Τραγουδώντας τον εθνικό ύμνο: γλώσσα, πολιτική και το δικαίωμα του ανήκειν

by Judith Butler, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Μίνα Καραβαντά (Editor)

Στο "Τραγουδώντας τον εθνικό ύμνο" συναντώνται δύο από τις πιο εξέχουσες θεωρητικούς της τελευταίας δεκαετίας και μαζί διερευνούν το παρελθόν, το παρόν και το μέλλον του έθνους-κράτους στην εποχή της παγκοσμιοποίησης.

Αφορμή για τον άμεσο και ζωηρό διάλογό τους -που αποτυπώνεται και στον τίτλο του βιβλίου- αποτελούν οι μεγάλες διαδηλώσεις εκατομμυρίων ανθρώπων την άνοιξη του 2006 στις ΗΠΑ, για την αναθεώρηση των μεταναστευτικών νόμων. Σε αυτές ο αμερικανικός εθνικός ύμνος τραγουδήθηκε στην ισπανική εκδοχή του προκαλώντας έντονες αντιδράσεις, ακόμα και παρέμβαση του τότε προέδρου Μπους.

Η Τζούντιθ Μπάτλερ και η Γκαγιάτρι Σπίβακ πραγματεύονται ένα ευρύ φάσμα κοινωνικών φαινομένων (μετανάστευση, μισαλλοδοξία, ρατσισμός, εθνικισμός) που διογκώνουν τους απάτριδες των σύγχρονων εθνικών κρατών καθώς και τον ιδιότυπο αποκλεισμό τους από στοιχειώδη ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα.

Ένας διάλογος-πρόσκληση σε αναστοχασμό και δράση για τα καίρια ζητήματα της δημοκρατίας, της δικαιοσύνης και της ανθρώπινης ύπαρξης.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Theory, Politics, Feminism, Academia, Academic

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Judith Butler is an American post-structuralist and feminist philosopher who has contributed to the fields of feminism, queer theory, political philosophy and ethics. They are currently a professor in the Rhetoric and Comparative Literature departments at the University of California, Berkeley.

Butler received their Ph.D. in philosophy from Yale University in 1984, for a dissertation subsequently published as Subjects of Desire: Hegelian Reflections in Twentieth-Century France. In the late-1980s they held several teaching and research appointments, and were involved in "post-structuralist" efforts within Western feminist theory to question the "presuppositional terms" of feminism.

Their research ranges from literary theory, modern philosophical fiction, feminist and sexuality studies, to 19th- and 20th-century European literature and philosophy, Kafka and loss, and mourning and war. Their most recent work focuses on Jewish philosophy and exploring pre- and post-Zionist criticisms of state violence.

Reviews

[Shruti Buddhavarapu · Rating 2 out of 5]

I mean, there was nothing new to either of their usual repertoire of (generative) thoughts. The worst idea for a "book" considering there's zero context, bad editorial choices in terms of what to leave out and what to randomly include from what are I assume proceedings of a conference/event.

Maybe I should give it 1.

[Fleur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and a nice, short read. Nothing radically new if you are familiar with Butler's work but nevertheless nice if you want to read a comprehensive argument against agamben's 'bare life' and are interested in nationalisms and sovereignty.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is like jumping into the middle of a conversation between two people who do not really want to include you in their conversation. I say this because the small book appears to be a transcription of a panel discussion between Spivak and Butler but there is no information to be found as to where/when/how this took place. These things make some difference. Is this conversation part of an academic performance within the confines of a university or was it secretely taped by someone who caught them together in a coffee shop? It only becomes somewhat clear at the end of the book when unnamed people start asking questions. The book commences with Butler speaking and yet we are not sure if this is the beginning, middle or the end of the conversation, although the first two options seem the more likely.

