For a Leftist Appropriation of the European Legacy

For a Leftist Appropriation of the European Legacy

How, for Ranciere, did politics proper begin? With the emergence of demos as an active agent within the Greek polis: of a group which, although without any fixed place in the social edifice (or, at best, occupying a subordinated place), demanded to be included in the public sphere, to be heard on equal footing with… Continue reading For a Leftist Appropriation of the European Legacy

Beyond Mandela Without Becoming Mugabe

[Transcript below video.] In view of the difficult situation in which we all, in Europe, are, now I have quite many things to say. So, let me begin. Today, the very idea of a radical social transformation appears as an impossible dream, but this term (impossible) should make us think. Impossible and possible are distributed… Continue reading Beyond Mandela Without Becoming Mugabe

Who can control the post-superpower capitalist world order?

Who can control the post-superpower capitalist world order?

To know a society is not only to know its explicit rules. One must also know how to apply them: when to use them, when to violate them, when to turn down a choice that is offered, and when we are effectively obliged to do something but have to pretend we are doing it as… Continue reading Who can control the post-superpower capitalist world order?

Who needs charity from rich capitalists? The ethics of giving and the Communist vision

Who needs charity from rich capitalists? The ethics of giving and the Communist vision

In his recent book [amazon asin=0231145233&text=Rage and Time], Peter Sloterdijk has attempt to assert – as the solution to what one might call the “antinomies of the Welfare State” – an “ethics of gift” over against mere egotistic market exchange. His proposal brings us unexpectedly close to what can only be called the Communist vision.… Continue reading Who needs charity from rich capitalists? The ethics of giving and the Communist vision

Slavoj Žižek on The Act of Killing and the modern trend of “privatising public space”

The documentary The Act of Killing, which premiered in 2012, provides a unique and deeply disturbing insight into the ethical deadlock of global capitalism. The film – directed by Joshua Oppenheimer and shot in Medan, Indonesia – reports on a case of obscenity that reaches the extreme: Anwar Congo and his friends are now respected… Continue reading Slavoj Žižek on The Act of Killing and the modern trend of “privatising public space”

Welcome to the “Spiritual Kingdom of Animals”

The documentary [amazon asin=B00GO9SA30&text=The Act of Killing] (Final Cut Film Production, Copenhagen) premiered in 2012 at the Telluride film festival and was also shown at Toronto International Film Festival. [amazon asin=B00GO9SA30&text=The Act of Killing], directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, provides a unique and deeply disturbing insight into the ethical deadlock of global capitalism. The film – shot… Continue reading Welcome to the “Spiritual Kingdom of Animals”

We don’t want the charity of rich capitalists

We don't want the charity of rich capitalists

There is something profoundly strange about [amazon asin=0231145233&text=Peter Sloterdijk’s] attempt to assert – as the solution to what one is tempted to call the “antinomies of the Welfare State” – an “ethics of gift” over against mere egotistic market exchange. His proposal brings us unexpectedly close to what can only be called the Communist vision.… Continue reading We don’t want the charity of rich capitalists

If there is a God, then anything is permitted

If there is a God, then anything is permitted

Although the statement “If there is no God, everything is permitted” is widely attributed to Dostoyevsky’s [amazon asin=0140449248&text=The Brothers Karamazov] (Sartre was the first to do so in his [amazon asin=0671867806&text=Being and Nothingness]), he simply never said it. The closest one gets to this infamous aphorism are a hand-full of apoproximations, like Dmitri’s claim from his… Continue reading If there is a God, then anything is permitted

Liberalism as politics for a race of devils

Liberalism as politics for a race of devils

For liberalism, at least in its radical form, the desire to subject people to an ethical ideal – which is regarded as universal and thus universally binding – is the mother of all crimes, “the crime which contains all crimes,” for it amounts to the brutal imposition of one’s own view onto others, and is… Continue reading Liberalism as politics for a race of devils

Basic instincts: The rioters’ impotent envy

Basic instincts: The rioters' impotent envy

Repetition, according to Hegel, plays a crucial role in history: when something happens just once, it may be dismissed as an accident, something that might have been avoided if the situation had been handled differently. But when the same event repeats itself, it is a sign that a deeper historical process is unfolding. When Napoleon… Continue reading Basic instincts: The rioters’ impotent envy