The Materialism of Georges Bataille. A Reading from the Perspective of Nietzsche and Marx

Abstract

Georges Bataille’s notion of materialism can be seen as a critique of metaphysical or idealist conceptions of materialism. On the basis of the reconstruction of Bataille’s statements in his different early writings, the paper provides an interpretation of Bataille’s “base materialism” based on his peculiar reading of Nietzsche and Marx. The attempt to make compatible elements from both philosophies leads to a critical discussion with the authors, which, in turn, can be read as a forerunner of the deconstruction of materialism carried out by Jacques Derrida.

Keywords

• G. Bataille
• J. Derrida
• materialism