Ah Bartleby! Study, learning, and pedagogy in Occupy Wall Street

On October 26, 2011, a post appeared on the Occupy Wall Street Library blog titled “I would prefer not to.” The constant refrain of Herman Melville’s Bartleby, Scrivener became one Occupy’s defining mottos, appearing placards, T-shirts, and tote bags. phrase so symbolic that it was used posters promoting general strike called for May 2012. Bartleby’s mode passive resistance has been theorized extensively. His appropriation by OWS source much theorizing too. What I want to do in this paper is use Bartleby as useful analogy exploring educational logic Street. While some read dangerous threatening “Bartlebyan inscrutability” into OWS’s various refusals (the refusal issue demands, address questions political ontology, specify conditions success), argue instead performativity helps cast light need pedagogical intervention moments movements utopian rupture. very indeterminacy study being within OWS—of “preferring to” actualize potential, adopt subjectivity, elucidate any determinate ends—created vacuum precluded movement from learning itself. oscillating state permanent suspension, which possibilities contained were held im-potential, led paralysis neglect. In contrast “weak” utopianism ascribed Tyson Lewis, conclude calling “strong” conceived collective endeavor iterative process but organization plays crucial facilitating role.