Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Ann Jefferson in the TLS Redefines "Misdemeanours" in her Worship of Paul de Man


De Man was guilty of "gross mismanagement" at the Agence Dechenne and the Toison d'Or.

1. "He mislaid manuscripts."
2. He "passed off translations by others as his own."
3. He "mishandled purchases."

Passing off others' work as your own is "mismanagement," but these faults are only "misdemeanours,"  Ann Jefferson assures us.

Ann Jefferson knows that there is of course no really serious crime in stealing other people's work--that's a common academic misdemeanor. It's not as if de Man were really stealing IDEAS. He was only stealing translations at this time.

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