Welcome!

Welcome to my Blog, tout autre est tout autre. If you are unfamiliar with the french language or french philosophy, and, in particular, the philosophy of Jacques Derrida (15th July 1930 – 8th October 2004), the phrase can be loosely translated as "the other is (in) the other".

I have been fascinated with tout autre for a long time ever since my high school "awakening" (or in marxist/feminist lingo, "consciousness awareness raising") when I discovered difference and that it matters. Of course with a huge dose of postmodern critical thought (and obviously Derrida's neologism, differance), difference is not just being different. It exists on several levels/topos. There is the physical difference of being from a different ethnic group, skin colour etc from the majority; the difference of wanting to be a philosopher whilst everyone else wants a career that pays lots of money and offers security and stability; the difference in having imbibed the art of thinking critically and thus looking at things/issues in a critical manner where nothing is simplistic (they can be simple(!) and yet complex) and thus really sucks at social polite conversation where I get carried away and become over-passionate or making a statement that is a real conversation-killer. Oh, there is also the difference of being physically male but being a feminist.

So, this blog is written from the outside/outsider who is the other, if that is possible. (Of course we know it is not; after all we are all Kantians, are we not? Derrida's most famous phrase taken absolutely out of context (but hey! this is a blog, ain't it ???): il n'y a pas de hors-texte.)

My aim is to reflect on philosophy, political economy, religion, theology, and pedagogy.

Happy Reading! Comments welcomed!