This strange institution called performativity: Jacques Derrida, the anarchy of literature, and the counterinstitution of democracy

The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between performativity and literature in the philosophy of Jacques Derrida. It argues that the performativity of literature, which consists in the structural perversion of the force of language,underlies democratic forms of dissidence such as stri...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:World literature studies 2024-01, Vol.16 (1), p.39-53
Main Author: Valls Boix, Juan Evaristo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Philosophy
Politics / Political Sciences
Theory of Literature
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between performativity and literature in the philosophy of Jacques Derrida. It argues that the performativity of literature, which consists in the structural perversion of the force of language,underlies democratic forms of dissidence such as strike and protest. In this sense,protecting that strange institution called literature is crucial for safeguarding democracy and deconstructing the principle of sovereignty. The anarchy of force unleashed by literature constitutes a disruptive element of sovereignty, conceived as “self-performative”.
ISSN:1337-9275
1337-9690
DOI:10.31577/WLS.2024.16.1.3