Imitation #3
Muckelbauer claims that the practices of imitation still have value, despite Romantic conceptions of the subject (i.e. the belief in a unique/autonomous/essential self). HOW does he support this claim?
Muckelbauer says that imitation and invention are unique and have value despite Romantic conceptions. He argues that if imitation is involved in producing appearances, then we can see that there is a complicated opposition between the two. Muckelbauer talks about the three forms of imitation. The most common is reproduction, or “repetition of the same,” where the subject encounters the models to produce a perfect replica. The second movement is variation, or “repetition of difference,” where the subject encounters the model but must reproduce the model differentially. The third movement of imitation is called the inspiration or “difference and repetition.” In this final piece of imitation, the nature of the model changes and becomes responsive itself.