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Quia ego nominor leo: Barthes, stereotypes, and Aesop's animals.(Roland Barthes)(Foot in Mouth: Animals, Disease, and the Cannibal Complex)(Critical essay)

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From: Mosaic (Winnipeg)
Date: 20070301
Author:Tyler, Tom

Taking Barthes's discussion of Aesop's lion as a starting point, this essay examines two uses to which the animals of philosophy and critical theory have been put: as ciphers and as indices. The twin dangers to theory's beasts, of becoming either examples of a deadening, generic "animal" or stultifying stereotypes, are assessed and potential solutions proposed.

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Leo the Lion, mightiest of beasts, will stand up to anybody. The word 
'beasts' should properly be used about lions, leopards, tigers, wolves, 
foxes, dogs, monkeys and others which rage about with tooth ...