Complementarity

Many commentators have remarked in passing on the resonance between deconstructionist theory and certain ideas of quantum physics. In this book, Arkady Plotnitsky rigorously elaborates the similarities and differences between the two by focusing on the work of Niels Bohr and Jacques Derrida. In detailed considerations of Bohr’s notion of complementarity and his debates with Einstein, and in analysis of Derrida’s work via Georges Bataille’s concept of general economy, Plotnitsky demonstrates the value of exploring these theories in relation to each other. Bohr’s term complementarity describes a situation, unavoidable in quantum physics, in which two theories thought to be mutually exclusive are required to explain a single phenomenon. Light, for example, can only be explained as both wave and particle, but no synthesis of the two is possible. This theoretical transformation is then examined in relation to the ways that Derrida sets his work against or outside of Hegel, also resisting a similar kind of synthesis and enacting a transformation of its own. Though concerned primarily with Bohr and Derrida, Plotnitsky also considers a wide range of anti-epistemological endeavors including the work of Nietzsche, Bataille, and the mathematician Kurt Gödel. Under the rubric of complementarity he develops a theoretical framework that raises new possiblilities for students and scholars of literary theory, philosophy, and philosophy of science.

Many commentators have remarked in passing on the resonance between deconstructionist theory and certain ideas of quantum physics. In this book, Arkady Plotnitsky rigorously elaborates the similarities and differences between the two by focusing on the work of Niels Bohr and Jacques Derrida. In detailed considerations of Bohr’s notion of complementarity and his debates with Einstein, and in analysis of Derrida’s work via Georges Bataille’s concept of general economy, Plotnitsky demonstrates the value of exploring these theories in relation to each other. Bohr’s term complementarity describes a situation, unavoidable in quantum physics, in which two theories thought to be mutually exclusive are required to explain a single phenomenon. Light, for example, can only be explained as both wave and particle, but no synthesis of the two is possible. This theoretical transformation is then examined in relation to the ways that Derrida sets his work against or outside of Hegel, also resisting a similar kind of synthesis and enacting a transformation of its own. Though concerned primarily with Bohr and Derrida, Plotnitsky also considers a wide range of anti-epistemological endeavors including the work of Nietzsche, Bataille, and the mathematician Kurt Gödel. Under the rubric of complementarity he develops a theoretical framework that raises new possiblilities for students and scholars of literary theory, philosophy, and philosophy of science.

In Complementarity , theologian Gregg Allison presents a fresh vision for understanding God's design for men and women as image bearers in the home, the church, and society. As a framework broader than either complementarianism and egalitarianism - and underlying both of them - complementarity affirms the equal dignity, significant difference, and flourishing interdependence of men and women. Allison grounds his exploration of complementarity in the complex history of the relationship between women and men throughout church history, as well as the contemporary contexts of feminism, complementarianism, patriarchalism, and egalitarianism. He examines relevant passages from the Old and New Testaments before offering theological considerations of gender and how all Christians fulfill the offices of prophet, priest, and king. Allison concludes by explaining how a robust understanding of complementarity fosters mutual flourishing for male and female image bearers. Allison offers a path forward for Christians who want to foster mutual support for male and female image-bearers within their churches and communities.

In Complementarity , theologian Gregg Allison presents a fresh vision for understanding God's design for men and women as image bearers in the home, the church, and society. As a framework broader than either complementarianism and egalitarianism - and underlying both of them - complementarity affirms the equal dignity, significant difference, and flourishing interdependence of men and women. Allison grounds his exploration of complementarity in the complex history of the relationship between women and men throughout church history, as well as the contemporary contexts of feminism, complementarianism, patriarchalism, and egalitarianism. He examines relevant passages from the Old and New Testaments before offering theological considerations of gender and how all Christians fulfill the offices of prophet, priest, and king. Allison concludes by explaining how a robust understanding of complementarity fosters mutual flourishing for male and female image bearers. Allison offers a path forward for Christians who want to foster mutual support for male and female image-bearers within their churches and communities.