The illusion of The End?

On Monday we went to a talk given by Judith Butler at Goldsmith's and we mentioned how much we would like to hear Baudrillard talking. On Tuesday we came across his book The Transparency of Evil and Dr Gonzo rushed to the library to borrow it. On Wednesday we read about his death. Coincidences sometimes are delusional, or not?

"Since the world is on a delusional course, we must adopt a delusional standpoint towards the world. Better to die from extremes than starting from the extremities."

Baudrillard, Jean. The Transparency of Evil, Verso, 1993: 1

Identity Trouble

Identity categories tend to be instruments of regulatory regimes [...] I'm permanently troubled by identity categories, consider them to be invariable stumbling blocks, and understand them, even promote them, as sites of necessary trouble.

Judith Butler, "Imitation and Gender Subordination"

Categorization, labeling, classification, taxonomy, stereotype. Favourite past-times in which we constantly indulge to satisfy our sense of belonging and to legitimize and safeguard our existence. Do sexuality, nationality, class, race, age, taste to name but a few (and be my guest to add some more...) really matter?