Butler begins by talking about the word "state" and about all the states one can be in and then transitions into talking about statelessness in reference to Hannah Arendt's works from the 1950's. She gives some analysis of Arendt's thoughts and Spivak speaks for the first time on page 43 and then it is back to Butler before Spivak begins to offer any significant analysis on page 70.

The example that Butler gives and from which the title of the book is taken concerns the singing of the U.S. national anthem in Spanish. This allows for an interesting exchange between both Butler and Spivak. While I did not find anything in here that seems groundbreaking in relation to the nation-state this conversation does a good job of stimulating thought and pointing to different directions or ways in which the nation-state can be thought/re-imagined/enacted/enforced/undone in our current context. And are there any other possibilities? Butler's closing line, "So we end here, on the promise of the unrealizable?" seems appropriate for the book. We are left with more questions than answers. The conversation continues...if nowhere else than in your head.

[Ester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some takeaways:
Genocide is often based on narratives.

In our analytics of power, we are
going to have to rethink territoriality and
sovereignty as alike. ‘Asserting its sovereignty
to override that sovereignty.’

The world suffers too much from binary thinking:
‘the opposition between philosophy and the
practical, from banishing history as
mythopoesis into the philosophical or the
pre-political.’

No simple exclusionary logic can be set up between life and politics. Or, rather, any effort to establish such an exclusionary logic depends upon the depoliticisation of life: writing out the matters of gender, menial labour, and reproduction from the field of politics.

New exercises of sovereignty & the illegitimacy of the sovereign character of states - as having any final check on US state power. I don't think that the International Criminal Court has criminalised sovereignty. Still, it wants to develop a set of international protections that are not formulated based on nation-states. - It promises to develop a post-national understanding of human rights.

[Lura · Rating 2 out of 5]

An accidental finding, of which I had not heard before, I decided to read it only after going through some reviews on Goodreads I finished quickly, but it wasn't a pleasurable, or illuminating read.

The book is supposed to be a "dialogue" between Butler and Spivak, it sounds something like a guest lecture by Butler although I couldnt find a description or something that'd prove this to be the case.

It's definitely not worth BUYING. The title and the description of the book are exaggerated - this book does not even offer poignant questions about language, politics and belonging - let alone answer anything.

I was curious to read more about migrants, belonging and performative speech (e.g. when latino migrants sing the US anthem in spanish, they literally evoke their rights to equality), but the book is a total let down.

[Alessandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is actually a conversation between Butler and Spivak turned into a book.
Some of the themes discussed regard the idea of nationhood, minorities, the expression of freedom within a nation-state, as it is also analysed in Hannah Arendt's works, and what it means today to be "statelessness".
It is an interesting read, a bit difficult to follow in some parts if you're not familiar with subjects of law, but is worth it.

[Charles · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could give it less than 1 star I would. This is an offensive 'book' that is an affront to the legitimate work done by these scholars in their real work. If I transcribed the comments from any random undergraduate section it would be more illuminating than this book. At least it wouldn't be so bathed in pretentiousness and self-aggrandizing attitude.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't figure out what the point of this "dialogue" (though more like a Butler monologue) is, other than a rehashing of Hannah Arendt. Hmmmm...

[Mel · Rating 2 out of 5]

An sich interessant mit einigen Denkanstößen. Der Monolog von Butler ist zwar interessant, doch da dieses Buch ja einen Dialog darstellen soll, wäre es interessanter gewesen, auch Gayatri Chakravorty Spivaks Standpunkt mehr zu lesen bekäme (auch wenn dieser vielleicht im Tatsächlichen Gespräch nicht viel vorkam, so hätte man doch im Nachhinein auch noch einige ihrer Standpunkte mit einbeziehen und darüber schreiben können)

[Matty Cameira]

i love learning!!!!! (/gen)

[Rachel]

Ok, I read this. Most of it. I have no idea what I read. I think reading Butler the first time requires either a different book, or a group to read it with, because this was fucking difficult, convoluted, and referenced a but of other stuff I hadn't read. Annoying. So, i moved it back to my "to-read" list, because I got 2/3 of the way through, and gah. Couldn't finish it.

