KatieVogt

2/28/16
ENG748
DerridasWhiteMythology:MetaphorWorks
How
Now?
WhiteMythologyisbasicallyDerridasystematicallyanalyzingandcriticizingthe
differenthistoricalandphilosophicalconceptualizationsandarticulationsofmetaphor:whatits
supposedtodo,howitfunctions(andhowit
should
function),whereitfitsinasystemof
meaningmaking.Hisconclusion?Wellthatsalittlemorecomplicated(basicallybecause
understandingthisdensemotherefferwasabitch).So,basicallyImgoingtobreakthisdown
sectionbysection,hopefullyhitsomeimportantpoints,andpraytoGodIdontendupwith10
pages.Herewego!
Exergue:OutsidetheWork
Thissectionisbasicallyamediationontheusageofmetaphorisphilosophyandthe
consequencesofthatuse,whichisbothproducinganderasingcertainmeaningandboth
profitingandlosingintheprocess.Derridadescribeshowthemetaphorofrubbingoffthe
markingsofacoincanbeametaphorformetaphor(atleastinPhilosophy).Traditional
philosopherslikePlatoandAristotle(andanyoneelsewhousesthemasthebasisfortheir
philosophy)believethattheycanrestoreandfindthesingleoriginalmeaningofametaphorthat
hasbeenrubbedawayfromuse,andDerridabelievesthattheypickmetaphorsthathavebeen
overusedthemost(andarethereforethemostempty)onpurpose.(Why?Whoknows?!More
onthatinthequestionssectionlater).
Thissectionalsoincludestheonlydirectreferencetothetitle,andwhosesubjecthe
doesnotbringupagainuntil60PAGESLATEROHMYGOD(Canyoutellthatthisarticle
frustratedme?)Butanyway,hedescribeshowWhiteMythologyisthemythosandmetaphors

ofEuropeanculturebeingerasedwithinthephilosophicalsystemandthenbeingapplied
universallybecausetheyappeartobethenaturalorderofthings.
PlusdeMetaphore:More/NoMoreMetaphor
Inthissection,Derridadescribeshowtheprofitofmetaphorical(over)useproduces
multiplicity,whichinturneliminatescertainmeaning,opensametaphoruptointerpretationand
actuallycreatesalossoremptiness(ofmeaning,ifthatsoverlycircular).Derrida,beingthe
trollthatheis,usesametaphor,inthiscaseabotanicaloneofdehiscence(aplant/fruitopening
upatabuiltinweakpointtospreadseed),todescribethemetaphorofmetaphor(soifyoure
keepingtrackathomehere,thatsametaphorofthemetaphorofmetaphor,phew!).According
toDerrida,theextraturnofspeechbecomesamissingturnofspeech(220)soprofitof
meaningisnevergainedandsupplementtomeaningisdenied.
ThenDerridagoesoveranotherconceptualizationofmetaphorinphilosophy's
taxonomy,whichisthatmetaphorshouldideallybeabbreviationand/orcomparison.Derrida
quotesLouis,andLouisbelievesthatthereisadifferencebetweenmetaphorandcomparisonis
internalvsexternal,butDerridapointsoutthatifmetaphorisruledasinternal/essentialto
meaning,thenitbecomestoomuch,oroverdeterminedwithmeanings,andcanonly
distinguishitselffrommeaningorthesignifiedideabybecomingsuperfluousagain.Derridaalso
commentsthatLouisisactingasifmetaphor(andthethingbeingdescribedbymetaphor)isnt
madeupofwordswhichthemselvesalreadyshapeandhavemeanings/connotations.Derrida
alsoquotesHegel,whobasicallysaysthatthemetaphoricalmeaningofawordbecomesthe
literalmeaningthroughreductionby(over)usage,andthenthecyclerepeatsitself.Butwhether
Derridaagreeswiththisconceptualizationisnotreallyclear,atleasttome.Finally,metaphor
beingaphilosopheme(meaningatheoremorprincipleinphilosophy)meansthatphilosophy

