The I, the Eye, the Voice

Abstract

This publication marks the first Russian translation of an essay by Giorgio Agamben, originally published in 1980 as a preface to the Italian edition of Paul Valéry’s cycle of works on Monsieur Teste. Agamben’s essay delves into the philosophical genealogy of Valéry’s character, Monsieur Teste, presenting him as an extension and radicalization of the Cartesian gesture of self-justification through the experience of cogito. Through Valéry’s texts, Agamben uncovers a constitutive link between Descartes’ legacy and the ultimate experience of language as revealed in Valéry’s poetry. This exploration identifies the aporia of Cartesian subjectivity, characterized by an inherent split between the experinces of seeing (eye) and hearing (voice). The significance of this essay lies in its connection to Agamben’s broader project on the human voice, which he contemplated throughout the 1980s. While some ideas from the never-completed book The Human Voice surfaced in other works, such as “Childhood and History: The Destruction of Experience” (1978) and “Language and Death: The Place f Negativity” (1982), “The I, the Eye, the Voice” holds a special place in this series. It not only offers an interpretation of Valéry’s experiences within a philosophical context but also lays the groundwork for several key ideas about voice in Agamben’s recent writings. Particularly, these concepts are elaborated upon in the chapter on voice from What is Philosophy? (2016). Therefore, this commentary on Valéry’s writings not only stands as an independent work but also serves as a pivotal element of Agamben’s overarching philosophical project.