionality of respect

for the law also maerilice (_:infropfilletifr) which is always a sacrifice of ccli (even for Abraham when he gets ready to kill his son: he inflicts the most severe

upon himself, lie gives to himself the death. tzr;mtinu ltis soli and also gik..ing, in :mother way, to (;hid; he puts his son to death or grants: him death and offers the death so given to God). According to Kinn the suffering

uneonditinnalitv of 1nCiral law dictates the sicrlenee that is iexercisied in 5c11-re s traint (Sakrzw.t.r,) and against ones oWLI desires, interC! st s of or drives. I i rt one is: driven To sacrifice hey 3 son rlf prletical drive, by a form of rrintivation that is HIM/ hilt an instinct that is purc and practical, respect for moral law Icing its s e nsible manifestation. The Critillre of Practical Ream) (Chapter 3, Of the Motives of Purc Practival I(eason") closely .

-

links the .-ttiiittpfi.ruq, sacrifice of self and of 10 [IVEY( anti thity, which are never separable 11 I. SChUid{trneil ), from that whidi nCl'Cli catches up with., thin whiC111 Laic call never :acquit oncseli of or settle. 1 atoka 4.14,..scriEws the Nulling of Christian subjectivity arid the ,

}

or representative incentinnality, for example, and in an eNemplary fashitin in Freud and Ileittegger, question of the self: who an 1;:. not ill tltc tA.311540 of "who am I,ur "'Ail.° 15 tills ‘I that

repression of Platonism ilirottgli recourse to a 1i:!iire lfignre, also "14ieel. flint- miallt sr.', that inscribes s.aeriliee within the dissym-

Lan say "'dm'? itit'llat is the• "I," and whir heemites of responsibil-

because responsiliility resides liencefor th hot in an essence that is aecessille to the human gaze, that of the Good and the (..The, but in the rchtiull to 3 supreme, ;absolute anti inaccessible beina that holds tiff in check nor by exterior lint interitir itiree" (I IN. This is the rti4)nient where the light or son of the Good...as inyisilile source of intelligiblc visibillity, but whirl is not itst.if an eve, goes Fwvond philosophy to b•come, in the Christian f.aith, a gaze. A personal gaz.c... that is, a face, a figure, and not a sun. .1 he (.hood becomes personal Goodness, a gaze that 4c e5 inc VI•3[1.)0Ut my seeing it. .A lick later there is this "suppres'6.j(1111 clt the otiii•Ct. as Raudelaire might have put it; "In the final

-

-

•

-

ity once the identity of the "I" irentbles ire mires? us back to lyhat This dissiomnietre it the suggests OlinCCrning 5.ac.rificc mid concerning the tradition of tlic r.rivsferi.im ran•treimll. In spill e 4 Pi Chu cipp.n.sition that seems to 4515t:i111

Fear and Trembhng and the kantian 104ic itt autonomy. Kierke4aard still folltrw.s the Kantian kratlition of a pure ethics or micLiCal reaNCIn that is cy.cLeded by abSOIL1te thin' AS it g.`xt ends 1.101 Lan only hr cmtlincti hi re. li la the TI' in nnu p. 1 1-1 .

rile wrninFL. rvi•rri•LI ,

.

-

metry of 1104ilks thar cannot be exchanged. I It. does si e literally on at lease Two occlksions: "Trelneat/rn,

-

9

trJ arlaktik; 111C

N11111 1:i 11.1.11

d•

ICIREES i' 'IQ

L. I A. E... T

(C13111311 1.0 an ubjece, bov,.el.cr eluvaici.1

is suspended or iptichaii.zed in such an cromory 1)1' . 54Taffice.. 1 Through

hereon ‘vho tivcs it in his

their differences these economies pultaps perform decipher-ip of what is one and the mune economy. lint "amonntiur to the same thing: like economy, (111111.1 alkca ht an inexhaustilile operation. 14 hen Kierkekaard concludes lawAt the n Lin (.1ristianizing or pre-UhriitinnizinI4 du: sacrifice of Isaac; with such deiermination, as if he were pnparip.r the way for ( liris-tianity, refers to the Gospel of Matthew: "For he (God the Father) sees irk secret and rectootiyes distress and secants the tears and target s no-thine (Fear and Troubling, 120. CM] sees in secret, he knoY6s. Bur it is as: if he didn't know what Abraham was going To do, or decade, or decide to do_ He gives him back his son after as:suring himself that Abraham has tremblcd, renounce] all hope, and irrevocably decided to socrifice his beloved son 10 him. Abraham had consented to suffer death or worse, and that A.vich.our ealculktting, without investing, beyond any perspective of recouping the loss; hence, it SCCMS, ICC1.1111pellSc ui rtilibt1161.1r1, beyond economy, without any hope of rvinuricrdrion ka.tairej, The ucrificr of economy, chat without .i.vhich there is no tree responsibility or decision (a decision always takes place beyond calculation), is indeed in this case the sacrifice of the talollonfia, namely of the law of the home (oikr0. of the hearth, of what is one's ovi.n rIT proper, of the private, of the love am' affection of one's kin. This is the lithilikfrIE V/IV:E1 Abraham gives the sign of 41.1)Nn1titc sacrifice, namely, by putticu to death or giving (lcath to Iris own, pitting to death his absolute blIrkt for what is dc-are-st, the only son this is the instant in which the sacrifice is as it were consummated, for only an MS:14n% a na-i inn-lapse, separates This from the raised arm of the murderer himself; this is the impossible to grasp instant of absolute imminence ill 114131C11 Abraham can no longer go back on his decision, nor even suspend it. hr This imtant, therefore. in

(Rich as the Platonit: Ctxxl.). inn to

a

graze while at the SAM(' 111111C remaining beyond the reach of the gaze of that Nast]_ tier known .' kr hal This person is., such a ikv4,:14)pcncnt ret:c'u•eti ;131. ;lcic.luatc I I SCI111.3 qtlesti ❑n has not within the perspective of (lirtstiarkity - (ibid.), This look that cannot be exehangcti is what situates originary CS:SCEILX 4)1 PILO culpability anc.i. ongi n.al sin; i[ is at the same time it sets in train the 54.-arch. for salvation through sacrifice. - 1 . he word - sacrifice - is used a little Further t3f1, in EIJI: context of Judeo-Christian history (Patniikka's single riLfurt-rise to the Old Testament) and of the 1)ving toy•ari.ls dcath, of what we of death, or death as arc here calling the apprehension of the -

-

art offering:

. . . an opening onto the abyssalitv of divinity and of humanity, of a theanthropy that is utterly unique and, for this reason, dccisive in 1 most (14:finizi.i. c manner. Th• -

essential content of the soul derives entirely town this

drama 11.k ithout precedent. The classicalh .. transcendent "..istaancm o f Lie Cod, combined e 1.11lnllt stare, bUCOMUS the principal character in this interior ploy around 1.1.thich he creates the drama of redemption and grace_ The surpassing of the everydaY takes the form of concern for salvation of the souls the latter being CURglicro,:x1 by means of a moral transformation, by means of a reversal in the face of death and of eternal death, living in anguish and hope that couldn't -K: 111113 1: 1:114.1StIV 0314:'WAY the other, Er12.1111.11Ang ilk user CWISCICII41511C55 of sin and offering ones whole being in the sacrifice of repentance." (117) !

.

As we were. saving carlicr, a geweral cfmunnv of sacrifict could lit

arpicivcci a.cc,-nriiing to scy.eral forms a "h"Pzie" or - calculation." From the point of view of their limits, calculation,. loqie, and even economy in the st iCi SMSC pt;LEH precisely to what is at stake or what

.

