"Meaning in Motion"
2006 American Comparative Literature Association Conference
March 23-26, 2006,=20
Princeton University

The figure of "movement" or "flow" has become a frequent yet ambiguous =
term in the language of theory. It follows, though, a long history of =
usage flowing back at least as far as Heraclitus and the Atomists and =
running through Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hobbes, Hegel, Kierkegaard =
and Bergson (to give only the highlights). While remaining =
uninvestigated, the metaphors of movement and flow seem to flood the =
critical and theoretical nomenclature of the twentieth and twenty-first =
centuries. Think of terms and expressions like "stream of =
consciousness," "the movement of thought," or "the movement of meaning"; =
think of the notion of meaning as the effect of an incessant movement of =
signifiers, the movement of deferral and difference, the movements of =
desire; think of "lines of flight," the "image-movement," "speed" and =
"acceleration." Movement is upon us, but what is it that we are saying =
when we apply the term "movement" (or its related figures) to the study =
of meaning or composition in literature and the other arts? What =
critical force does this term carry? What functions does it fulfill? =
What makes it helpful, if it is, for textual analysis? What are its =
philosophical history and ramifications? What has the new art form of =
the moving-image contributed to the efficacy of this term or to our =
theoretical understanding of a notion of motion?=20

Participants are invited to investigate these questions by putting them =
to reflective practice.=20

This panel welcomes both studies of movement and of the metaphors of =
movement in literature, film, philosophy, theory, rhetoric, and the =
arts. In other words, participants are encouraged either to investigate =
aspects of flow and movement in specific works/authors/media or to =
investigate the usage of metaphors of movement in the meta-language that =
studies these fields. Ultimately, participants are encouraged to do both =
by reflecting upon the meaning and usage of the metaphors of movement as =
they are being put to analytical practice.=20

Some suggested general topics are:=20

- Movement and/of the Moving-Image

- Movement and/of Language=20

- Movement and Thought

- The Philosophical Concept of Movement

- The Dynamics of the Text

Paper proposals of 250 words for 15-20 minutes presentations should be =
submitted through the ACLA web-form, at =
http://webscript.princeton.edu/~acla06/site/?page_id=3D4 by November 30, =
2005. You are welcome to address questions and queries to the panel =
organizer via e-mail at safit_at_earthlink.net.=20

Dr. Ilan Safit

Adj. Assistant Professor of Philosophy

Pace University, NYC

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Received on Thu Nov 03 2005 - 12:46:41 EST