Skip to content

107 definitions

Georges Bataille

Georges Bataille

1897 – 1962

Definition.com

The Accursed share (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the general economy as including death, waste, expenditure, violence and sacrifice in addition to the restricted sense of accumulation, profit, savings, and morality.

Definition.com

Anguish (n.) can ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠and should be turned into delight.

Definition.com

Animality (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠something we posses which allows us to experience immanence. As such, it serves as a powerful resource in the critique of western civilization.

Definition.com

Beauty (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠desired in order that it may be befouled... not for its own sake, but for the joy brought by the certainty of profaning it.

Definition.com

Communication (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a kind of risk-taking. To be full of life is to take risks and thereby to communicate something of life.

Definition.com

Communication (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a ritual sacrifice, and a shared crime whereby common discourse is destroyed for the sake of a more intense form of communication. Communication is cryptically referred to in terms of 'dying and coming back'.

Definition.com

Communication (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠physical lovemaking, a kind of desire that takes nothingness as its object.

Definition.com

Community (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠neither a work to be produced, nor a lost communion, but rather as space itself, and the spacing of the experience of the outside, of the outside-of-self.

Definition.com

Contradiction (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the nature of truth.

Definition.com

Contradiction (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠ultimately the only face of truth.

Definition.com

Crime (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a fact of the human species, a fact of that species alone, but it is above all the secret aspect, impenetrable and hidden. Crime hides, and by far the most terrifying things are those which elude us.

Definition.com

Crime (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the secret aspect of the human species, impenetrable and hidden. By its nature, crime hides, and by far the most terrifying things are those which elude us.

Definition.com

Death (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the emotional element which gives an obsessive value to communal existence.

Definition.com

Decency (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠only what the universe seems to be because decent people have welded eyes. In general, people savor the 'pleasures of the flesh' only on the condition that they may be insipid.