;

refer the re' der 0 ,1114.:r spin 1.1-1 GISH, 3. CurIccruing this couronly I Is tt, Abraham, tilt "gierktict" or IA.I.QC ■1111.1 the: "economic nucabi.:.• 32 11. 4[11.

235, NO.♦3, :153ff„ to - FxrAvorniiipoi.s." trams. Etichant Klein, Tharrerea 11, 2 (1 441.),

cirrnilarnu-n"), (310 1 . -

2S911.; 211.4. 1

F 1014, 119, 123,. ]p)-41, 155'11., 2074, .

1

95

.

Tour 1

F (1 t

the imminence (ha 4.141.esn t evert !..o_Tairi3te thi! t1e.tisic sn .1'{ H 31 th e act, God returns his son to him and decideq hv sovereign decision, by an absolute gift, to reinseribe sacrifice u iThirti Mt economy br -

Of What theILLe1111 - 1h guise; tea rescruble i reward.

On the basis of the t.;ospel cif ',ix,: Can ask hilt - DJ give back" or "to NV back" means ("thy I:ather which seed[ secret shall revLii'd 1 lace ITT art apoiMiel sod" ). 4 [ T (Id d eCIC ti: give back,, ifiVe I.M4:14 t.C.1 VC L114! h.L.1 1A'Utl soil , once lie is :assured that a gift iiutside of any economy, the itift. of death— and of the death of that which is prieeleAS—has been aceomplihhed without any. hEipe cif exchange, rt..v.ard, circulation, or ecinimunica-

Say that, in order that there he this gift a sacrifice, all CE)111111111111Ca !rig 1 11 hetwcvn them has to be suspended, whether that be curnrniinica Lion as an e xcha ige of kvorc I , )1- ises, Ui coM1111.1ni ca-

tion as exchange of 5.1.01..kls, a,i th'ilufs, ot riches or pr(pertv. Abraham renolinCes Ill sunic and all property•that is 1. 1.41C.ne the tesponsthiliti r of Absolute dery hevins. Abraham is in a position of

nonexeliang.e with respect to ;4141, he is in s12er,e1 ...;inee he doesn't speak to (;od and expects neither respons.e nor reward frra,ri him, The response and respnriSibilite alwaVs risk what filo,' cannot avoid appealiiig to in reply Lrn j, recompense and leiribution. Tile% risk the exchange that they rnighr E.spect but arc at the same time killable to coma on. ft is finally in renouncing life, the Life of his son that one has every reason in think is as precious as his own, that .1khraharti ifaitm or w .1115. 1 [C risks vi inning.. more precisely, halving renr.urnordl %.viniiing, c.xpeeting neith4,1 response nor recompense, 4....\ptcting nothing that Can hit given. back to him, nothing th.ir will corm- back -

to him (when we once defined dissemination as - 1 hit 1.1 - hich doesn't come l3 tk to the father" we might as well have been describing the instant of Abraham's renunciation), he sees that (liod giv e s 11.11Ck cr him, in the ing.tant of absolute rentmeiation, the vers.. thin ,

The

French rrariontes ih• .arki errt-uk [mon: Iiic741.11; dun !tic l'nelith

as 1 11,rt 114' eYkir 11, 11 r 111 4: it 1.1i1Ck ILI yOlf " hc 0.211 pay vol.] 1.12101.:" ..— 1)-3ns. .

1111W

r.•Y ToUr

2.' TR I.:

that be had already, in the same instant, dccicled to sacrifice. It i. aivcn hack ref him because he renounced calculation. Deinvstiliers of rhi.. Ntiprnor or sovereign calculation thar consists in no More calc.ulating might say that he played his cards well. Through the law of the father economy rcappropriates the ciffeCononni ut the gift as. a gift of life Or, what amounts to the same thin!!, a gift of

L

ti011. To speak of the secret Litiivi.t...eri God And Abraham is to also

4

C Tkr

.

Ixt us come back to Niatthew (Chap. -LI). On three occasions there returns this truth, Like sonic obsessive reminder to be learned by heart. It is the sentence - and thy Father which south in secret shall reward thee (redder eipodeVei It is a truth ``tea be learned by heart in 1 lie first placc because One hats the impression of having to learn it without understanding it. like a repeated and repeatable formula (like our tou( mart ell foul re- joist a sort of ObSeldre proverb that one Can transmit arid tronviwt without understanding it, like a sc.alixi Ille:Ssagc that can be passed from hand to hand or whispered from mouth to ear). It is a matter of learning - by heart" beyond an - semantic C(Iniprehension._ In fact 1.i.id asks That one give •ithOial linerWing, ..efthout calculating, reekOning, or hoping, for one MUSt give without counting. and that is what takes it outside of sense. But we sit's. "to be learned by heart" tor another reason. This passage is also a 311e1.111.aNcOn or sermon cm heart, on whin the. 'heart is and wore precisely what it sbe.arki bt. should it return to its rightful place. The essence of the heart, that is there where the heart is what it must properly be, there. ....vHere it puoperh• takeS phice, irk its 12'4WrCel Amyl. trim that is the yen. ,

thinur that gives ii.s foo4.I lor thought concerning economy. I-cr the place of the heart is, Or rather is called or destined to be, the place eft trite riches, a place of treasures, the placement of the greatest Ibmarrizerlron nr lay int Lip Ur LTUN. The corrc..ct 5C.1 1t14 5n of the heart is the place that is bust placed. This passage frum the Gospels turns. as we know., on the Lics eft 1 1.101 ice, And uspeeiall• what we might call cc-01101E1k just ice: 1 'IPA t Fie tru.asurvs. vi rig, wages, clvh1„ laying Op demareatinu celestial from terrestrial economy is what allows one l(1 situate tile rightful place of the heart. One MUSt neat lay up ir•amircs for oneself DUI earl le but its h 12a V1211. :After' savilig for the 97

r

c (.1 Li K third time, here on the. mountain, "and thy Father which teeth in seerti ;Shall reward thee (in other words vtia ran count on [he economy cut' heaven if you sacrifice the earthly cconoinvl, jcsus teaches arc folloi.vs-. -

-

IAN' riot up for yourselves tre3Skirus 1ipoT1 caul) (N.91ite

ehacJiil'ilare 7:015i5 lbaattrtIS fir leTra), Nyhtri: anti rust cloih corrupt., and ti here thieves break hroug,h and seal. Hut lay up for votirsekes treasures in 'heaven (Thriardrizate 4u:cm vobis .thcFattror irr caeic,), where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt. and where thieves do not kire.ak through and meal, For where treasure is., there vial your heart L i .also mittr rrl thesauffiS tuum bopEar gar ry,rin ibesaztros sou, eke': estai kai be kardia sou E. (Nlat thew 6: W 2 .

