The Neutral

The Neutral, as Barthes describes it, escapes or undoes the paradigmatic binary oppositions that structure and produce meaning in Western thought and discourse. These binaries are found in all aspects of human society, from language to sexuality to politics. For Barthes, the attempt to deconstruct or escape from these binaries has profound ethical, philosophical, and linguistic implications. "The Neutral" comprises a landmark series of lectures Barthes delivered in 1978 at the CollA]ge de France, just two years before his death. It centers around twenty-three "figures," also referred to as "traits" or "twinklings," that are possible embodiments of the Neutral (sleep, silence, tact) or of the anti-Neutral (anger, arrogance, conflict). His lectures draw on a diverse set of authors and intellectual traditions, including Lao-tzu, Tolstoy, German mysticism, classical philosophy, Rousseau, Baudelaire, Walter Benjamin, and John Cage. In addition to his reflections on a variety of literary and scholarly works, Barthes's personal convictions and the events of his life also shape the course and content of the lectures-most prominently, the recent death of his mother and the idea of mourning. Barthes's unique approach to his subjects gives his writing a playful, intimate, and even joyous quality that enhances his rich insights.