[Yahya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judith Butler and Gayatri Spivak. That's probably all I need to say.

[Symeon Andronidis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Το βιβλίο της Judith Butler και της Γκαγιάτρι Τσακραβόρτι Σπίβακ που φέρει τον τίτλο 'Τραγουδώντας τον εθνικό ύμνο: γλώσσα, πολιτική και το δικαίωμα του ανήκειν,' δύναται να το εντάξουμε, σε ένα πρώτο επίπεδο, στην κατηγορία του πολιτικού δοκιμίου, κύριο χαρακτηριστικό του οποίου καθίσταται η εμβριθής ανάλυσης μίας κοινωνικοπολιτικής κατάστασης, και με βάση αυτό, η διεύρυνση της ανάλυσης και προς άλλα θέματα. Αφορμή για αυτή την ουσιώδη συν-ομιλία που είναι κάτι περισσότερο από απλά ανταλλαγή απόψεων, τείνοντας προς την κατεύθυνση επανεπινόησης μίας μορφής ιστορικής-συμβολικής διαμαρτυρίας, είναι οι διαδηλώσεις που πραγματοποιήθηκαν στις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες Αμερικής το 2006, από σημαντικό πλήθος Ισπανόφωνων μεταναστών, που, εν προκειμένω, διαμαρτύρονταν για την επί τα χείρω αναθεώρηση της μεταναστευτικής πολιτικής και των νόμων που διέπουν το μεταναστευτικό καθεστώς στη χώρα. Η πλέον χαρακτηριστική στιγμή της συγκεκριμένης διαμαρτυρίας, αποτέλεσε η Ισπανόφωνη εκδοχή του Αμερικάνικου εθνικού ύμνου, ήτοι του τραγουδιού του στα Ισπανικά. Με αφετηρία αυτό το ίδιο συμβάν, αναπτύσσεται σε διαλογική μορφή μία πολιτική ανάλυση η οποία και δεν 'στεγανοποιείται,' αλλά, αντιθέτως, μέσω θεωρητικών παρεκβάσεων που περιλαμβάνουν αναφορές στη Χάνα Άρεντ, στον Ιταλό φιλόσοφο Giorgio Agamben, ακόμη και στον Καρλ Μαρξ, θέτει ερωτήματα, προβαίνει σε μία 'ανα-κατασκευή' του πολιτικού και του πολιτικού 'πράττειν' αφήνοντας να διαρρεύσει μία αίσθηση του 'επείγοντος' περί την πολιτική. Και είναι θεωρητικά ενδιαφέρον, ό,τι η Ινδή ανθρωπολόγος Γκαγιάτρι Τσακραβόρτι Σπίβακ αφήνει χώρο στην Μπάτλερ ώστε να προχωρήσει σε μία σφαιρική ερμηνεία και του συμβάντος της εκ νέου αναγνώρισης του εθνικού ύμνου, κίνηση που θα επαναλάβει η Αμερικανίδα πολιτική φιλόσοφος στο βιβλίο-διάλογο της με την Αθηνά Αθανασίου που τιτλοφορείται 'Απ-αλλοτρίωση. Η επιτελεστικότητα στο πολιτικό,' εκεί όπου ο χώρος προσφέρεται κύρια στην Αθηνά Αθανασίου, με την Μπάτλερ να προσδίδει ώθηση στην όλη συζήτηση-συνομιλία. Η κεντρική, για το έργο της Τζούντιθ Μπάτλερ, θέση περί 'επιτελεστικότητας' χρησιμοποιείται και για την ανάλυση της κινηματικής δράσης στο δημόσιο χώρο, με τέτοιον τρόπο, ώστε η επιτέλεση του εθνικού ύμνου ('The star-spangled banner') στην Ισπανική γλώσσα, προσδιορίζει εμπρόθετα την δυνατότητα του πλήθους να νοηματοδοτεί τις