-

Where is the heart? ‘Vliat is the heart? The heart will this tw, in future. veibc:rtve,..r vou sd3e rcAl treasure, that Whit tai 1101 cum _ visible on earth., that whose capital accumulates .1 .yzyun d omv of the terrestrial viNible or seniible, that iN. the eurriipic-41 or corruptible economic that is vulnerable to moth, rust, and thieves. That does /lion.: than the prii:clessness of celestial capital_ Jr k invisible. It doesn't devalue, it e.in never be :sto14...ri from you, The celestial coffers are 3110r1; secure, imhre.akahle, 01.3l of reach of forced entry or ill-a)nceived gainhle on the 1113rket. This capital that cannot be del.alued vickl an infiniie profit, it k an infinitely secure placement, [Netter than the Best, a chattel price. A5 as (liseoursc oil (tic location 1113c{,:mcm of the heart rhiA 4:ardiotopo4,Y rs al.SO :eel ophtlialnlololty.I Ile 4Xle5 Li 31 ireahlire is invisik Ac to the eves rot corropred and corruptible: flesh. There is the and simple e),:e. &Jeans simple's 1 opkiti.raimos bayous), 3114.3 IIle bad. corrupr, or depraved eve (!JOillailiipMeraq -

the .1'c 11.44. enva The light of the txx.lv trti 4.31 u l mos ) : ii o pbib n oodru law itro Itabrirgi frier ,cortraloy feiri feu therefore thine ey:e bc single Csiv.rp.ka:1.6aplow—tlic Crosjean and 1.eturtm. Frerieh translation gives "healthy" (. .5a1 011), tlik‘0.11.01c boLl• shall lie lull Of Wit Hut if [hole -

.

T

.

E ti 1"r OUT

. 1: r

c'a'r he evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness, If iheref(Fre.! !he light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness. Natthink• 6: 22-23) The °rpm of sight begins by being a source o1 light. The eve is a lamp, It do4.:..sn't receive light. it is nor that which receives Or regards the Good 1)11 the °Obit& 2N Nolar soUrCe of ViailiEv, ti it'cs light from the inside. l[ is [hurt:fore the Good becornr goodness, the becoming-good of the il cood, since it lights from the interior, from the inside of the body, namely, the soul, However, although it is internal in its source. this light doesn't belonv, to this world or this earth. It can SUCm obscure, somber, nocturnal, secret, invisible to eves of 'flesh, io crimpled eyes, and chat is why "seeing irl secret" beckmies necessarv. In this *IV Gild the recstablishes an economy that WaS interrupted by the dividing nf earth and heaven. This passage from the i-ospel of Matthew deals, if it can he put thus, with itEstice. with what it is to be ;tlast or ro do justly Vilrthiaarfprcere dikaiosr.rFAI poitito. jisus 11ar1 praind the poor in spirit (pariperey spirim 1 pu.thn prieurnarr: beggars in spirit). The sermon is cirgani e.ed aroicod the question of poverty. begging, aims, 4e11.1 charity, of hat it IlleariS to gyve (,r aria, of what giving IrlataliS lu (....brisr, and 'what it MC:MN 10 OVC.1;:or Orin, to him, in his name, for him, in a iicw fraternity with him and on his terms, as well as what it Elki.";1314; to he just in so giving• for, in and according to Christ. •1 he kingdom of heaven ih prOlrnitiktd try [:N. 1r ill Spirit ' 1.% ho 31c blessed. elaled [dam taNgressej (brarilma ka•i0i), along with they alai mourn, the meek. they which do hunger aari IhirNt after righileollS110S, the merciful, the pure in .

-

-

heart, the peacemakers, thaw which are perScellted fur riglillenus ricis' sake, those reviled for God's sake_ All those arc promised remuneration, reward, 3 trikeri (inrreen i niisibilc), 2 good salary, a reword (rnerces c.opkeei .1 mistixis paw), irr brers'efi, it is thus that the real heavenly treasure is constituted, on the basis of the salary or price paid for saerifiee or relluileiatiOn on earth, and metre prc• CiSelv tin the basis cif the price paid to [hose who have ken able to raise themselveN we the earthly or literal 'lust ice of the Scribes 1

VI)



!MCI' A O . TAM' EST TOE'l .4t Tk 1

1) L.' [4 and. EPh.ariseus, iheItcrs., of the body :If

It

thy

.

your justice 4.1. FL's not exceed th...Ii of the .-icribes and Hirai

riT

1

14.1.41 Eht L1.4:11 ILLL.L.P,, as orprpostd tho.Lic..: of the 5pirit. you will not

on(' 14hould - my more preci....elv roc .cooe.r as there is no longer any .

...ecret hidden troni Illrough ustry

'rod. or From the spiritual likOit. Thar passes.

pack, then ;3 rict33 E.1.1sAiri

ate 4.1 ot

untcr LL,t kingdom

C)ne can tromslatc that au,

;lb.:4010c iniurioriti, is cons..ritottAl Allowing 54„\CTOCV to be formed

V01.1 sa..cin'i reccivc your

1,11.1:71.ta14.17.0.

within it, Slibinicted from 5pacc, this incrprarnensitrable inside of

A 1.1.4ric is thus pm in place_ ()fie c.ic non:Lc:main of its charaeier-

[hi. NE 1 11I III

.6 th

istics.

bulk the end and the origin

4

A _ OH Ihe oat. hand, we have here a ph,IgUlrflO' i 1 F 1.1.1'1I1 CA WiliCh

conscience. this insult without any outside citTies •

The

if (1111:TC WM!

31.1SCIII.JLIA1

Ot 1 I-1C

heTerogencotts interiority separate from inside chi could not be objectified,

if then:. wen!

The source of khi front Thc: from insidc ;. from th e

of

:Tina and nor from (fit. wDrEkl. Niter saving '`''t e are the salt of thc.

ther• woit141 be no ....k..erycy either.

cartlif' Christ says in the Jam.... mode.enicitt Ye art the light of the (lux nr...mari phrif tor.r.kww.Furi)," city that is ski. S.1-1.1

the secro ecoiminv of saerilia. that is

an hill cannot be hid (thrtk...ort,rii!..i..n.ber.rair (MotChew 5: 141 . Intitalion Takes rphier hi;,:tnry cif If the light was in !ht.

1(1

.

-

13. spirit,. one v.

Or.1 1)e able [t) C1.33LC1 all ObiCIELS, cities. 11411.:1.1.:411"

bear him:. And

this expression or formul:i tvonoinv of sacrifice"; one ceorio-

rni.tes

Fü. Sacrifice

CC0110111iii.C2; EH'

0'7,0 0.05er britrd,

and ont. ecntu71ni4es Nacririce; it is. a saCrisacrific-Ls.

an Letan4.iiiiv

rick la' izat ion of the - intcrior - h i rhlt

if illus

inNt3tLito: a Ex...A.. ecnn.orni... (an ''..1:(FricilifLy

volt will rtreivc

rev:3114 SCLTQC

grifid ixages if von I kC ahove .carE111...

you v L I l get a bctftr

saLinr. if you i x r Lip %our earthh, salary, um:

bet Koch

,3 *;First

3-.1 waged

places, A ,r61.1.T would be hiciticn 1..1.42hind t,r apparzilkisys, cucliwi.

-

triic.-red. and r110 . ecru.

V.'4)L3ICI

L:rvpts would he eonht. light

Lept ir1 57 /5ible. BlIt 1. 1.rieU i

the 111teri0rirk of the spirit, then sa..ert.cl.• is no

is in Lis.

gc.n.itive

SCILL'31..

