In “The Art of War”, Eyal Weizman describes how the Israeli Defence Forces have been heavily influenced by contemporary postmodern philosophy (particularly Deleuze, Guattari, and Debord), highlighting the fact that there is considerable overlap among theoretical texts deemed essential by military academies, architecture schools, etc.
As Sophia McClennen noted on the MLA Radical Caucus listserv, Weizman’s article clearly illustrates how postmodern theorists’ advocacy of difference—devoid of a political platform of engaged vision—is easily manipulated to support the agenda of empire.
[Eyal Weizman is an architect, writer and Director of Goldsmith’s College Centre for Research Architecture. His work deals with issues of conflict territories and human rights. A full version of the article was recently delivered at the conference ‘Beyond Bio-politics’ at City University, New York, and in the architecture program of the Sao Paulo Biennial. A transcript can be read in the March/April, 2006 issue of Radical Philosophy.]
Thanks to Rich G. for sharing the article with me.
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