cannotbecritiquedexternallyorfromwithinitself,whichasweknowfromotherDerridapieces
isabigredflagorwrongness.
EllipsisoftheSun:MetaphorObscuringitselfandReturningtoItself(moreonthelatterlater)
Derridanexttouchesonthenextconceptualizationofmetaphor,whichthistimeis
metaphorastransferenceorrenaming.Derridabelievesthatthisisboththemostpreciseand
mostgeneralwayofviewingmetaphor,becausealthoughitissupposedlyaboutfindingthebest
formornameforametaphor,italsomakesmetaphorthemostgeneralformofallthefiguresof
words(231note36).AccordingtoAristotle(accordingtoDerrida),metaphorisnotrelatedto
thoughtbecausemetaphormustbemanifestedbyconsciousspeechorwriting,whereas
thoughtisinherentlyhiddenandunmanifested/unconscious.Derridascriticismofthis(andof
Fontanier)isthatthisdefinitionofmetaphorexhibitsadissymmetryofopposition(236)where
objectissuperiortorelation,unconsciousissuperiortoconscious,andsubstantiveissuperior
toconcrete.Andsincethisisahierarchyatall,weallknowDerridathinksitsafalseone.
Thenext,closelyrelatedtotheprevious,articulationofmetaphorhasmimesisasthe
basis.AccordingtoAristotle(again,accordingtoDerrida),likenessequalstruthandis
constitutiveofmetaphoricaloperationbasically,natureisrevealedinmimesis,andadditionally,
weallhaveaninherentimpulsetoperformandrecognizemimesis/metaphorforourown
pleasure,eveniftheequivalenceisfalse.ButDerridapointsoutacontradiction,nature,or
Derridasfancytermforitphysis,includesitsownexteriorityanditsdouble(237)andthe
pleasureofmimesisisanenergeticabsenceorenigmaticdivision(239).These
conceptualizationsareparadoxicalandbreaktheinside/outsidebinarybecauseitincludesboth
insideitselfandoutsideitselfandmarkstheabsenceofa(preoriginary)object.Basically,
Derridapointsoutthatifmetaphorissupposedtobetruth,itdoessobylooseningitselffrom
certain
truthbottomlessoverdeterminability(241)andmetaphorizationofmetaphorleavestwo

layersofmanifestation,meaningandtruth,thataresupposedtobeone,andisinherentlybuilt
intothestructureofthisparticulararticulationofmetaphor.
FlowersofRhetoric:ResultsoftheMetaphorizationofMetaphor:SunvsSunflower
Inthissection,Derridafinallyexplainswhathemeansbymetaphorizationofmetaphor,
andhowinallthesearticulations,metaphorisbeingdescribedbyitself/withitself.Butbeforewe
gettohisexample,firstDerridafeelstheneedtoexplainthatthespaceoflanguageandthe
divisionsbetweenmetaphoricalmeaningscomefromthedifferencebetweenessence,the
proper,andaccident.Inaphilosophicalsystem,essencemeansawordneedstohavelimited
polysemiaanddistinctdifferencesbetweenthevariousdefinitions.Ifnot,awordmeansnothing
becauseitcanmeaneverything/anything.Forawordtobeproper,itmustclaimtobe
truth/essence,butusuallyitdoessowithoutdirectlystatingsaidtruthis(whichagain,isanother
redflag).Thegapbetweenawordsessenceandproprietyiswhatallowsfortheplayof
metaphorandtheabilitytosubstitutepropertiesof2metaphors/words/things.Toexplain
accident,Derridausestheexampleofsun/sunflowerand(thecatachresisof)theheliotropein
general.Polysemiameansthatthebestmetaphorisneverabsolutelygood,withoutwhichit
wouldnotbeametaphor[andthat]thebadmetaphoralwaysyield[s]thebestexample(251).
Thesunsusageinsunflower(andinallofphilosophy)isalwaysmetaphorical,butifitsalways
metaphoricalthenitcannolongerbenaturalitbecomesandalreadyisanartificial
construction,andthereforethereisnothingremainsnaturalaboutnatureandthenaturalizing
impulseofmetaphorinphilosophy.
ThenDerridausesDuMarsaisandhisusageofaborroweddwellingasanexampleof
metaphorbeingexplainedbymetaphor.Inexplainingmetaphoranditsfunction,DuMarsais
usestheideaoftheborroweddwellingwithouttreatingitlikeitsjustanothermetaphorinstead
thetermwhichisbeingdefinedisusedinthedefinitionitself(252note58),which

