Georges Bataille

Georges Bataille

Bataille leads us into ‘the labyrinth of thought’. The labyrinth is Bataille’s image of thought, and it is a labyrinth from which we cannot escape. By leading us into the labyrinth Bataille demonstrates why it is impossible to appropriate his work and why…

The concept of the labyrinth harks back to the myth of Theseus, who confronted the Minotaur at the heart of the Labyrinth and later found his way out with the aid of the thread he had tied to the entrance (following the counsel of Ariadne).

This myth serves as a representation of the belief in the supremacy of reason to overcome challenging circumstances and maintain dominion and control at all times. Life is analogous to a treacherous maze, yet with cunning, one can retain command over circumstances.

Bataille offers a critical perspective on this conventional line of thinking. He opposes the exaltation of human rationality and asserts that full control is unattainable. No philosophical system can comprehensively chart the course of life. Instead of clutching onto the mirage of control, he insists on confronting one's own inadequacies. To put it differently, one must summon the courage to acknowledge that becoming lost in the Labyrinth is inevitable.

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The concept of the labyrinth harks back to the myth of Theseus, who confronted the Minotaur at the heart of the Labyrinth and later found his way out with the aid of the thread he had tied to the entrance (following the counsel of Ariadne).

This myth serves as a representation of the belief in the supremacy of reason to overcome challenging circumstances and maintain dominion and control at all times. Life is analogous to a treacherous maze, yet with cunning, one can retain command over circumstances.

Bataille offers a critical perspective on this conventional line of thinking. He opposes the exaltation of human rationality and asserts that full control is unattainable. No philosophical system can comprehensively chart the course of life. Instead of clutching onto the mirage of control, he insists on confronting one's own inadequacies. To put it differently, one must summon the courage to acknowledge that becoming lost in the Labyrinth is inevitable.

BY Georges Bataille