Episode

Today we talk about human rights, a political tactic used by people in power that is becoming more popular, and potential as a concept that may unite people in a way that doesn't intensify tribal divisions.
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[@screamchand]

This podcast has become my walking companion.

[@jordanyanowitz8694]

Would love for an episode on Anarchism. Or 12 lmao! It would be wonderful to also engage some indigenous scholars!

[@ericjackson-nq4hp]

I am in awe. West is one of the strongest working writers I have encountered. I am no expert on anything but I got more than 6,000 books at my finger tips. West is strong af.

[@vanbrush9537]

I would love more Byung Chul Han and more Dostoevsky, Thank you, great show!

[@omarsherief5690]

I love this show a lot, I listen on Spotify so I don’t usually get the chance to reply and tell you how much I appreciate it, but I wanted to come here to KZbin to tell you just that. Thank you for being my friend for 3 years. I’ve learned a lot.

[@angelmeyers1455]

Humanity is lost but I have much hope in mankind!

[@Boeax]

Hey Stephen, just wanted to show some appreciation for your podcast here. I’m on episode #85, I started listening to this podcast on Spotify after experiencing a bad breakup that made me realise I needed to change and explore more avenues of knowledge to broaden my own perspective. Anyway, you mentioned how you did this podcast for good and only that, and I’m so glad you did. Listening to you talk about philosophy, reference your own life and come up with relatable analogies about philosophical topics really helped me achieve a better perspective on life in general. I’m deeply appreciative of the work you’re doing, thank you!

[@giuliettadimambro8350]

More Agamben, please!!

[@carriemuniak9353]

More Agamben and MORE ANARCHY PLEASE!

[@user-yu3rc3wz7k]

I'm so excited for the anarchism (s) episodes. There's so many sects of anarchism though and it has such a complicated history, could be a whole series lol. Thanks so much for this wonderful episode.

[@legoartis]

Ehat I really like, is how Agamben takes completely opposite view on something we all suppose to agree on, and unfolds it so you actually end up agreeing with him. I read couple of his books, and it was a real eye opener. Thanks for your summing up on him!

[@dabrupro]

Those who are "just" don't need a "justice system." I'm about 3 minutes in. Great presentation.

[@Herr_Vorragender]

Even the just get ripped of by filthy rich mega corpos. If there is no evil Kingpin at the tippi tip top of the mega corpo, the corpo can still do nasty evil. Through a systemic issue. The CEO asks for business reports and forecasts. The managers understand his desire for success reports, else get fired. The sub management must deliver, else get fired. The mottom mangers hands are tied, else get fired. The workers must earn an income. And a few desire a career. Could it be that "the just" alone is not enough, when "the just" lives in an injust system? What if the lack of justice in the system is rooted in nature? As an over simplifeid example: The desire for the best possible girl. Once he tried being nice. He tried to brag, compliments and poetry, but somehow he felt it didn't work. We know there are multiple paths for him to choose from in order to get his desired goal. Greed, violence and domination also are a way to "get the girl". Not good paths, but hey. How to get power? In simple minds: Money. Hence corruption. But everybody wants to "get the girl". But what do I know. Just a thought. 🤷‍♂

[@edasoundgod871]

My new favorite channel on KZbin

[@123gillam]

Bob Dylan said " You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows" . The philosophy of personal sovereignty would be a great topic for you to cover

[@Emily-bm9xj]

The best discovery I had recently with the terrible state of global politics (specifically the last couple of months) is Frantz Fanon's The Wretched of the Earth. Published in 1961, so many astute observations about the nature of colonized and oppressed societies, ethnocentrism and power plays, the use of violence across the colonizer/colonized divide and the hollow words/actions of international laws and standards still ring true today. Highly recommended

[@weareallofprey]

this book among many others that are not euro-centric show us how human rights are and always have been a farcical western notion. rights are extended to groups and retracted at the will of state power. to believe in or 'fight' for rights is to demand to be coalsced into the western/imperial/settler/colonized mindset. at once understandable in a disempowered governed and controlled world but flawed from the start for its appeals to dominator culture.

