Page 1. Utility and excess: the radical sociology of Bataille and Baudrillard William Pawlett Abs... more Page 1. Utility and excess: the radical sociology of Bataille and Baudrillard William Pawlett Abstract This paper consists of three sections. ... The second section will introduce another, radical sociological lineage extending from Nietzsche through Bataille and on to Baudrillard. ...
This article examines the notions of left and right poles of Georges Bataille’s sacredness and al... more This article examines the notions of left and right poles of Georges Bataille’s sacredness and also analyses their complexity and ambiguous meaning of duality and binary’s contexts through a prism they are usually viewed. Particularly, key factors that influence Bataille’s thought of sacredness are being analysed, the criticism of wrong notion of sacredness interpretation by modern philosophers is being formed. Based on challenging positions of sacred and profane’s binary opposition and also revealing volatile and random movements between pure and impure sacredness and between sacred and profane, Bataille’s philosophy actuality is being proved. Despite wide researches held in this field Bataille’s philosophy potential is still not fully revealed in relation to modern cultural and social researches of religion and philosophical anthropology.
This thesis explores the 'theories of Bataille and Baudrillard' in relation to the proble... more This thesis explores the 'theories of Bataille and Baudrillard' in relation to the problem of extreme violence. The particular events of concern are the death of James Bulger, the Dunblane massacre and the 'serial killers' Frederick and Rosemary West. The thesis argues that dominant traditions in the social sciences are unable to engage with the horror of such events with anything approaching adequate terminology and that alternatives are urgently required. The study is theoretical not empirical and these cases act as crucial reference points throughout the theoretical discussions. Such events seem to disable reason and are frequently referred to as 'inexplicable' or 'evil'. They appear to be 'in excess' of the established explanatory paradigms. The thesis investigates the possibility of 'thinking excess' in new and alternative ways, more commensurate with the intensity of such events. The importance of Bataille notions of the sacred, ...
Page 1. Utility and excess: the radical sociology of Bataille and Baudrillard William Pawlett Abs... more Page 1. Utility and excess: the radical sociology of Bataille and Baudrillard William Pawlett Abstract This paper consists of three sections. ... The second section will introduce another, radical sociological lineage extending from Nietzsche through Bataille and on to Baudrillard. ...
This article examines the notions of left and right poles of Georges Bataille’s sacredness and al... more This article examines the notions of left and right poles of Georges Bataille’s sacredness and also analyses their complexity and ambiguous meaning of duality and binary’s contexts through a prism they are usually viewed. Particularly, key factors that influence Bataille’s thought of sacredness are being analysed, the criticism of wrong notion of sacredness interpretation by modern philosophers is being formed. Based on challenging positions of sacred and profane’s binary opposition and also revealing volatile and random movements between pure and impure sacredness and between sacred and profane, Bataille’s philosophy actuality is being proved. Despite wide researches held in this field Bataille’s philosophy potential is still not fully revealed in relation to modern cultural and social researches of religion and philosophical anthropology.
This thesis explores the 'theories of Bataille and Baudrillard' in relation to the proble... more This thesis explores the 'theories of Bataille and Baudrillard' in relation to the problem of extreme violence. The particular events of concern are the death of James Bulger, the Dunblane massacre and the 'serial killers' Frederick and Rosemary West. The thesis argues that dominant traditions in the social sciences are unable to engage with the horror of such events with anything approaching adequate terminology and that alternatives are urgently required. The study is theoretical not empirical and these cases act as crucial reference points throughout the theoretical discussions. Such events seem to disable reason and are frequently referred to as 'inexplicable' or 'evil'. They appear to be 'in excess' of the established explanatory paradigms. The thesis investigates the possibility of 'thinking excess' in new and alternative ways, more commensurate with the intensity of such events. The importance of Bataille notions of the sacred, ...
Conference presentation @ the International Conference Homicide and Genocide: Interdisciplinary P... more Conference presentation @ the International Conference Homicide and Genocide: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Lethal Violence, Institute of Sociology, Romanian Academy July 23rd 2020
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Papers by William Pawlett
July 23rd 2020