"What is an Author" Response

I thought it interesting when Foucault stated, “what difference does it make who said it?”. I agree with this thought to a degree. Although I don’t think it is the author of a work that is most important, I will admit that I judge a text based on its author even before ever reading it. At the same time, however, I think others do the same. It is hard not to. We live in a world where everything seems to be categorized or organized in specific areas. People, myself included, like to put a value on something in order to place it. Toptenz.com, for example, is a website which places things in lists of tens (there is even a top ten list of top ten lists).

I suppose that in a perfect world no one would care who the author is. The only concern would be of the work, its information at hand, and the validity of that information. Unfortunately, we do not live in such a world. Knowing who the author is has an impact on the idea of the work. It provides a convenient way of distinguishing works apart from one another, as each author has a different style and way of sharing opinions. For example, if one were to pick up a Michael Crichton book they may assume certain facts about it based on ones previously read. By knowing that Michael Crichton wrote it, and not Robert Ludlum, they already know something about the story.

All opinions aside, the author, or authority, does serve a very specific purpose: ownership. Just as Foucault mentioned, a work must have an author because of lawful regulations. It dictates who has the rights to certain works. An author is required to prevent copyright infringement. The concept of an author is important based solely on this fact, or at least should be.

When I read a thought or text I try to free myself of caring who wrote it. I concern myself with what they are saying. Just because one person wrote it instead of someone else should have no merit. It is whether the facts are just, or the ideas interesting that makes a novel, book, or work worthy of reading.