[@danix8538]

​@weareallofprey It's embarrassing to see people know so little history and yet pontificate from the safety of the cocoon of the civilization built and bled for by better men. Oh no, the "western", "euro-centric" mindset is dominant. The horror! *clutches pearls and iPhone*. I'm sure you would have liked the Mongolian mindset with their literal mounds of heads and such wholesale rape that a percentage of the global population can claim Genghis Khan as great-great-great...-grandpappy. Or maybe you would have liked to be under the great empire of Japan who in WW2 was performing worse experiments on the prisoners than the Germans and was publishing in the newspapers competitions among the soldiers of baby bayonetting. And that's not to talk of their brutal handling of prisoner camps, occupated territories and once again wholesale rape(just check out Korea or Naking). Or maybe you like the Chinese with the absolute world record in killing their own countrymen. No doubt they are so very friendly to their neighbours. Just ask Tibet or Inner Mongolia. Or the citizens who are not of Han ethnicity. How about India? Until the British party poopers came they had their own picturesque habits like burning the wife alive with the body of the husband when he died. While they gave up that one they still seem pretty fond of the caste system even after the British buzzed off back home. These days they just return Filipino, Vietnamese slaves to the Saudi's and Qatari when they find them trying to escape from the Arab paradise. Russia maybe? Just ask any of their neighbours how wonderful they are. The czars had the lower class living in poverty and abject misery but the communists came and made it worse. The Chinese may be gold medalists when it comes to genocide but Russians are a solid silver. Communism was to Russia's soul and morals what the Black Plague was to Europe. Where the czars just wanted absolute control of the bodies the commies seeked to enslave both the body and the mind, from cradle to grave, through physical removal of any competition preferably, but omnipresent and inescapable propaganda an acceptable alternative. Are you really a slave if you're forcibly working for the greater good, comrade? Maybe you liked the Ottoman Empire with their tribute of young Christian boys who were converted to Islam and trained to fight against the countries they came from. With of course their Islam inspired human rights and their rich and conveniently always overlooked tradition of slavery. On the other hand they were rather inclusive with it, seeing as they also enslaved Africans just like their Islamic brothers the North-African Arabs. Of course the inner African people where on board with that themselves. Not very big on human rights though. Aztecs? I think they might be more your speed. They were all heart. Human heart. Usually still beating and dropping blood after being ripped off from a sacrifice. Not very kind to the people they rule over which is why they welcomed with open arms the newcomers to rid them of the aztecs. And so on and so forth for Latin America and other parts as well. In short, I think your ungrateful and ignorant ass should thank your lucky stars that your European ancestors, with their constant struggle for individual rights and kinder religion(relative to others of course), prevailed on the global stage and dragged everyone else kicking and screaming to their level because nowhere else you get anything close to it. Even your flimsy, deluded position wouldn't exist if it wasn't for Europeans constantly trying to do better to the point of absurdity. I hope eventually you will eventually care enough to try to understand what you are talking about instead of just regurgitating slogans that make you look like you care. Cheers

[@davdenero4318]

I would really like more on Agamben

[@muhammadalaraby7027]

Wow, a great explanation of Agambin’s philosophy, yet neglecting the world exemplary case of modern day concentration in Gaza that’s in Gaza, as people there deprived from their personal and political rights, surrounded, suffocated and frequently bombed by Israelis.

[@amberramsay5185]

I thought this too when I saw the title. However a discussion within the scope of what we know is happening there now was still a relief. I'm sure that Stephen wants us to consider these topics in our own way and apply it to what is happening without him making it the focus of the episode and for our thoughts to apply broadly on past and future too. With the amount of polarisation present around us, telling people which perspective to take (even if subtly) does more often than not reinforce their opposing position more. #freepalestine

[@lornm1856]

Lmao political right? So how did they choose the nazi goverment that put them in this situation? Even the Egyptians are scared of them so they did what the israelis do. Have you ever seen how they lived? Did jews in concentration camps have a zoo? A beach? parks? Restraunts hotels? Universities? Mansions? You don't know what a " concentration camp " is

[@lornm1856]

@@amberramsay5185 shut up

[@j.trulyrandom]

When are you writing a book?

