you are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

[–]Innisfree 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

No worries. I feel a lot like you about wanting to know how we got here. But so far, what i read of queer theory just feels like it's not adding in any way to a clearer vision of the world. So much of their writing is wild conjecture, they assert a premise, never explain how they got to it (this is the most maddening) and rarely bother supporting it with sound arguments. I would also start with reading some credible critique (but which one is that?) and not give Butler the time of day, unless you are really committed to understanding the schtick or you need it for uni.

Hannah Arendt has a brilliant quote about this dilemma: "Sometimes people mistake the need to think, with the desire to understand". Often when i go too deep into some "queerology" i go back to this quote and wonder am i mistaking the need to think (that is develop my own sound arguments) with a desire - an idle curiosity. Anywho, this might just be me though :)