Barthes as pedagogue: fragments of two seminars

Abstract

Both texts presented here are previously unpublished material from Roland Barthes. The translator, who functions as a scripter, means that the authenticity of these fragments is relative to what is usually understood by authorship. As verbatim excerpts of Barthes' live teaching their ambiguous status would have pleased the author of Roland Barthes par Roland Barthes. These texts illustrate the Barthesian pedagogic rhetoric as well as throw a disturbing light on his conception of ecriture in its rapport with academic writing. To a large extent, these fragments offer an insight into what is often denied to university lecturers: the pleasure of playing games with institutional discourse.

Opsomming
Albei hierdie tekste verteenwoordig vroeer ongepubliseerde werk van Roland Barthes. Met van bedoel die vertaler wat as kopieerder optree dat die outentisiteit van hierdie fragmente betrekking het op wat gewoonlik bedoel word met outeurskap. As woordelikse uittreksels uit Barthes se lewende onderrig sou hulle dubbelsinnige status die auteur van Roland Barthes par Roland Barthes behaag het. Hierdie tekste illustreer Barthes se pedagogiese retoriek en werp terselfdertyd 'n ongunstige lig op sy opvatting van ecriture in verhouding tot akademiese skryfwerk. In 'n groot mate bied hierdie fragmente insig in wat dikwels nie toeganklik is vir universiteitslektore nie: die plesier om te speel met institusionele redevoe­ring.