[@djontheonesandtwos]

Loved this episode especially toward the end where you started to discuss schooling. It reminded me of a concept known as the banking model of education. It’s discussed in Paulo Freire’s book The Pedagogy of The Oppressed where it explores the student teacher relationship and relates those dynamics to the banking system while also illustrating how said dynamics serve dominate power structures. In fact, much of what you spoke about at that point are concepts expressed in his phenomenal, highly critical and important work. Please, please please do a series discussing his work!

[@dianacalvino5413]

So interesting as always. You are so inspiring. Having studied philosophy myself and working in a totally different field this feels like a moment of relief. I cant wait for your episode on anarchy!

[@weareallofprey]

as an anarchist, every show of yours i listen to i feel a scratch of frustration because time after time there is moments in which there are potentials and conclusions you could illuminate that are anarchistic and time and time again you forgo the opportunity to notice it. i am glad that you will delve into it and this was a great segue. rights based thinking is flawed because it is an intrinsic appeal to power. rights are given out and taken away by power to continue to monopolize power. when people 'achieve' rights it is simply because power has found a different way to control them or knows that they no longer constitute a threat. infringing upon 'rights' is about the removal of our subjectivity which is all encompassing in our modern world. this is why theyre packaged to describe localities of rights where we can notice our subjectivities instead of not notice our lack of subjectivity. ever delved into mark fisher? i cant find it if you have.

[@tysonasaurus6392]

I loved his series on Deleuze and I know Mark Fisher was inspired by Deleuze as well so I'd love to see how Fisher was influenced exactly

[@sethhendrick2]

I'm positive that if we unite under potential we'll bridge the gap through negativity.

[@LisavonPoelking]

I totally agree with Agamben! Great show!

[@Vladimir-Struja]

best one bro. i like the way your position is revealing.

[@eancarana]

Love your channel. I agree with Agamben; all of those example across the spectrum apply (Is), regardless of the reasons for doing it (Ought). Can't wait for the next episode: I'm already an anarchist, so can't wait to hear your perspective.

[@sinnsk5289]

The subtext is sooo thick. Glad for this episode.

[@richardscathouse]

Don't get me started on Americans' respect for "Human Rights!" 👹 *Trail of Tears? 💀💀💀 I could go on all day!

[@shootyall]

Love your channel man. Too bad I'm too poor to donate in patreon.😢

[@philosophizethispodcast]

Don’t worry about it. Just hope you enjoy what I’m trying to give to people. Thanks for listening!

[@richardouvrier3078]

West is a genius.

[@EdieArt77]

Great episode. 🩵 Would love one on anarchy!

[@Stars4Hearts]

We need to all meet one day- philosophy meet up

[@ericjackson-nq4hp]

Dude? You're here. Haha, seriously, you're here. Welcome to West's humble little spot. It's global but the light is always on. Cheers. Be well. Have a great week.

[@GenXican84]

Just like one may notice the absence of a concept called RETRIBUTION in discussions of Woke philosophy , there is also the absence of the concept of JUSTICE here.

[@louisfmattajr6158]

Great work. Thanks.

[@OgTRK-rp9dx]

GREAT SHOW

[@maxheadrom3088]

A few points: 1) The ideas have asked me to tell you they indeed find your podcast entertaining; 2) I like this Agamben dude! 3) Have you ever considered that Dr. Spock's principle "the life of many is more important than the life of one" would make Hitler's eyes shine? 4) Most importantly: what's your problem with Charles Chaplin's mustache??? oh ... and, btw, Isaiah Berlim considered that forcing liberalism onto others is an anti-liberal attitude.

[@addammadd]

More Žižek!

[@TennesseeJed]

Excellent episode! Take us to where you want to go teacher!

[@stop_bringing_me_up_in_goo167]

More agamben!

[@bassquik0146]

More anarchism, please :) Love your work

[@balsarmy]

it is not that human rights are not important, it is that people are uninformed and generally are not trying to know something. However western countries usually have two-parties systems that Arendt talked about as positive thing. I agree with her.

[@richardouvrier3078]

West is a genius.

[@acardinalconsideration824]

I’m looking forward to an anarchy episode for the same reasons you have for wanting to cover it!

[@srf2767]

Would really love some episodes on anarchism!

[@danielhopkins296]

Good points, thnxs brodhisattva 🙏

[@10mcspicy01]

I would love to learn about anarchy please and thank youuu!!

