Consider: In the absence of other human beings, what identities do we possess? If you found yourself on a desert island, far distant from other human beings, would you still think of yourself as being an American or a Briton or a Catholic or an Atheist or anything of the sort? Or would, after a period, these identities simply slip from you like dead skin, leaving you just as a person trying to survive in the wilderness?
Read MoreAnalyzing this piece is difficult for me: “Exiting the Vampire Castle” was my introduction to Mark Fisher. It seemed brilliant and insightful at the time. Now, it does not for a variety of reasons. I love Fisher’s longer works, but this essay is riddled with problems. The purpose of this piece is not to defend Fisher’s assertions (though I will be doing a bit of that, more due to rhetorical issues with the critiques than anything else,) but to try to recuperate some of what is valuable in the piece itself.
So, now that everyone involved is alienated, let’s get started!
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