simultaneouslystratifies/widens/consolidatesmeanings.Themetaphorofmetaphorprohibits
(exact)definition,yetalsocreatesacheckpointorafixedlimititmakesmetaphoralwaysbotha
figureandaparadigmofmetaphorization,whichleadstoidealizationandreappropriation.Also,
basedonthesunflower/sunheliotrope,Derridaclaimsthatphilosophicallanguageisasystem
offorcedmetaphors/catachresesthatliesbecauseitdoesntactuallyrelatewordstonatural
meaning(andasI(andDerrida)saidearlier,naturalmeaningdoesntexistanyways).
LaMetaphysiquerelevedelametaphore:TheDoubleMeaningofReleveandAbysme
Inthisfinalsection,Derrida
finally
tellsushowmetaphorshouldbeconceptualizedand
usedoratleastonebetterwayofapossiblemany.Overall,Derridathinksmetaphorsshould
beusedtoconcretizeabstractideasinablendofimagesthatisintermediary,meaningthatit
shouldbeusedtopragmatically
illustrate
abstractideas.Derridatellsusthatweneedanew
paradigmforarticulatingmetaphorandconcept(aswellastheconceptofmetaphor).Beforehe
tellsuswhatthatisthough,hehastowhatasurprise!listandtaxonomizemorequalitiesof
metaphor(whatelsehasthisstupidlylongessaybeen?!)Sotwoorganizingelementsof
metaphorsaregroupsanddiagrams.Groupsareaprojectivelinkbetweenwords/ideas,
whereasdiagramsaretheinternalpoeticsyntaxandthelogicbehindasynthesisofimages.In
group,thereisadominant,organizingmetaphorthatwillalwayscarrywithittheconnotations
andideologiesofPhilosophy(includingallitsflawsaboutunderstandinganddefining
metaphor).DerridaagainusestheHeliotropeexample,butagainasanmetaphorforthe
metaphorofmetaphor.WhatIgotoutoftheHeliotropeexampleanditshidden/presentbinary
breakingisthis:Ifthereisonlyonepossiblemeaningtoametaphor,therewouldbenomore
metaphorbecausethemetaphoricalmeaningwouldbecometheproper,literalonemetaphor
alwaysbeingpluralmeansboththatitwilln
ot
becomeexhaustedfrominterpretationandthatit
overdeterminedtothepointof(almost?)destroyingitself.Howdoesthishappen?Thatswhere

theHeliotropemetaphorcomesinmetaphorshavearesistancetodisseminationor
determinationwhichcomeswithanirreduciblelossofmeaningormoreaccurately,exact
meaningandthe(seeming)security/certaintythatcomeswithit,ANDmetaphorssimultaneously
turnintothemselves,orinteriorize,inanattempttonotlosemeaning(andDerridausesthe
exampleofthesunsettingandtheturntoinnerlightformeaning/perceptiontoi
llustrate
(lol,see
whatIdidthere?)this).Overall,Derridaisclaimingthatmetaphorisitselfaconceptwitha
historyandconnotationsthatcarrieswithinittheseedofitsowndeath,notsomeabstract
reificationofTruththatphilosophyfeelstheneedtoconstantdefine/taxonomize.
Questions:

WhydoesDerridathinkthatthemostoverusedmetaphors/termsaretheonesthat
philosopherspurposelychoosetoworkwith?Igetthattheyarethemostopento
interpretationandprovinganoriginarydefinitionbecausetheyaresoemptyfrom
overuse.However,ontheflipsidetherearesomanyothervalidmeaningsthatwould
havetobediscountedinexactdefinition,andphilosopherswouldhavethehardesttime
findingtheactualoriginaldefinition(ifthereevenisone)ofanoverusedtermbecauseof
howrubbedoffthetermis.

WhydoesDerridaperpetuateabinaryoforiginal/derivativesomuchinthispiece?At
leastinmyestimation,hederisivelycallscertaintypesofmetaphoricalarticulations
derivativeorcriticizesthemfortheirderivativeness,andthatseemshypocritical
consideringalltheotherbinariesheissmashingupinthispiece.

WhyisthiscalledWhiteMythologyifwerenotreallytalkingaboutcolonialismand
metaphorATALLexceptforthatonementionintheExerguesection?Andwhyis
DerridaseeminglyreifyingtheEastanditslanguages,originaryandfigurativeusageof

pictogramcharactersaswords?DidnthecriticizethatinSignature,Event,Context?
(OrwasthatDeManinSemiologyandRhetoric?)

Whydidthisneedtobeover60pages?Seriously,Imnotbeingrhetorical.Anybody?
Anybody?Bueller?Ifeellikethiscouldvebeenexplainedin1020pagesifDerrida
wasntsuchagoddamntroll.

AnInexhaustiveListofTermsUsedThatIHaventAlreadyDefined
Diachrony:historicalchangesinlinguistics
Dianoia:thought
Syncategorems:incompletemeanings
Catachresis:misuseofwords/metaphors(withorwithoutintention)
Kurion:propernessofaname/wordusedinitsdominant/usual/currentsense
Periphrasis:Unnecessarilylongformofexpressiontalkingincircles
Abyme:Doublemeaninginfinitereflectionandruinationthroughplungingintothe
abyss
Releve:(inthiscontext)infinitelyreflectingitselfinthesamesignifier(262note73)and
producingfromtheinfinitereflectionanattemptatspiritualizingmetaphorandhaving
metaphortranscendtoanonmetaphoriclevel
Anamnesis:thephilosophicalconceptthathumanspossessknowledgefrompasttheir
pastincarnations/selvesandthatallweredoingisrediscoveringknowledgewithinus