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The Fear and Fantasy of Expressiveness: Roland Barthes “The Death of the Author” and Ordinary Language Philosophy

This paper argues against the conclusions of Roland Barthes’ 1967 article “The Death of the Author” while recovering his broader vision of language and sociality by uncovering an under-studied encounter between Barthes and the Ordinary Language Philosophy of J.L. Austin. Taking into account Barthes’ intellectual history and prior work on language and authorship, I argue that Barthes’ skepticism regarding authorship can be read as a kind of skepticism of other minds taken to an extreme conclusion. Following the Ordinary Language tradition through the work of Stanley Cavell, I argue against this conclusion and in favor of a renewed conception of authorship study founded on a concept of responsibility, rather than the traditional concept of intention.

► This event is hybrid. Join in person at the Centre for Ethics (Larkin Building room 200) or online here.

Mynt Marsellus

PhD Candidate
Cinema Studies
University of Toronto

Wed, Nov 20, 2024
12:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Centre for Ethics, University of Toronto
200 Larkin