Said’s originality disclaimers draw on authors who would embrace the very historicism he attacks

Evidence

The most sweeping claim of originality is thus balanced against disclaimer of all originality; the most uncompromising attack on historicism is balanced against a list of authors several among whom would have little difficulty in associating themselves with historicism. The list of authors and dates is itself passing strange, I might add, since it is drawn up in the manner, more or less, of the postmodern pastiche. — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory, 716

Categorization

• XREF: Model case for the strategic-essentialism bind: a self-avowed anti-historicist theory whose acknowledgment list secretly reinstates historicist forebears — parallel to holding essentialist identity ‘ironically.’ — connects to: Stressing a philosopher’s originality can inadvertently confirm their conformity to tradition. — Catherine Malabou, The Future of Hegel: Plasticity,…, 1262; Said’s work embodies the contradictions of the literary theory tradition — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory: Classes, Nations, Literatures, 68

Broader Connections

• Stressing a philosopher’s originality can inadvertently confirm their conformity to tradition. #expands (0.82) — Catherine Malabou, The Future of Hegel, 1262