Across the English Chanell: Analytic/continental encounters Spring 2009 Isaac Nevo In this course We'll look into

the differences between so called "analytic" and "continental" philosophy through the lenses of a many sided, and rather hostile debate that took place in the wake of J. Derrida's account of J.L. Austin's speech-act theory in How to Do Things with Words. Derrida's attempt to assimilate Austin's practiceoriented view of language to a logocentric "phonocentrism," or a "metaphysics of presence" will be presented critically, but also in light of what may be seen as Derrida's and Austin's common ground in turning away from the aspirations of traditional metaphysics, Platonic as well as Cartesian, to establish a point of view so general that the totality of the real could be encompassed by it in a single vision. In particular, analytic philosophy will be shown to constitute a counter example to Derrida's conception of philosophy as phonocentric because it is logocentric. In fact, much of it will be shown to be logocentric but non-phonocentric, because emphatically non-psychologistic. Austin, more specifically, will be shown to have been non-logocentric in his "linguistic phenomenalism," which Derrida's criticism fails to take notice off. Other analytic responses will be brought into focus, particularly, J. Searle's attack on Derrida's account of Austin, and the failure of such responses to find enough common ground to be illuminating will be pointed out and discussed. Other critics, C. Norris, R. Rorty, S. Cavell, will be examined for their respective contributions. The purpose of this extended case-work in philosophy is to understand a rather large misunderstanding, and failure of enlightened philosophical discussion in terms that shed light on the present situation of philosophy on both sides of the English Channel. Bibliography 1.Derrida, Jacques. "The End of the Book and the Beginning of Writing." Of Crammatology, ch. 1. 2. Derrida, Jacques. Limited Inc. (Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press, 1988). Austin, J.L. How to Do Things with Words. (Hebrew) (Tel-Aviv: Resling, 2006)/ Austin, J.L. Sense and Sensibilia (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1962):Ch. 7. Austin, J.L. "A Plea for Excuses" (Hebrew). Searle, J.R. "Reiterating the Differences: A Reply to Derrida. Glyph 2. Searle, J.R. "The World Turned Upside Down." The New York Review of Books. Rorty. R. "From Ironist Theory to Private Allusions: Derrida," in contingency, Irony and Solidarity (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press). Norris, C. "Border-Crossings: Derrida, Austin, Ryle," in Reclaiming Truth (Durhan: Duke University Press, 1996). Cavell, S. "What did Derrida Want of Austin?" in Philosophical Passages: Wittgenstein, Emerson, Austin, Derrida (Oxford &Cambridge USA: Blackwell. Wittenstein, L. Philosophical Investigations (New York: Macmillan publishing Co., 1958). Course Plan

1st Meeting Introductory words: Analytic and Continental Philosophy: Communication across the Divide. 2nd Meeting. Derrida: Logocentrism and Phonocentrism. Derrida's Historicist approach. "The End of the Book and the Beginning of Writing" 3rd Meeting Derrida: Continued discussion. 4th Meeting Austin, Analytic philosophy and Ordinary language: counter examples to Derrida's historicist theses. 5th Meeting Austin's How to do Things with Words. 6th Meeting Derrida's "signature Event Context": the attempt to assimilate Austin to a logocentric metaphysics. 7th Meeting Searle's "Reiterating the differences" and "The world Turned Upside Down": refutation and misunderstanding. 8th Meeting Derrida's response to Searle: Limited Inc, Particularly: "Afterword: Toward an Ethics of Discussion" 9th Meeting Further responses: Norris on Border-Crossing. 10th Meeting Further Responses: Rorty on Derrida as private ironist. 11th Meeting Cavell in Defense of Austin. 12th Meeting Crossing the Divide: Analytic and continental Philosophy Assignments: 1. weekly reading 2. A seminar paper 3. For students who will not be writing a seminar paper: 1. A term paper 2. A take-home Exam.