διεκδικήσεις του υιοθετώντας το σύμβολο του Αμερικάνικου έθνους, αρθρώνοντας την ίδια την γλώσσα σε μορφή που δύναται να συνυφάνει την κουλτούρα της καταγωγής με την επαναπρόσληψη ή την αναγνώριση της έννοιας του πολίτη στις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες, για αυτή την κατηγορία μεταναστών. Η διαμαρτυρία που αντλεί από ρεπερτόριο υιοθέτησης συμβόλων και συμβολισμών, τείνει προς την συγκρότηση μίας, κατά την Judith Butler, 'επιτελεστικότητας,' η οποία, ασκούμενη επί του δημόσιου χώρου, 'απο-ιεροποιεί' τον εθνικό ύμνο (κινηματική 'επιτελεστικότητα'), μετατοπίζοντας το ενδιαφέρον προς τον άξονα του 'μεταναστεύειν', ήτοι στα δικαιώματα των μεταναστών, στους όρους διαβίωσης, στις συνθήκες εργασίας, στον τρόπο με τον οποίο προσλαμβάνουν την έννοια της 'Αμερικανικότητας.' Διότι η διαμαρτυρία ως μορφή πολιτικής, εγγράφει τους επιγενόμενους όρους του παρόντος (της εποχής της διαμαρτυρίας, ακόμη και της συγγραφής του βιβλίου), χρησιμοποιώντας τον εθνικό ύμνο για να κάνει λόγο για την παρουσία των Ισπανόφωνων μεταναστών στο πεδίο του κοινωνικού. Χρησιμοποιώντας ως 'γέφυρα' αυτό το πλαίσιο, δύναται να αναφέρουμε και την περίπτωση του Αμερικανού αθλητή του Αμερικάνικου Football Κόλιν Κάπερνικ, που, χρόνια μετά από την επιτέλεση του εθνικού ύμνου των ΗΠΑ από Ισπανόφωνους μετανάστες, γονάτισε κατά την ανάκρουση του κατά την διάρκεια μίας αθλητικής αναμέτρησης, με διακύβευμα την έκφραση διαμαρτυρίας για τον φυλετικό ρατσισμό στη χώρα. Και στο δεύτερο υπόδειγμα, στρατηγικού τύπου, ο εθνικός ύμνος δεν 'βεβηλώνεται,' αλλά, ανασημασιοδοτείται για να αναδειχθούν κοινωνικά και φυλετικά χάσματα. Το βιβλίο περιλαμβάνει αναφορές στην ιδιότητα του πολίτη, στην αναπαράσταση της, αποκτώντας και μία χροιά που σχετίζεται με τον τρόπο πρόσληψης του προσφυγικού-μεταναστευτικού φαινομένου στην Ελλάδα και σε άλλες χώρες της Ευρώπης, την τελευταία πενταετία. Ο πρόσφυγας και ο μετανάστης αποτελούν υποκείμενα που διασχίζοντας το σύνορο, το φέρουν, επεξεργαζόμενοι μία σειρά αφηγήσεων. Αξίζει να σημειωθεί και η εισαγωγή στο όλο κείμενο της Μίνας Καραβαντά η οποία επιμελείται και την μετάφραση του (στην οποία συμμετέχει ομάδα μεταπτυχιακών φοιτητών), εισαγωγή που συνδέει τις αναφορές στο έργο των δύο συγγραφέων με ένα ερμηνευτικό εγχείρημα που αποδίδει έμφαση στο πως συντίθεται η οντο-πολιτική κατηγορία του μετανάστη. Η συζήτηση δεν θεωρούμε πως ανήκει στο πλαίσιο ενός σύγχρονου 'κατηγορώ,' όσο αναδεικνύει όψεις κοινωνικής-πολιτικής δράσης, ιδεολογικών αναφορών εμβαπτισμένων στα νάματα του 'δικαίου του αίματος,' θεωρητικών τεκμηριώσεων.

