Disappointed curiosity as the driving force of progress

2 min read

the-death-of-the-author-meme

 

Does this pattern look familiar? Often philosophers - or people who recommend them - promise that fundamental and life-changing insights can be found in certain writings. If you don't get lost in linguistic quibbles or are "just" proven that 1+1 always equals 2, then you can often and actually engage with the idiosyncrasies of the author himself. The question arises, why a philosopher tries to make exactly these convictions palatable to me. And even if we try to read the writings sola scriptura, that is to say, to fade out the author completely, then we still cannot strip off the human judgment and we do form an opinion about an author at least subconsciously.

Roland Barthes coined a term in the essay of the same name, "Death of the Author," which is relevant here. We understand in literary theory, especially in a post-structuralist coinage, a represented concept that casts doubt on the classical idea of the writer's complete control over his own creation. For textual interpretation, the main implication of this approach is that the presumed intention of the author is irrelevant and that texts may well develop meanings that contradict the author's intention.

The core thesis of the essay, then, is that the author has far less significance for literature than previously postulated (namely, none at all), and that meaning can be generated entirely by the reader. Barthes's text is foundational to the Death of the Author thesis, which left a formative impression on literary studies for the following decades.

In response to this, the term "Return of the Author" was ultimately developed. So we see a dialectical development in this regard, which is also expressed in the meme. We can get closer to the text by ignoring the author at first, but then getting very very close, and finally taking an optimal distance to the text and the author. This is possible after the possible distances have been explored at all.


So, you've just finished reading the funniest and most enlightening blog article ever written (we simply like exaggerations). Your mind is blown, your sides ache from laughing, and you would like to enjoy this experience regularly. Here's the kicker: you can simply subscribe to our free memesletter to get just such memes and their explanation delivered to your inbox on a weekly basis. Simply sign up at the bottom of this page!

Additionally you realize that you absolutely need some merch to commemorate this momentous occasion. Well, lucky for you, we've got the perfect selection of witty t-shirts, hilarious mugs, and sassy stickers that will forever remind you of that time you read that incredible blog post. And here's the cherry on top - use the promo code "BLOGREADER" at checkout to get a whopping 15% off your entire order! It's like getting a discount on instant joy and everlasting awesomeness. So go ahead and snag some swag, my friend. You deserve it.


The Thinker Evolution - Mug
CHF 18.00

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MEMESLETTER

You liked this blog post and don't want to miss any new articles? Receive a weekly update with the best philosophy memes on the internet for free and directly by email.

Back to blog

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.