The objoct wouldn't disappear buf k.i.c hidden behind a Only an Apparatus 01 this ...vorld tv.nulcl be required lo

hello.. the .....trainge eo)nomy of

them is an instability: in (ilk: Isla cal

tic c that

if it lutc.1 its source outside and rum within us. u itliin

sara. For

t-

.

another), th cu. [

I

d155c0C'irkting frbiti,

1

rcnciertil t,co dissymmetrical v..11.ah.....k 4...r is paired iirh the iensiti.ke .

body, in the same

exchaitile as a

that is means brc.41...iny

longer possible , This sort of oninli)reseliet: ismore radical. dice-

Nitiiplc Corm of reciprocity_ In the s :trtse. sc., 45 I'm! 10 r.uinseribe

tik c, and iindeniabh.. Ilan that of n

CIT terregriil ...you'd. Lie ..11k1c... io

alin.s.-givinQ within 41 certain ccoritarny if CXChlrige.', he s.1.:311 Anv "Itut %viler! rhou doest alms, let not an; kit hand know what thy

ok)s[acit ID ini:urrtipt the

right hand dot.11.1 16: 3), sia "if thy riq21.11. evc of Lituc [re R:trada -

tIlat 11.11111 : iL 1.)3LC

-

\01'113T7C

..tankl

Thc-ne

I)e 110

.1

lisr],

The iriteri.E.rizaticin 01. Ihe

p ill

scrurec.

t] L'

pluck it °Lit,

cat iE

ElAcc- (5; 29), Sinsilirk: fore [he

1317

Se.Cre.C 11., km LI Pi ASO the- twginning of the paradox of ihu

Irrtxiticibli: in its ipt4:rioritii _ No 111 4 1, 1Tl'irC4 minims more sccrocv

Vi.

.

[pigs de serm, phrs de sant]: tl 11(1.1. '..r1JC:ret. of z.. ecri,: cy lip[hui 1-011-111L1141 or shihbolab thit depends untitT11 c,n uh 11 UV 1101 V.LY1L .

prormunc... itw final

ne pfd is nnon111.1111.-cil in thy iperr4....mon pie / .k

' tudPIT KV.ITS6).10:rer'e .L-crer• --Trann nole

,

"

and III'S riviluktilCcd.

541st I I

il

1112'3E1.1 " 1111 1111.11V

the

(hal Li was said

4)!

n iuu shaLt not c nyrinrcil Adultcr y : BLIA I Say unto pill], That

'1.1.'1102.1{11."1..Tr

104-skCth iFrl

a ixorriliri

ED

lust after her hath

her alrarby in And if thy right ci r.e offend (sagnoralizzaiikumfalizei: thu

MittrAll fl(11.1[TerV WiTh

or. since ptict no longer takcs place

Igfo7d1hy.' Tberf 1

nt pixy, A .distinction Out eannoi

.

have

to cri•31)

fall, 3tamblc. sin) Thee, pluck it Gill, anti east it tsar from for ii is proritrible for thee

)

hiecialon is 1.4'h of makes {]it

Thot 4Frie. of thy members s11104.1,11.1 perish, and 0131 that thY

E 012 it

it L. t.S7 . 1" 0 Cr

t!

TR P.

whole body shoukl be cast into bell_ end if rho' right liAnd

• implied when it is said, litrle further on, ihat God who sees

offend thee, CUT It Off, and CANt it [term thr•: lior in is

In Secret, NV111 reward you or pay 3 ou back for it (reddet tibif? The

profitable for thee that erne of thy rile

sluytild perish.

logic that requires a suspension of the recipr o city of vengeance

and not that thy whole both. should be cast . into hell.

and than commands tis not to resist evil is naturally the logic, the

-

(Matthew 5: 27-30)

hich i lift and truth, namely., tliirist who, as goodness that forgets itself as Il l at0.1.::ka SAYS, tVadMi love for one's ef1C-

Such an economic ealrlikition mtegrates absolute foss. rt breaks

rules. I•'or it is pruck;cly in this pascagc that he "LAJVC your

with exchaliQu, sviunietrY, or reciprtxitv. It is true Char absolute

enemies pray for tht-nt. which .. persccute you," (le_

Skibioctivilv has broiled. With it calculation and a 11111inie4N

ireinrioris wapiti, logs ekhik.nms briranis)( 5: .14), I t is more iliAn

Of the stakes wirhin the terms of an. cconortiv

or s acrific e . but thi s

is by :;ocriticing sacrifice understood as commerce c.i•corring

ever necessary to quote. the Latin or Cireek, if only to remind us

3v it151t1

of the reinarlk irade by Carl S4:11rnitt when, iii Chapter 3 of The.

finite bounds. 'I here is mererf., wages, merchandi.zing if not mer-

CuLrerri'' of The t'llediliced, he emphasizes thc fact that iniatirar is not barris in [Aria and ekbthroi not pedelniar in t. ;rock.. This allows him to conclude that Cltrises teaching collect lir, the line that we must

cantilism; there

paymcnt., but not 1..:4niailltrCe ii Commerce pre-

supposes thelinise and reciprocal exchange of

merchandise,

or reward. dissymmetry signifies that different economy of sacrifice in terms of which ( ...".hrisr, still talking about the eve, about the right A11(1 the ahr11.1t hfC;kkillit Up a pail' ILK pairing, lip, wdli *as' a little 12rer: Ye have heard that it hash been k,aicl (of / .r "

"

show to Our private enemies, to chose we would bc tempted to

hate thrtiugh pers•onal or subjective passion, and not to pithi11; (SCillnitt nue0F1t/ZCS iii viitssing tlr,ir the distinetionS PLVI2t.TI rnitilicus and bastie and between ekhibro5 and pbienfiar have no strict equivalent in otlicr languagcs. at least no t lit German..)

All t'Ve for in eve

teaching Would t1i I: ftie frig Pral or psychological. ekTil InCE 3-

P r* "uk I E'Ph'imivwn alto. eff4thabisori), and a ;cm :'t II

physicol. but not political. This is importanr fcrr Schmitt. for

,

-

fir :4 [00, th;

BM

wh' ?171 titian .kv,Teti againS1 A iivturinimaie L.:111.:My (IX,ifiES). a war or :

sari' 111111 . [ ' VON!, Than

resist nrit evil

(M9.111

resiffete

mitriu 1 mi arristenai [6 ponerei).. tmr whosoever shall smite .

Thee on thy right check, tu.rn to him !Ix.

her Also. (5-

hostiliry hlr doeAn r pru%uppinse any hate, would he the condition -

of poNsibility of politics. As he remind s UN,. 110 Chrb;tian t1"1.1.• West tti kit! tllc Alt1S11111:1. 'LVh(1 invaded Christian

his commandment reconsiirkite the parir• of the pair

Among other things this raises again the qu•5ri0rt of a (.:hristian pulitics. One rhat conforms no the GOspcis. Fo r S c hmitt, but in a

rather than tire3kinF it up, as we just suggez...ted? No it doesn't, Lt

very different sense: from l'a.toka, a Christian or European-

interrupts the parity And symmetr y , for instead of paying beki the

( :hristiLin polities seems to be posihli:. The modern sense of the i)olitiral itself would lie tied to su c h a FOS Sibili y innsmuch as

slap on the cheek (right cheek for kir cheek, the for {TO, one is to offer the other check. It is a inair
coiriceprs are secularized theologico-political corLrepB. But chmitil's rvAding e ni ust pre:suppose that S to rit ake .sco 5 i:on . !tal. I for

the "fine lent for every one borrowed," of that hateful forth of

' inecu your enemies' preenipb. all disi:u.....sion or. as UT might

circulation that involves reprisal, vengeance, returning blow for blo♦, settling scurcs. So what arc ILO MAI' Of 1115 eCtinorrhICA

say, all ethno-philologital debate, sitter: the war i.caged against the Muslirft, co clic: but a Single CSINC, was a politic•A h et, in ichmieni

