ME, I, SELF - being a subject

My homework is to take Notes from "Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory" - Bennett and Royle (Pearson Education Ltd, Harlow). These ideas and words are not my own. But I have enjoyed it so much I want to share these ideas with you. At the end I make my own comments.

"Who do I think I am? Who do you think you are? is the questions humans ask of others and try to answer about themselves".

"The unexamined life is not worth living" ~ Socrates

I or me is subject to forces and effects both externally (environmental, social, cultural, educational etc) and 'within' itself (the unconscious or 'other'). We become subject when are born - subject to our environment, subject to the Queen (if in the UK - a British Subject), subjects of the government, subject to a Christian God. Even our "I" has a name and a proper paternal name (patronym) so we are subject to a patriarchal language.

Freud's psychoanalysis theories were a blow to our Narcissism and anthropocentrism - which puts humans at the centre of the universe. Because his theory of the 'unconscious' demonstrates that the subject who thinks "I think" is composed of forces and effects which are in part unconscious. The subject that thinks "I think" does so in language. "Language governs what we say as much as we govern or USE language. Language is not simply an instrument : we are,unavoidably, AGENTS of language".

"Literature fits in to this by being a way for us to explore and reflect on the nature of personal identity, it is also the space of exhilerating, even anarchic openness and imaginative and transformationla possibility. Literature can be thought of being: "The institution which allows one to say everything, in every way" - Derrida."

"Literature, like art more generally, has always been concerned with aspects of what can be called the unconscious or 'not me' or Other: it is and has always been centrally concerned with dreams and fantasy...visions, madness, ...and other kinds of impersonality or absences of self."

"The extent of Freudian psychoanalysis suggests that everything comes down to the power and signigicance of PROJECTION, of the qualities, moods or emotions which we PROJECT ON TO people and things."

How interesting! This is exactly what The Secret is about and L/mark. We can consciously create: create possibilities as ways of being to live into ("who I am" - being) and also by projecting an energy that the the law of attractions picks up on.

There is no such thing as self, me, I (seperate from others) - we REALLY are Spirit, Everything / Nothing. Language is social, comes from others, is elsewhere and is general. So, if we say that we are subject to language, we ARE language - our word - I am my word, such that others Know me via my words. Words which are from others. We are all part of each other, connected. Jesus knew this and taught love and sent out evangelists. L/mark is up to teaching this so that there can be world peace and love, they evangelize. There is essentially no difference between each "me, I, self" - you and me. Which is why War is so bad, which is why we all need to 'love our neighbour'.

BE love, acceptance, honour and peace.

MY MY, as you can see, I am L-O-V-I-N-G my studies. I have found my Bliss. I'm not sure I have been clear, I'll leave it a couple days and read it again - likely make changes...