On the deconstruction of christianity : techne and touching - abandoned bodies in the philosophy of jean-luc nancy

Abstract

The question posed by this dissertation is what role, if any, does religion continue to play in understanding the material world? The direction taken by human thought in the Western world since the enlightenment has shaped, and continues to shape, a multifarious habitat of interconnected materiality. There are two intertwined and seemingly competing aspects to this, the secular and the religious. As the capacity of religious political power to direct thought declined, and the counter-balance of secularism increased, human endeavor directed its energy toward the path of "reasoned" thinking. This had, roughly speaking, two consequences: an ever intensifying influence of technology in shaping the "world", and the envelopment of economies of exchange over the globe. What relation is there between, on the one hand, the spread of economic-rationalism and technology, and on the other hand, the continued pervasive influence of religion in the world? I approach these questions through the work of Jean-Luc Nancy in his project, the deconstruction of Christianity. In so doing, I engage Nancy's project through the ontological question of the meaning of being, and draw out the intersection that Nancy's ruminations on Christianity have with the broader ethical, ontological and political, aspects of his thought. Six themes form the basis of the chapters: the secular, globalization, community, abandonment, the body, and touch. Nancy's thought reveals a continuous interplay and synergy between secularization, the impact of secularization in technology and economic rationalization, and the "decline" of Christianity. In following Nancy's thought, I consider how his philosophy intersects with a number of key influences, and I draw heavily on aspects of the work of Hegel, Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Derrida. I also discuss the interplay between Nancy's thought and interlocutors, obvious and otherwise, such as Charles Taylor and Catherine Malabou. What I demonstrate in this dissertation is the ever-present role Christianity plays in shaping the world; and, by citing the deconstruction of Christianity as an intrinsic facet of his broader ontological project, I claim that Nancy provides a novel and convincing understanding of existence that draws upon how being shares the world with others.