NY11111101-V of /21:01:Antsy, of give. anad take and or paving httel. that

,clew, and it confirmed the existence of a Christian rxditics, of a

102

r to Jr At FRE L' S" I' T 1...T A VTR': —

coherent intention tIlit 1.1.•ag in gelmine agreement sti irti th e Gimpel of capdhle of brinving all .. .hristians and the whole Church together 61 a spirit 4)1 . 4onscnsill.5. But Ellat can bts called intn question, Feist as .wc can find ourselves perplexed lati (lie reading of "love your enemies and praV for those who persecute For

the lex/ says:

Ye have heard that it hath Elven said, i ho n e shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. Blur 1 saY unto vou, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pea% for ilium) %Illicit 1.1 12.11)1R:flEllit Axe you, arid persecute you. (5:43-44)

;Allen ,wets 530!.'S "Ye have heard that it had) Ewen said, Thou shalt I1 ,e thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy, - he- refers in particular to Leviticus: 19: 15-1F, al !CAM in the first pan of the sentence :"Thou shillt 14-11c hr iteiq.bbor") if not the sect rid ( - hate thine - L i enemy"). "There it is solid,, n fact, "Thou shalt Iovc thy ric iirl i bi)r as thyself, - But in the first place vengeance is already condemned ul Leviticus :inkl the teht doesn't say thine enemy." In the second place, since it defines the neighbfir in the sense of fellow creature fremigiVerri. as a member of thy same et hilie plrckup ('amirb), the sphere of the political in Si:h rn_tr'S Sense is already in plait . It would seem difficult to keep the rwitential opposition hetween one's neighbor and one's eneiny within the .sphere of the private. The NS'S:Tr from I „evitiCLIN sells forth a certain concept of jusliec. k speaking rn Moses, to whoni lw has his/ given a series of prescriptions et loci:riling sacrifice and payment, and, it needs to he emphasized, he forbids revenue.: [

I am the Lord, Ye shall do no unrighteousiless in jud4rukerkt; thou shalt not reispeet the person of the poor. nor honor the person

of the nUglity: bill irk righteousness shalt thou iiidge the neiahhor. Thkin shalt nest o up and down as a talebearer among the pull•: neither shalt thou stand agai ns t the blood of thy neighbor: I am the I kind.

1111011 Shalt not hare thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in anti we rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer in -

upon hirn.

.f hi .chatt Mgt atletlge, nor bear any gad ge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: 1 am the Lord_ (Leviticus 19: U-18)

Ir one's neighbor is here one's cwagrner, someone fro m, Firy corn. triunity, from I he same people or nation ('en2.7615), then I he person who can be opposed to him or her (not in Leviticus but indeed in the Gospel) is the non-neighbor not as private enemy but as foreigner, as member of another nation, community, or people_ That runs counter to Schmitt's interpretation: the frontier between icia a nd iiosiis would lie morc permeable than he wants to believe. This involves the conceptual and practical possibility of founding politics or of forming a rigorous concept of political specificity by means of a type of dissociation: not only' that between the public 311L1 private but also between public existence and the passion or shared community affect that links each of its members to tree others, as with members of the same farnilv, the same ethnic,. ElAl ii)1111d, or linguistic COMMUility. etc. Is national or nationalist affect, or Community affect, political in itself. oT not? Is it public Or private, according to Schmitt 11 would be difficult to answer The question, and to do so would require a new elaboration of the problematic_ What fulluws inimediateb . the - 1A3VC your cowrie:. in the Gospel of Matthew refers once again to wages or salary (mortalerni unillw.M), Once again, and once already, for the question of remuneration will molt-ate the discourse on God the hk/her who sees in secret and who will reward you (by implication with a salary). We need to distinguish lietwcen two types of sa larv : o n e ci f EvErilw"

tion, equal exchange, within a circular economy; the other of absolute surplus value. heterogeneous ti, outlay or investment. Two seemingly heterogeneous economics therefore, but in any ease two types of wages, two types of meals or rnisfbrif, And the opposition between the mediocre wages of retribution or exchange and the noble salary that is obtained thrt.itigli disinterested sacrifice or

F 0 L. H.

fk [..."1- i t'IRE f .5' 7"J" OVT A I: 7' JR E.

through the gift al 1F points lo in OppnsitiOn ketm t.en two peoples, ours, to 4111 1.1.J3E1 Christ i% %peaking, and the others,. whci are referred to as eihnici or rIbuik4.4, the races. therefore., in short the. Noi)les, those %k ho arc only peoples, collectivities (gu)ityr i n (:h(niraqui`s French translation, pixel= m (;rosy.Lan's and Ilkturitiv's BibliothiNue dc la l liade version). I At us not forget the uSt of the word "pagari,' for it will :shortly further advance our reading_ fere k the en4.1 of Chapter 5 of the C;ospel according to Niatthew ; .

)

Rut i ss4 unto you, 1 Awe vuur a jtiir bk., own] that curse you, do good to them that hate vou, and pro' for them v hich de.spitefully use You, and persecute you; Fliat ye may be the 'children of your Father which is in heaven: for he malieth his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and qendeth rain on the just .end on the unjust. For if ye lot•e then.' which love you, what reward h avt. ye .

,

-

(Si mini eos qui vo1 difigun1 mercedem ba be _ ,ureic? Ir eau gar rkopFierr low aprip&alas hunras, Ariribühr

(*bele)? do not evert the publicans the same? (44-46)

Something passes from one father to another but authentic filiation is reinstotecl rrhat ye may be children of your 1- atlier" .), occurs Mk condition that there is a gift, A love trithour res-crre. It you love only those MI.E.1 love von and tiF I he ex rem that they love on if you hold so strieth to this yriiinetry, mutuality, arid reciproe_ity, then you give nothing, no love, and the reserve of your wages will be like a tax that is imposed or a debt that is repaid, like the acquittal of a debt. lit order to deserve or expect an infinitely higher salary, one Eliot hei..ond the [mot:pion of what is doe, you have to give withoui taking account and thi_pse who don't love vou_ It is here that reference is made to ethnic groups." or pay:d.11.N ; .

.

-

-

"

..

And if you salute your l_Prethren only, what In ve iti4)re than ot hers:: 1 )o not even the Gentiles (elioniciiefbnikol)sco?' 6. In Frmi•i Yr" tafertr. "pagan4, Injni the Ro.isuLl amidard I1C5 rq.VatS .1 11L11)11Can5 .. (eflOrao) AS in ti Cru 46. linrh edit In di frr'.ru veriiring of C'rn.ck.—Tran% nnic. n

This inalinite and disc economy of sacrifice is opposed to th.at of the scribes: and pharisees, to the old law in gcncral, and to that of heathen ethnic srroups or gentiles (pyinr); it refers on the one hand to the Christian as against the .Judaic, on the other hand to the Judeu-Christian as a.gainsr the rest_ It always presiipposes a calculation that claims to go beyond calculation, beyond the totality of the caleukhle as a finite totality of the same, 1 here is an economy , Inn it is an economy that integrates the rinillnel311{11) of a ealcttlable retltiljncration, YcnunCiatian o.t inurrhAn(iise or bargaining imarehatrdageb of economy in the sensc of a retribution that can be ineasured or mule sYmmerrical. In the space opened 1.3%. this tzconolny of what is without measure there cinerges a new teaching concerning or alms that relates the latter to giviNg bath ar pciy itig bark, a yield [rendr.r.nePrI] if you wish, a protitability [renfahririe I also, 4.4 course, but one that creatures cannot calculate and must leave to the appreciation of Ebefixfber be i sees in secret_ Starting from Charter 6 of the same Gospel, the theme of justice is remarked upon if not marked out explicitly, (Jr ir is at least appeale(.1 to and named as that which 111 111.S1 be practiced without being marked or reitia.rke(1 upon_ One must be just Nvithout being notitcd for it_ 'Fo wain to be noticed means Nyanting recognition and payment in terms of a calculable salary, in tering rrl thanks: I r onerciemrr+1M OT recompense. On the contrary one must give, alms for example, without knon.ving, or at least by giving with one hand w idiom the other hand knowing, that is, without having it known, without having it known by other rnen, in :secret, with(itit counting on recognition, reward, rir remuneration. \Vithout even having it kiiuwn 14 oneself, dissociation between and ]eft again breaks up the pair, the parity or pairing, The svonnetry between, or homogeneity of, two economies, III fact it inaugurates sacrific.e. licit acs infinite calculation Ntliper5C1.112ti the Li iliLe calculating beat has been renounced, God the Father., who secs in sccrct, will pay back your salary, and on an intinit4.1v 61-mailer Neale. E lave things become clearer? l'erltaps, except for the divine ipoci whom: secro 11 5,-Ikt should not tot: shed: .