[Stef Rozitis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to be honest, I read this because I was curious to read Spivak and then it's Butler ranting for about 4/5 of it. I've liked Butler at other things and she made sense here, but it wasn't quite what I was looking for (that's what I get for choosing the book I can afford instead of looking for a synopsis or something).

I feel a little more familiar with Arendt (who I haven't read) after this. My favourite part was Spivak putting down the people who asked stupid questions. I don't know why I always barrack for the speaker who does that. Probably deep down inside I am a complete bitch.

[David Barrera Fuentes · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5/5*
Un libro notable en varios sentidos. Las argumentaciones de Butler en torno a lo performativo en la política y de Spivak sobre el "regionalismo crítico" son notables y, a su vez, las sitúan en posiciones que trascienden la categoría reduccionanista de autoras "post". Mi único pero es que en el conversatorio que este libro transcribe, Spivak hubiese hablado más tiempo y hubiese desarrollado más sus sugerentes ideas.
Mención aparte para el excelente prólogo de Eduardo Grüner.

[A L]

Interesting concepts: translation centered in the issue of public politics and national belonging (Butler) and "critical regionalism" (Spivak), though they talk around these things; and their theory of the state is conservative.

[Sohum · Rating 3 out of 5]

as others have said,

this is a strangely edited volume, and it doesn't come to much conclusion, nor is it groundbreaking. but it is, i suppose, useful enough. i might revisit it some time.

[Agnibhu · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Yanikk · Rating 3 out of 5]

An often difficult text, Butler spends much of the first half of the discussion restating and reinterpreting the ideas of Arendt and Agamben in order to make them relevant in a new context.

I generally agree with many of the other Goodreads reviewers; nothing terribly groundbreaking here. However, it does raise some interesting questions on multiculturalism and universalism, (or even globalism), in the paradigmatic sense.

While the discussion is mostly centered on nationalism and the idea of the "nation-state" in the framework of ethno-lingua and I guess even economic identity, it would be interesting to read Butler and Spivak expound on other potential types of supra-national projects outside of the economic, political and juridical institutions. Perhaps those which supplant national identity in favor of culture.

[Aaron Schuschu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ends in an argument that arguably, Butler started for no reason.

[sdw · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, this was a quick read. I read it in just over an hour. Obviously, I'll need to read it again, but I got the gist.

Second, this book is set up like a conversation between Spivak and Butler. The book fails to tell you that. And it fails to tell you the context. Is this an email exchange? A conference panel? At the end anonymous people start asking questions. Introductions are wonderful things.

Third, Butler dominates the conversation. The majority of the book is Butler talking/writing/communicating with Spivak chiming in "carry on" or some such phrase every dozen pages. Spivak does contribute significantly to the second half of the book.

I don't feel like there was anything earth-shattering here - at least for someone who spends a lot of time thinking about the nation-state, statelessness, and the immigrant rights movement. But it was interesting to hear how Spivak and Butler approached the topic - and much of Butler's comment regarded Hannah Arendt's writings, which I most certainly need to go re-read.

