The Primal Scattering of Languages: Philosophies, Myths and Genders :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers

The Primal Scattering of Languages: Philosophies, Myths and Genders Dynamic: In After Babel, George Steiner describes ‘two fundamental conjectures’ in folklore which clarify ‘the puzzle of numerous tongues on which a perspective on interpretation hinges.’ One such mythic story is the pinnacle of Babel, which Steiner, yet additionally Jacques Derrida after him, take as their beginning stage to move toward the topic of interpretation; the other guess recounts 'some horrendous blunder [which] was submitted, a unintentional arrival of etymological turmoil, in the method of Pandora’s Box' (Steiner). This paper will take this other guess, the legend of Pandora, first lady of the Greek creation fantasy, as its place of flight, not exclusively to offer a feminized adaptation of the basic dissipating of dialects, however to change in a positive light and along these lines likewise toreverse the negative and misanthrope relationship of Pandora with man’s fall. In any case, as opposed to uncovering the settled in male cen tric inclination in mythographers’ understandings of Pandora, my principal point is to present, through her figure, inquiries regarding language and lady, and, by augmentation, the first language and female sexuality. In After Babel George Steiner relates two primary guesses in folklore which clarify the riddle of numerous tongues on which a perspective on interpretation pivots. One such mythic story is the pinnacle of Babel, which Steiner, yet in addition Jacques Derrida after him, take as their beginning stage to move toward the topic of interpretation; the other guess recounts some dreadful mistake [which] was submitted, an incidental arrival of etymological disorder, in the method of Pandora's Box (Steiner 1975:57). This paper will take this other guess, the legend of Pandora, first lady of the Greek creation fantasy, as its place of flight, not exclusively to offer a feminized rendition of the base dispersing of dialects, yet to revise in a positive light and hence likewise switch the negative and misanthrope relationship of Pandora with man's fall. As opposed to embracing the patrilinear record Derrida or Steiner give as respects the root of interpretation, I will utilize the figure of Pandora to consolidate, and change, perspectives both of the Babel fantasy and the Oedipus legend. This is on the grounds that, while Babel is related with misfortune, the loss of one tongue, and Oedipus is related with come up short on, man's emasculation nervousness, Pandora's case has been related with both: the danger of etymological disorder, for example the loss of comprehension, and the danger of lady's sexuality, I.