-

.

-

107

'1r +.0

[nett rh.m ye do not v4)or ...ohm before linen, to tie seen of therm otherwise ve have Ilu reward of witty. Father which is in heaven. I terefore iti l,c n rhou does' aline Arns, do nett iiount.1 a .

trunipet before thee, as Illy hypocrites clti in the synagogues and in the .strvets. that they min,: have Flory of men. Verily 1 say unto You, Their. have then icwaRl, thmi does( alros, kg nor thy. left hlnd know what tliv right hand. d(otli: 'That thine may k.K.: in sceret; and dn Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee upenly. Bur

.

6: I 411 -

'1

A !. ;

TAUTRE

m ith-orieself, of speaking., that is, of producing invisible sense, once I have within MC,. thanks t& the invisible t.Pord cc sigh, witness that others cannot sec, and who is Ilacrefore 4.11 I bC Sank' othrr go( dam!. iTiNcif, 4 511.0.7 II. Can have a Maw mc and more rnfir.r.rale 5,ccret relationship with rnvselt and not tell everything, one there is secrecy and secret witnessing within icic then what I Call (,0d .

.

exists, (there is) what I call God in Inc, (it happens that) I cal]

myself God -a phrase that is difficult to ciisLingnish from "God [ails nie," for it is on TI1.21 COntliriOn 1111:11 t ran evil nw•clf or Shat I am called in scxret God is in rue. he is the absolute "rile" or • self," he is that StrUCtUr• of JLl i jl,lc itnclicotill► that is 4:-1111 0..1. in. .s niadu rnanif eS t, he Kierkegaard's sense, subjectivity. _\ntl. I nianife.Ats lus nonrrinnifestaiion v.•ben, in the strut:tires of the living -

1

-

This promise is repeated several times in a similar form, whether it concerns alnis, prayer, or fastiniz V.: 6, 17 I81. The clarity of divine lucidity penctratcs everYthing et keeps within

or the entity, there appears in the course of pliylo- and onrogenerie

itself the riOSE. secret tif secrets. In iirCICT to eschew idolatrous

lhe desire and power ici render abs:ohlielv invisible and try eonsti-

sir iconiSEiC simplit:iS.M.S„ that is, viSible ilnagc.s and rCitity-illack

Line 'A Ltlllll I.M.12Self

might lie riccii...ssary co understand this Nellie-15(x I"and thy Father seetti in secret . shall reward thee") as .-nething °LULLI . 1114n a proposition concerning I( icli. tlu.s sithjcer, entity, or X who iiic UDC hanc.1 would alrciKiy 4,Aist, and who,

of (;01_1 and or the name of God ;El Lhi. IiisLor• lal sucrccv, a M.-dory shat is at ilLC saint tillIL s-ccrel cLnt1 NVIt11011( Any s.cc.rets, Such a hisli)ry is also an A11.4.)ther eet)tioin0 Perhaps the "':tills- otic iii Siilltilaeflim, an

on the other hand, Nehat is rimrc, would be endoyied

IA:11130E1W

-

TergeSCilaritions. it

attri-

histurs ., the posNibility seereeN „ ILL." S cvci diffcrcittialcd, c4An.

r lex,

butes !.;ticli. as paternity and the pmyer to penetrate secrroi, to see

plural, and

Ovurcicieriikirtud

it tic; that is, vellum there appears

a witness of that ins. isibility. Thal is the hisiory

that is anlbiuiituus criouvli to S.CC113 It iittcvralc 1114311CCOR-

131 1i5; essential 111S1:31311.1(V 111c MIT111.' .1'CW -1031'1Vscan SC11110.

and sometimes .accusing or ironic with reirect to the role (4 Christian sacrifice. It begins 114 dentainciiig an OtIcring

tlie invisible, to see in me ['curer Than i, to be more powerful and more intimate with me than myself. %lie should .stop thinking about God ac 011.12i- Ellett, 10. av up there. transcendent., 4111d,

times

what i more—into 'he hargain. precisely capable., more than any satellite urbiting in spacc, of seeing into; Elk tikosi secret of the

C3111112. ■LCC(11 1.11-11 able, eXiC1111T, vitil[FIL

-

MOSE ifilcrior plaCCS. It is perhaps nceesnary,

if arc to follow The Traditional judeo-C .hristiano-Islantic initinetion. hut also at the risk of turning, it aoinst that tradition, to think of (;041 :Tod of the name of Ciod without sileh StcreOEvping s ir rcpreseln3tion. Then vie might say: Cod is the Ilainc 1 have of keeping a secret tli:t is visihi• from the interior but not front

-

.appears 1.mr Calculating still:, (Inc that WE1 111141 fi11(1111 14a! carth -

108

w:Lgcs (men-c7), rine

that would

exceed an econoniv (if retribution ;mil exchange (the re-merciernoll) 411111 4,' to capitalize on it by gaining J. 1)Tofil or Surplus k line that was 114.231;12311V, .tncakulahlc,

.

he exterior. (hare. such 3 structure of cnnwience es-ists, of being-

to

interior,

VIA

sccrul. This would be

..*.t sort of set•rct calculatinn that •inild continue to wager on tilt iN7.0

of God who 4:eei the invisible and sees in my heart what 1

(lecline to halc seen by Lilt ft:11ov. ht.101:411.S. The liviierholie form of this internal critique of Christianity, I hat is it

the Nan]{' time (9,11.T1g4,111r..11

is ill10qT1'ated

ti.)

t FL

BA1.11.1.1.:1;rilne.

N11.1311 pal[11.1.111L1 h a

int121V1134.:ral.r.1: pag 1.1S, t11.74 k

(..1 ".1- .1. CTRF P:11.1.311.n S4•h0111" (1852). 7 In

aye and anger proicci

013.1:CLCS, A

WISkrillitV, A VCI.i12:LI..131 'Lind :k p11111.41-21(.1p1w. Firs! among :

.

are SIAM' U3113 t.i mud .ourticrs -Iprobably 113.o.m.ille. i nd m hus like Leconte tie Lisle an4.I Gilitier, who c..elellprated nloilels of (ireek

turo. Duelarinv himself au:ainst the cultil O. l :011.1 -

tlr^ ase tic taLls the HIM-1M

i

r

%dm arc at the 5,1.7114' kirDC

M:111•Criallist. and formalist. Itaudeloire iivarns ;Against ;he promitti-

rion of thane who kneel hcfore the aestheci•iwn of rcpr.t.sentaticin. AgaifINI 1114: Illat uriAlimm. cif iht.. image. 1.4 4tppearl.linCeS and of idolaFry,. al.T.aiirit the. Iiteral exteriorin.. of appearing clot.‘sn't fail to dn the contrary, ;According to a cora parmlox01.whose r rartl b.e elaboratv..1 herd....peaking of litZlc. in the. un:drinur or Matthew's Gospel, Ile end..., up by re-counting, a storv of counterfeit rnorte ...- that is simplur, impoverished, and less perverse- Than 'LCApunterfc-it .M k but gill cLcF.s e.nnai.Rh To call for nil analysis that would link the two 11.CXIIN in a And he "e.Xc u see the suppression of .