[Laçin Tutalar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who Sings the Nation-State (2007) kitabindan bir bolumu cevirmisler saniyorum. Ya da oyle umuyorum. Cunku Spivak-Butler ikilisinin konusmasi orijinalde 128 sayfa (belki bir cep kitabiydi, onu da dusundum) ve dahasi Turkcesini okurken tam olarak nerede, nasil, ne durumda, kime konustuklarini bilmiyoruz. Baglamda eksiklerle okuyup etkileniyoruz (ya da etkileniyorum). Milliyetcilige milliyetci cevaplar uretmekle, alanlari zorlamak ve senin oldugu kadar benim de yapmak ile ilgili sozler oldukca cekici, bir o kadar da "gece 12'de balkabagina donusmekten" korkup sivisan sozler gibi, devamini okumak, bilmek, duymak istiyor ama kucuk baglantilarla idare etmek zorunda kaliyoruz. Haksizlik etmemek adina, elestirel bolgeselcilik gibi bazi terimleri uzun uzadiya konustuklarini ekleyelim. Ama onu tamamlayan etik evrenselcilik havada kaliyor. Oysa başabaş giden temalardan degil mi bunlar? Bir de Butler iyi konustu, Spivak da iyi konusturdu, o da ayrı bir not olsun.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read [for BUTLER- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHH!]
Briefly:
Spivak rules. Butler talks too much. Interesting conception of "critical regionalism" which you don't really expect from post-Marxists such as these.
I bought it partly because I liked the design, and partly because I like the idea of publishing a conversation between two critical thinkers of Our Era.
Butler, even when talking, is still hard [painful, even!] to understand, but Spivak is darling and articulate as ever. J'adore!

Of note: I bought it at the MIT Press Bookshop which is totally AMAZING and if you come visit me I'll bring you there. They have a small but ample Critical Theory section, and you'll be tempted to walk out with a book on neuroscience just because the design is so lovely. Also, the Econ. section ain't so bad either.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much of a 'book,' but instead an extended dialogue probably adapted pretty directly from an academic conference sometime after April 2006. The title refers to spanish-speaking immigrants who sung the US national anthem in their native tongue at protests in the aforementioned month. It is also a conversation about the phenomenon of 'statelessness' and the insufficiency of current theories in this regard.

The points here are all strong but there isn't enough architecture to fully flesh-out the specifics of what Butler and Spivak think needs to be done. The ultimate message, it would seem, is that publicly demanding freedom which one does not have -- whether you are Mexican in the US, Palestinian in the OTs, or Bengal in Hindustan -- is what creates the space to achieve said freedom. Many questions here, few answers, a niche book with a really well-designed cover.

[Battameez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the eighth time I am rereading this little book. And every time there's something new and profound that a) either I didn't understand on the previous reread or b) I completely overlooked. It's a slim volume that packs so much in.

I almost wish this were my introduction to Butler and Spivak instead of sexuality/subaltern studies, because Who Sings A Nation State is, at the heart of everything, a conversation. They are both talking from immense knowledge and rumination, but this is so accessible and stimulating without the usual trappings of philosophy/political theory.

I've taught parts of this book a bunch, and will definitely use it many more times to come.

[Jue Chhakchhuak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though not groundbreaking or anything of that sort, I'm intrigued by this book. I found Butler's notion of statelessness fascinating. A similar, yet completely different instance of such state can be found in the Northeast region of India where the natives, who became part of India only after the independence of India in 1947, are torn between the whims and tyranny of insurgent groups and the Indian army that has led to the complete breakdown of both civil and human rights, thus, leaving the people juridically displaced. Spivak's diagnosis of the nation-state, too, is one that I've been mulling over for quite some time now. If only they took the time and space to work it all out!

[Cricket]

At about 100 tiny pages, it is more of a mini-book than a book yet it is still chock full of ideas. Spivak argues for the necessity of the minimal state as an instrument of redistibution and suggests "critical regionalism" as a direction to go. Butler writes about the importance of "performative contradiction" (by which she means the act of exercising a freedom and asserting an equality "precisely in relation to an authority that would preclude both"-- e.g. the immigrant rights marches in 2006) to a radical politics of change.

[Reema · Rating 4 out of 5]

Butler dominates this conversation, but the text is useful for points about critical regionalism, the distinction between nation and state, the decline of the nation-state in the globalized moment, and the aesthetics of politics (namely singing and its relationship to nationalism).

[rosalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really good so far. A short look at the nation state in opposition to Agamben's concept of "bare-life" andin relation to Arendt's work.

[J. Rogue]

Is there a Cliff Notes version? I've been wanting to read this but lordy, I don't think I can...