Believing in the USA: Derrida, Melville and the Great American Charlatan

This essay considers the relationship between the prophet and the charlatan, particularly as they figure in the contemporary American political landscape. It argues that at moments of democratic political crisis these figures arise and reveal the vacancy of sovereignty within the democratic model. T...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Political theology
Main Author: Hammerschlag, Sarah (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group [2020]
In: Political theology
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Derrida, Jacques 1930-2004 / Melville, Herman 1819-1891, The confidence-man / USA / Quacks and quackery / Political order
IxTheo Classification:CD Christianity and Culture
CG Christianity and Politics
KBQ North America
VA Philosophy
Further subjects:B Deconstruction
B charlatan
B Jacques Derrida
B Democracy
B Philip Roth
B Herman Melville
B Prophet
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
Description
Summary:This essay considers the relationship between the prophet and the charlatan, particularly as they figure in the contemporary American political landscape. It argues that at moments of democratic political crisis these figures arise and reveal the vacancy of sovereignty within the democratic model. The essay treats Herman Melville’s The Confidence-Man along with Jacques Derrida’s writings on democracy and the apocalyptic tone as resources in this endeavor. It considers as well why recent worries over the status of facts in the era of “fake news” have led to critiques of deconstruction.
ISSN:1743-1719
Contains:Enthalten in: Political theology
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1080/1462317X.2019.1685761