Sollers

Summary

Dominique Pagani treats Philippe Sollers as a figure of liberal-libertarianism, following Michel Clouscard, and links him to admiration for Céline1. He places him among the post-Sadean libertines who prescribe enjoyment2. In his view, Sollers uses Sade against Rousseau3 and would find the latter's modesty foolish. His main criticism is that Sollers is ironic about sentiment and openly contemptuous of it: for him, one must "screw," and the right to be sentimental is refused4. Pagani replies that this praise of enjoyment is nothing new5 and mocks someone who believes sexuality was discovered in May '68 or who takes himself for Nietzsche. He contrasts Sollers's literary-salon chatter with the loves of a shopgirl or a supermarket cashier, which he finds more interesting. He also argues that Sollers politicizes sexual practice in order to turn others away from it and keep true enjoyment for himself. Finally, he sees in him the froth of bourgeois culture and the figure of a postmodernity of enjoyment without tragedy6. He recounts having told him that he preferred the old-fashioned progressive to the trendy reactionary.

1. 1Everything is allowed but nothing is possible: Michel Clouscard (2)29 Jan 2012 · 7:45
2. 2At the bistro (part 2)19 Jun 2016 · 26:59
3. 3What is to be done? 3/329 Jan 2016 · 36:29
4. 4The feminism of the privileged, puritanical censorship of femininity: Molière, Clouscard, Wagner6 Feb 2022 · 31:31
5. 5#3 Harnessed to confinitude4 Apr 2020 · 58:42
6. 6Napoleon, or the reasons of cunning2 Dec 2024 · 30:02

Summary produced automatically from 19 of the passages below, to be reviewed; the numbers link to the moment in the session.