This thesis presents a critical reading of the theme of phenomenology in the work of the contemporary French philosopher Alain Badiou. My criticism is exercised through a reading of Badiou’s references to this theme. I demonstrate that Badiou’s magnum opus, Being and Event, and its sequel, Logiques des Mondes, are the two pillars between which the philosopher exercises his constructive attack against the phenomenological tradition. I argue that Badiou’s developmental logic is driven by a subterranean and disavowed dialogue with phenomenology, a tradition he deliberately marginalises. / The thesis begins with a literature review of academic responses currently in circulation. Six respondents and their critiques of Badiou’s enterprise are examined for key points, significance to this research, gaps and omissions, and consequences thereof. Each respondent’s primary focus (for example, existential criticism or the phenomenon) is detailed for its specific connection to Badiou’s disregard for phenomenology. The thesis then examines ten of Badiou’s works and meticulously lists specific references (or lack thereof) to phenomenology. I demonstrate that Badiou’s philosophical arguments all carry the ghost of phenomenology that the philosopher has, largely, left unexamined. / The thesis ends with a detailed exegesis of Badiou’s most recent text, Logiques des Mondes. With the release of this text, Badiou returns to the question of phenomenology to present an explicit position regarding questions of experience, existence, phenomenality and appearing. Badiou’s references to phenomenology throughout his texts prior to the release of this sequel are clearly marginal, but his attack on the phenomenological tradition is renewed here via a new theory of appearing. Highly dependent on arguments established in Being and Event, Badiou’s theory of appearing provides him with a superior mathematico-logical model (category theory and set theory) to explain the philosophical notions of ontology (what-is) and being-there (there-is) which create the material world.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/245030 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Fiorovanti, David |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | Restricted Access: Abstract and Citation Only Available |
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