°oi/nk
“Once the representational illusions are abolished, there remains an eerie ontological propinquity between man and animal: there is a possible confusion – in any case, an improper proximity – with the pig” - Jean-Louis Poirier, “Elements Toward a Philosophical Zoology, Part 1,” Angelaki, 13:3 (trans. Salah el Moncef bin Khalifa)
Some passages on a similar theme from Locke’s Essay Concerning Human Understanding:
“Nor let any one say, that the power of propagation in animals by admixture of male and female, and in plants by seeds, keeps the supposed real species distinct and entire. For, granting this to be true, it would help us in the distinction of species of things no farther than the tribes of animals and vegetables. What must we do for the rest? But in those too it is not sufficient: for if history lie not, women have conceived by drills [i.e., baboons]; and what real species by that measure such a production will be in nature, will be a new question; and we have reason to think this not impossible since mules [i.e., asses and mares] and jumarts [i.e., bull and mares or she-asses], the one from the mixture of an ass and a mare, the other from the mixture of a bull and a mare, are so frequent in the world. I once saw a creature that was the issue of a cat and a rat, and had the plain marks of both about it; wherein nature appeared to have followed the pattern of neither sort alone, but to have jumbled them both together.”(III.vi.23)
“Who would undertake to resolve what species that monster was of which is mentioned by Licetus, (lib. i. cap. iii) with a man’s head and a hog’s body? or those other, which to the bodies of men had the heads of beasts, as dogs, horses, &C? If any of these creatures had lived, and could have spoke, it would have increased the difficulty. Had the upper part to the middle had been of human shape, and all below swine; had it been murder to destroy it? Or must the bishop have been consulted, whether it were man enough to be admitted to the font or no? as I have been told it happened in France some years since, in somewhat a like case.” (III.vi.27)
And let’s not forget that sordid business from Falaise in 1386, as reported by E.P. Evans in his Criminal Prosecution and Capital Punishment of Animals:
“In 1386, the tribunal of Falaise sentenced a sow to be mangled and maimed in the head and forelegs, and then to be hanged, for having torn the face and arms of a child and thus caused its death. Here we have a strict application of the lex talionis, the primitive retributive principle of taking an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. As if to make the travesty of justice complete, the sow was dressed in man’s clothes and execute on the public square near the city-hall at an expense to the state of ten sous and ten deniers, besides a pair of gloves to the hangman. The executioner was provided with new gloves in order that he might come from the discharge of his duty, metaphorically at least, with clean hands, thus indicating that, as a minister of justice, he incurred no guilt in shedding blood. He was no common pig-killer, but a public functionary, a “master of high works,” as he was officially styled.”
And, Evans, again reporting on pigs and humans, this time in Schweinfurt [Pig-Town!?] in 1576:
“Hangmen often indulged in capricious and supererogatory cruelty in the exercise of their patibulary functions, and medieval as well as later writers on criminal jurisprudence repeatedly complain of this evil and call for reform. Thus Damhouder, urgers magistrates to be more careful in selecting persons for this important office, and not to choose evil-doers, assiduous gamblers, public whoremongers, malicious back-biters, impious blasphemers, assassins, thieves, murderers, robbers, and other violators of the law as vindicators of justice. Indeed, these hardened wretches sometimes took the law into their own hands. For example, on the 9th of June, 1576, at Schweinfurt in Franconia, a sow, which had bitten off the ear and torn the hand of a carpenter’s child, was given into custory, whereupon the hangman, without legal authority, took it to the gallows-green and there “hanged it publicly to the disgrace and detriment of the city.” For this impudent usurpation of judiciary powers Jack Ketch was forced to flee and never dared return. Hence arose the proverbial phrase Schweinfurter Sauhenker (Schweinfurt sow-hangman), used to characterize a low and lawless ruffian and vile fellow of the baser sort. It was not the mere killing of the sow, but the execution without a judicial decision, the insult and contempt of the magistracy and the judicatory by arrogating their functions, that excited the public wrath and official indignation.”
Craig [May 26, 2009 @ 8:50 am]
Excellent quotes, esp the Locke.
And then there’s this, another version of the securing of boundaries, borders and the fear of admixture:
Btw, anyone know the current stats for deaths from (as the tagging has it) ‘human flu’?
s0metim3s [May 26, 2009 @ 1:38 pm]
Of 921 “confirmed cases” in Canada, there has only been one death (in Alberta). There was a report of another death in Ontario over the week, but it hasn’t been added to the official statistics yet, which can be found here. The end of the URL (swine-porcine/surveillance-eng.php)is great.
Craig [May 27, 2009 @ 1:04 am]