.

take 41 Step, U.) Spuak a withuiti •(1.1,1, 131 triy. into 41.3ILICLI'l13kg iragarti noupataris, aru ticFLI {Icing iE not the S:TIMIL` tiling? . AppaTently valL 1. 1ANC lotik YOLIT SCP1.11 s.Cimovhcre_ . _ . To disinbs. passion and kit] lilluraluiru. repu(liJac !]Le efforts. OF a prccucliniz, Hild421 Chrktian and philc, supine, i to ("Orlimit TO OilleSdE.04.1.711.1.5ivelY with hht ChArMS 01 material art is to rim ihe risk uf FOr a I.EFINti tints, a 1111)E1 will Lic Eu set, lobe 3m] 1 :4,'.4.d only the beautiful, nothing heoutiftil. I 3M using the wined 'in a restricted scnie. The world Will Appear rally in itL: .

ChariL 5 ‘1111..c PJF.J.11 Nuhix.11,• in. I Jsis !kw ] I ti Jup n.r.1 E. I l4•%14)p. Jr , rcl r. and trarK.. Raw:0404re (..r we t PuThriCnircnity Prgs..„ I961, sylranir 8. The a IhNarin rim. Mind erfeiier "114t. Sdirini" C1OT Eike in inro il {ou u its eta 4 rcading cif' '< fci, Niuncv " {CI 4;;Lro... TYPIYr i, Cur.-demi* .1.1D.or r . 1.11-411'5 Vs1414) Ch.wAgri -

1 10

iliatcriol. form. . . . •a!, rcluzion

r

r A

ph.114.3S/PpliV C4_11111egile

by [11112. cry .1)f despairinz soul. Such aS: if will the fate- nf madmen who see in nanare only forms anti rhythins. F.....4.•1 philosophy will at Iirsc o.ppear lo Iblum

.

1' T E:

[that currilpicai I. constantly ciebred and unap])ea.;,eil, gi les about the Wi rid hc busA., tcrilirig x•oTld _ . Eke a FrostitiitL ur Plamit! Plasi The plastic—that frightful ..vord grk e.s mu! firLi1-5—the phstic has poi_ sonetl 11-11M, And yet he can live nnly [Iv this poi.gon. . understand the rage cif iconoclasts. and Muslernq against a(tinit di 1154.7 r nscFrx cif Soinit Augustine for The tral great pleasure of the 'rUIC Bari g4:T is so great that f excii5e the iiippression or the object. The folly of art :11. 31.1.K 45 • the 1)11.1 .1.1.1_ •hp •rratiori of on' of these 0.1'0 5upre[rocies resulb. i n foo.lislines:s. hardness of heart and in enormous pride and egoism_ I recall having heard an :Artist, who was A praCEi.e.a] iaker who had re.f.C4iiv-ed a false akin. say 4.Ptl one ouasion; shall keep i t for sonic r_w_mr person_ 'Ile wretch took an infernal pleasure robbing thc poor and in enjr.0,..inz ;.1( I.le '.. ❑ EC lime the benefit of a repinatinn kir •h.Aril E '.1:1)1114:11TIK` 4,•INC.` SA.V: don't the pnor v. car gloves to beg; Thi•.. would 32;

.

Link

121k11142. .

I LI

.

-

make

1)4.ni.`t

anDith.inu: to that

wt., his rap don't fit ..,vc thus; ;LTUTI'l yClb" 61:C011'51E11Z tC) hirrh. . . . The tirrH. is nni du.s..tont when it will IN.- under. SIC.N.A that 4: ....ery literature that reftises to hand in

hand with science and pltilomplyi- is a 1Noinicidal. and 5IL.EiC14 In.' I iicratitiT. {'' I 1]c Paga] iclion].," 74 - ?'7) -

This discourse scents co be tpf a piece and it is certainly ks:s II Ariti.[C

rrmiings.

liCuullturici( Muncy." Rut It

ILIAL iEs.•lf k Mien

stakes cif cynni4ellical. spiritualism that CrifiliC11.1C ti

raised qn,' ;it con:...tint 110.: .nf having their bluff (-ailed. In the

Father who sees ill cerct .and salary promised in heaven b pav it balk, c'Flte Pavan School" can always lorimosl.: a sort raf 1.1blitine and secret caleidAtion, th.at of him 'hc} seeks to "win

t

1%1

paradise 4,.1.21)nilmicaliv - as The nairrator clt "Couinlerfcii N1.1.Ine•" puts it. The moment the gilt. hirkkeN:i..•r generous it 1)e, ts; infected with the slightest hint of calculaILE11), tiu itionicnt it Likes AIX:11411U of k now lc( lgt% reoPoweissam. -ef ruco.c.2niti.031 tr4..4..w.re.wtmini. -41„ it Within Illt. of an economy: it exchariges., in Short it givc.% etrainerfeit nioneY, sine(' it 5rives in exchange for payment. it it g es "true" money, the alteration or the gift inw a form of calculation inlilludiatch: i.lestrm:s tlst 1411.1ic ur Ihe very thinu (hal iC 1.10..L.Irovs it Ss Torn the inside. 'rile .11114n1CS: May 114.0,) iS its value but it is no long e r Ijiven as such. I ince it ES tied En rc..niuncration (n.terco . ), it iS counterfeit b-Lcaust: it is inercenary aL1bd mercantile; even if it is real. \1 hence the 1..11. 1 1u.04.1 .. su pp i . k,. 5 .5 j oit o f [ f it. objet" that can he inferred by slightly displacing Buoilclair•'s fornutlation; S-01311 as it iti c.Mlccilat c9 V.q:111 111.114 triii Ike simple -

ltltc F ion of Viving as such, startinid irnin sense, kno..,yIetEge, and hatever take~ rCCC1151 116011 into a4C.01J1111.1., the gift suppne......ses the object Cof the gift). It denies it as SU•II, In orticr eta a•oic.I this negation kir destruction at 211 cogrs, one 1111.I.C1 proceed to furceilirr that of keepinv in the it only. rhr giving. the :let r]#

and iiitentioo 11) give, 1101 11)t: 1114.121l

in

must give ...vithC111.11' linkriA iiig S.Vi(i1.1311.1l With4)111l thank.c Ireine•ciemart Without ithout any object. ()Ile

iliL 1•111.1 .1115(tiffl 1112.CItA,.:

:11110.11 king,

tar at Irci19t

I he Critique

poll:mil: 4.)f

hiCh

,

-

Thy l'ar,an School

-

'Lvoitlil 1 -12we (hi!

