Jean-François Lyotard
Jean-François Lyotard
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Full name: Jean-François Lyotard
Common aliases: none notable
Birth and Death Dates
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Born on August 10, 1924, in Versailles, France
Died on April 21, 1998, in Paris, France
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Nationality: French
Professions: Philosopher, Critic, Writer
Early Life and Background
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Jean-François Lyotard was born into a family of modest means. His father was a civil servant, and his mother was a homemaker. From an early age, Lyotard demonstrated a keen interest in philosophy and literature. He was particularly drawn to the works of Friedrich Nietzsche and Martin Heidegger. Lyotard's educational background was marked by a series of moves between schools, as his family relocated several times during World War II.
Major Accomplishments
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Lyotard's intellectual pursuits took him from studying philosophy at the École Normale Supérieure to becoming a prominent figure in 20th-century French philosophy. He is best known for his work on postmodernism and its critique of grand narratives, which he outlined in his influential book "The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge" (1979). Lyotard also made significant contributions to the fields of aesthetics and politics.
Notable Works or Actions
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Some notable works by Lyotard include:
Discours, Figure (1971) - an exploration of the relationship between language and image in modern art
Libidinal Economy (1974) - a critique of traditional notions of power and desire
* The Differend: Phrases in Dispute (1983) - a philosophical examination of the concept of disagreement
Lyotard's work had a profound impact on various disciplines, including philosophy, art history, and literary theory. His ideas influenced thinkers such as Jacques Derrida, Gilles Deleuze, and Judith Butler.
Impact and Legacy
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Jean-François Lyotard's philosophical contributions have had far-reaching implications for modern thought. He challenged traditional notions of grand narratives, truth, and power, paving the way for more nuanced discussions about knowledge and its relationship to society. Lyotard's influence can be seen in contemporary debates surrounding postmodernism, poststructuralism, and critical theory.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Jean-François Lyotard is widely quoted and remembered due to his groundbreaking work on postmodernism and its critique of grand narratives. His ideas have had a lasting impact on various fields, making him one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century.
Quotes by Jean-François Lyotard
Jean-François Lyotard's insights on:
A work can become modern only if it is first postmodern. Postmodernism thus understood is not modernism at its end but in the nascent state, and this state is constant.
One can decide that the principal role of knowledge is as an indispensable element in the functioning of society, and act in accordance with that decision, only if one has already decided that society is a giant machine.
What is required of a working hypothesis is a fine capacity for discrimination.
Liberalism does not preclude an organisation of the flow of money in which some channels are used in decision making while others are only good for the payment of debts.
If we wish to discuss knowledge in the most highly developed contemporary society, we must answer the preliminary question of what methodological representation to apply to that society.
What guides Marxism, then, is a different model of society, and a different conception of the function of the knowledge that can be produced by society and acquired from it.
Knowledge is and will be produced in order to be sold, it is and will be consumed in order to be valorised in a new production: in both cases, the goal is exchange.
A self does not amount to much, but no self is an island; each exists in a fabric of relations that is now more complex and mobile than ever before.
It is our business not to supply reality but to invent allusions to the conceivable which cannot be presented.