Žižek And So On

For this week's episode the gang discuss Alenka Zupančič’s recent work on freedom-as-a-possibility, repetition, and The End. Jake gets a haircut, Will touches Marx’s chair, it rains in Australia and Pete has a lousy connection.  To subscribe to this and other patron episodes, and to join our powerful Discord server: click here

For the return to the PATREONhttps://www.patreon.com/zizekandsoon episodes the fellas discuss Žižek’s writing on Lacan’s notion of “the letter always arriving at its destination”. For Žižek, the letter’s destination becomes a descriptive model triad of the Imaginary, the Symbolic, and the Real, and how the three concepts interact. In this episode, & So On explore’s the subject’s interpellation and misrecognition, contemplates Moby Dick, and questions the actuality of the dental dam. To subscribe to this and other patron episodes: https://www.patreon.com/zizekandsoon To read along: https://www.lacan.com/symptom16/why.html

The fellas are back—and are accompanied by a new member. We dive into two recent articles from the Philosophical Salon. The first is by Fabio Vighi, who charges Žižek with capitulating too easily to new forms of social domination with his acceptance of lockdowns. Vighi argues that we now live “in a neo-feudal inferno where our Lords enslave us in order to protect us, and protect us in order to enslave us.” In his response, Žižek charges Vighi with missing the crucial lesson that the “brutal reality of the pandemic [is] a contingent event,” not some mega-plot knowingly developed and orchestrated by the establishment. The argument laid out by Vighi is, Žižek argues, dangerously close to a paranoid conspiracy theory. Following Žižek, we discuss how Vighi’s position is maintained by the fantasy of a consistent ordering of the antagonism at the heart of the social and the symbolic order. Yes, we’re back. Thanks to all our listeners, new and old, and our patrons who have stuck with us during our hiatus. More to come! Episode reading: Vighi: SLAVOJ ŽIŽEK, EMERGENCY CAPITALISM, AND THE CAPITULATION OF THE LEFT ; Žižek: LES NON-DUPES ERRENT

The lads compare notes on Freudian-Lacanian-Zizekian concept of the death drive.  For access to the full episode and many more: https://www.patreon.com/zizekandsoon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lydBPm2KRaU&ab_channel=carrieunderwoodVEVO

This week, we talk Žižek’s concept of the Neighbor. In contrast with Levinas’ ethics of the Other, Žižek understands the neighbour to be the site of a kind of inhuman monstrosity. We ask: who are we to speak, who are you to listen? Žižek’s text: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/N/bo16265666.html For more episodes, join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/zizekandsoon

UNLOCKED PATREON EPISODE: Žižek on the politics of psychoanalysis—with reference to Gabriel Tupinambá's new book "The Desire of Psychoanalysis", the limits of Lacan, the crazy philosophy of the Ljubljana school, women and Hegel, and his upcoming works: ecology and Marx (and Hegel), and living and dying in a topsy-turvy world etc. Then some final remarks on television shows and Rammstein. Join us on patreon for extra episodes and a happening discord server: https://www.patreon.com/zizekandsoon

Part ONE of our interview with Slavoj Žižek. Covid & philosophy; why we need "War Communism" &... Join us on patreon to hear more episodes, and the upcoming second part— https://www.patreon.com/zizekandsoon

Patreon Preview - Better late than never, we take on Zizek's 2019 book "The Relevance of the Communist Manifesto''. We discuss how the Manifesto falls short in diagnosing the antagonisms of capitalism in its current iteration, yet also retains its ability to open up a relevant critique of capitalism. The limitations of the text identified by Zizek are problematized by contemporary features of capitalism he insists are crucial for understanding our predicament today—namely, the problem of (the privatization of) the commons, and the failure of the revolutionary subject to present itself.  Also, Foucault is cancelled. https://www.patreon.com/zizekandsoon

Alright, we're talking the groundwork for understanding how and why Žižek uses examples. With reference to Robert Pfaller’s chapter in “Interpassivity” on Žižek, and relying on Matthew Flisfeder’s idea that materialism and idealism coincide in Žižek’s examples, the hosts discuss the exampling that supports Žižek's idiosyncratic style of intervention and analysis; and, how “the example” is ultimately what makes Žižek “enjoyable”. This week kicks-off a series of future episodes that will unpack and treat specific reoccurring examples throughout Žižek’s work. (See also our episode on the Antisemitism example, episode 34). Subscribe to our patreon here

We are back this week with a Patreon exclusive episode on the concept of Interpassivity. We locate the origin of the term somewhere in-between the thought of Žižek’s and Robert Pfaller. Referring to texts of each, we  define interpassivity within the scope of Althussier’s influence in the 90s, as the immanent response/critique to the prevailing ideology of “interactivity”. We discuss a few infamous examples of interpassivity from Žižek’s texts like “canned laughter” and “TiVo”, and consider how interpassivity structures the subject’s relating to the Other as the subject supposed to know, believe, and enjoy.  We also try to think through the constitutive role interpassivity plays in the subject/object relation, and how this might furnish an anti-ideological position – or, a secondary ideology that does not rest on becoming a subject, and liberates us from the injunction to “enjoy!”    N.B. This episode marks the anniversary of &SoOn. We want to thank all of you – and especially our patrons – for listening, supporting, and engaging with us this past year. The three of us agree that working on and producing the show has been the best and most redeeming part of an otherwise bizarre 12 months. We have already lined-up what will be some terrific interviews and collaborations over next few months, so we hope you stay tuned. Please like and share our episodes on whatever platform, and if you want to support us materially, you can subscribe to our Patreon. Stay safe out there, and enjoy your symptoms!  https://www.patreon.com/zizekandsoon https://www.lacan.com/zizek-pompidou.htm https://www.robert-pfaller.com/20-years-of-interpassivity