The Ethics of Erasure: On the Practice and Politics of Cultural Expression

Is erasure the antithesis of expression? That is the customary view. I will argue, however, that erasure is, in fact, expression's secret self, always present when expression takes place, haunting the scene of articulation. Looking at examples of everyday erasure, I will explore how they intersect with larger historical erasures and draw out the wider implications for cultural politics, in particular the role of cultural expression in the search for social justice. This is particularly pertinent within our contemporary moment when 'free speech' has become one of the principal sites of political contestation and controversy. The dominant understanding of 'free speech' rests on an antithesis between expression and erasure, so what happens when that opposition is dismantled? And what are the implications for those who want to address long-standing social injustices and inequalities? The essay argues that the practice and politics of cultural expression must also-always involve an ethics of erasure that is attuned to the charismatic singularity of each situation in which difficult judgments must be made.