word is: on llorleler fashional.5ie but it does H41:1:11s to iirip
witness uf evcr‘ secret, k ?pluses and be I,Vc have to bt.,lieve chat he knows_ This knoixlcdgt- at 111C- Saint: time founds and destroys the Christian concepts of responsibility anti and their "ohject:" Tbs... genealogy of responsibility that Nicr7selle refers to in The e.r.emea1u!.::71: of oikendi "the Of the origin, of

respgansibilitv (Veraini...:.ortii4-14.4..if)" also describes 1.h• hi ...aim- 1' of H-al anti religious eOrisrielley-2 hisrOry of et oelty .1 1 11.1 sacrific e ,

f

YTTOVT

of the holocaust- even (these ,iii Nietzsche's words), of fault as debt or obligation (Schield, that "Caliinkil ' nf that morality), a 1 . iisnory of the economy of 'Elie contractual relationship" between crcdito:rs (GliiiiebejtEcT) and debtors (Scbteldner), - .111c_se TelaTiOI1S aIlpo.:1T AS 5(411 AS 11.1wre cniq' StibiCVIS landcr law in guicrai

(Reck ssubleite), and they point kick in turn "In rhe primary forms of purchase, sale, barter. and trade."' Sacrifice, vengeanee, cruelly-- al] that is inscribed through the genesis of responsibility tincl moral conscience. "'Ile cat[.`goric-1] Ur - old Kant" rt:e1.4 of cruelty (72-7 3). ietZSLhes it diaonosis of cruelty is at the same time aimed at economy, Ipei....ttlatiori, and conunercial i rat-licking (buying and selling) in the institulr i.s 31!.174) :tinted iu the "obit,...etiyity tion Of Moralitl," ;Old can he paid foe." 'nth of the object: "everything has its price, was "the oldest arc[ most naive moral canon of tt.5rue. the beginninv of all `kinditecS,! cmt ali "equity, of all ' of all ' 0 11.icc.. tivity . in the world" (8.4 D'or Nietzsche i.r.oes so far as to rake into account, as it .tvere, the moment When [WIN )11StiCe itilegr.afes titil VaL IL:31111W 1x rendered solvent, Cile inuetiiii( table,. the absolute, I k thus takes into account thi which exceeds economy 2' (.94Cilarlge. and the coninterec re-mr.rdeateiet, [hit instead of crediting, [hilt CO pure gondness, the h• r e v ea l., in it. i1 ( f lu sa me T ime faith. or the suppre-ssion 4 -)f the ithiect, a self-ell...strut:lion of justice [iv silvans of grace. That is the 1W-opt-lir of justice;

nioInerlr as Self-dCsITLICtiuil

The justice which beF,a..u. with ri C;ifi he paid off, everyihow must be paid off, - ends CEI- 1115i %AWL! (ehrn.h the- Frnsier ;LI sehn) It the escape of those good thing . who cannot pay to escape—it ends, like hat is translated as - deon earth, hy stroying itselt - is literally gicii selbc.r aujimbend—and ieti-whe adds the emphasis: by "raising itself Ur Eik SillE1SC111011111 11.)1"

(.:11.6,11

1.11111.CS

1) in Tile Gump/Etc it'Ork.

riv

9. Fricdrici)

I)r.

.evy (Net.' 'I ork: (4)rcinn 1 r4.•cs, 1974). 70. )

11;

,

[) T. 14

rr) t:J At

conserves itself in what Secri15 To e:xf.Teld it; it remains yeli.it

.

E ES T str .UT A r." TR

TR

If them is such a thing as tlyi, "stroke of genius," it only comes

it ccask^s t4.) be, A cruel •cononiv, a commerce, a contract

about at the instant of the infinite sharing of the secrci. [f, on the

del.it and creLlit, siicrifiee And vengeanc.-el. The

basis of A thaumaturvical secret, like ;4 technique derived from

self-destruction of justice 1:D e• SeilYriatifbetiting do- Gere•b-

Nome capability, car a rust: that depends on a special knowhnw, one

iis,ikeif)! uc know the pron.. write it calls itsetf--Grace (Grwdr)! it remains, 3 44k (thviC11.1 44, flit' privilege nrec ht )

were able. to attribirte it 10 50.1311:0I)V Or soo L:thiii. LAlled "Christ ianit N,'," one would hive to envelop another scorn within it: the TCVC:C-

of the strongest, better still, their super-law (min 'misfits

Sal and irniiiitizallion ( hat confers on ( On the other or DA the -

ilex Rabic), ( 3-84)

name of God, the ri.:Npurbibility fin that which rcniaii more secret .

Fri its Selbsh.v.oThebung justice remains a privilege, Gereebrikkrii mains a l'orreibi as that which is jor,reits def Rechu. That obliRes to think about lvhat die .Selbfi represents in this Selbstanfrebteni; in (Crill.ti of the Cori 44TITUlion nl: The Nell in general, (11121 zie Cfra -

nucleus of In Eiiiestioninv a cert.:till 1:011011,1l Cif repression (Ziirrickschiebutig, 110) that moralizes The n -K`Cliatiisat of di•bi ll.' in moral duty and in Ira(! conscience. in conscience as guilt, one might ilevelop furl her the hYperholization col such a repression (by bringing it Cu 11-car upon what llatodia says about (:hristi.art reprv.ssiori1. This sacrificial Rubric is who( Nietzsche c,ally the "stroke of !Junius callial Christianity." it is Y. hat fakes this economy tea its excess in the saciific• f)I Christ for .101/C Of [tit• (11•1)Tor:. it involves IN:* acne economy of Sacrifice, 11111.c since sat' rificu 4.4 saerific.e; . . . that pariu.loxic:ol and :awful exprElteitt, through tik.hicli a tortured Itunitiliior. has finind a rerraporary

Th3C1 ever, the irreducible vxperiencu of had. bc1.1% 4:en credit and .

faith, the believing suspended hetween the credit kr/awe) of du: creditor (I eqancieri(ile:rubiger ) and the credence (k rayon-El Glatiben) -

.

of the LK I ievcr [ c rtqa ?it), I low cal) one bdirx this history of credence or credit? Thai is what Nietzsche asks, in fine., VI hat h4,.! asks hiitisdf or has asked by another, by the SptICIVT of his disk-oursc. Is this a false Or counterfeit question, a rhetorical question AS one sates in Firitzlish'i For what makes a rhetorical question possible can sometimes disturb the SIMUCILIrC of it. .As often happens, the call of or for the question, and 101C 1- 4.!tiLiCSt that CCIMCS 11.11fouvli it, takes us further [Elan the response. The question, the request, and the appeal must indeed have begun, since she eve of their awakeriin, 1.1v rcceivinv accreditation from the ul her: by bcinp believed. Nietzsche mast indeed believe he Lim...5 what t Iicti ti ig 1114.:211N, unless lie rilr-A]pi it 15 all make-believe [a moins quid rientrtnie pen! cgcroirr I.

that stroke of genius E.:allod 4":,briscianriy (jenon Getuestreieh des. (Iiristenturt)s):—God ppersonall y' 1.111.1tiolating

for the debt Of inn, (iN.I paying himself 1>ersttnally out of a pound of his i.)wri deriver 1T1Ari from

; (K1 iLS Cille one awing who call t for nian had ticeoilliC

(une,rhli;thir)- the E reclitor (der Cialibt.(Yer) plaving scapevoat -

.

fur his iiebror (rein -n .Vehriffloter), front love (Can 1.*.oi.1 McW'S glauhen? 1) from love of his 4101)ffir i.

IT? • ICI. I

po

1) ha'.c AirprriAchEd

i:1 . from Th. Groc..alev. 12qm-a from .1 diffcr. Tte Tuft (.ar-4 )6(7am ....J. Pr-didaad Anr?hd, ni. Alan 1.1;ti.v of C.hi•269.1 397.1. 26.3•65 -

1

1 14

115