[@kawtardazine693]

I'm so impressed with how you can talk about 'the modern concentration camp and the failure of human rights' without mentioning the ongoing genocide in Gaza…

[@ericjackson-nq4hp]

While I think matters of autonomy are at the heart of West's long commitment online, I assure you wherever there is untold human suffering anywhere in the world West is sickened by it. He labours mightily to usher in broader understanding of the mechanisations of control. West is not a rigid thinker - his thought is fluid and inclusive, not exclusive. He is by all semblance, a very empathic and sensitive man. Dispatches from the Walled Off Hotel, Palestine. There is always Hope. --Banksy. I mean no disrespect and I make no attempt at marginalising the plight of the slaughtered. NONE. But I stand with West and independent of that I am one American who recognises that more than 2,900 Americans died before lunch one day as a result of the nation's support for the ethnic-nationalist state of Israel. West is far from ignorant or an ideologue. He is very human and has demonstrated a tremendous grasp of empathy for human suffering. Other than that, I welcome you.

[@lornm1856]

@@ericjackson-nq4hp how to know someone is a colonialist? When they say "ethnic nationalist state"

[@ericjackson-nq4hp]

There is no softer pillow than a clear conscience --Rabbi M. Salonius Trend lightly @@lornm1856 Some of the cats I know have 26 forms of state issued ID. Residents of the West Bank. Be chill. Be humble.

[@spankytag]

I’m pretty sure he’s mentioned before he tries to stay Apolitical

[@maryjanemccarthy2907]

Kazakhstan. Most underated country on the planet. That's what I got out of this. OK, a lot more too!

[@blairwich1935]

Who's gonna be next Stephen? Zizek, Badiou, Althusser, Ranciere, Lyotard, Jameson?!? Graham Harman would be interesting imo.

[@tysonasaurus6392]

If you want to talk about Anarchist philosophers please please talk about Paulo Friere

[@tysonasaurus6392]

An introduction to anarchism would be awesome as well, like Proudhon and Kropotkin and you could even touch on the Anarchism of philosophers you've covered already like Camus

[@Brian-sh5ne]

I'm excited for an anarchy podcast from West

[@tysonasaurus6392]

@@Brian-sh5ne same! I just also remembered that Emma Goldman was influenced by Nietzsche, would love to see him cover her as well because all his episodes on Nietzsche and Nietzschean philosophers have been really good

[@josedavidgarcesceballos7]

There is a lot of different people to accomodate here, like Onfray, Stirner and Sargan, and others like Kropotkin, Graeber Bakunin and Pannekoek, and the real life attempts to establish anarchist federations. Anarchist fighting anarchist is way too common. Even Chomsky is seen as kinda conservative from a bunch of them. Cheers.

[@RedStoner1000]

Stephen! I'm going through your videos and restarting from episode 1 again. I didn't even realize that the guitar sections you had in the video were Bullet For My Valentine. Are you a fan? :)

[@jasminmelendez3097]

I neeeeed an episode on anarchy!!!!

[@user-ub8tn2uc1f]

It isn’t the positive side that is the problem with human rights…it is those who use passive-aggressive maneuvers around human rights for personal/political gain.

[@user-ub8tn2uc1f]

Where is the boundary in the chaos that we say I am taking over or I am letting the state do it?

[@drumarcucci7443]

Do you have any episodes on Alan Watts? I used to binge his lectures on KZbin & always found him explaining the world in interesting ways.

[@paulgallardo7026]

@philosophizethis have you ever read Nicolás Gómez Dávila? And if you have, could you do a show on him ? Thanks for all the great content, 👍 Simone Weil is probably my favorite philosopher too

[@romarssieverything9667]

First to comment! Thanks for all your work!

[@ahahaha3505]

A-G-A-M-B-E-N-!-!

[@user-ub8tn2uc1f]

Can there be various groups with different ideas of human rights in a consensus reality?

[@richardscathouse]

Look at Americas own War of Northern Aggression 😢

[@iandonnelly522]

Hmmmm now recently where have we seen this before....🧐

[@iandonnelly522]

@@J31 exactly mate!

[@advicepirate8673]

The irony of the U.S. stance on human rights is pretty wild. ..."All men equal... endowed by the creator with unalienable rights... among them Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happropertyness". For citizens, these rights may be slowly eroding, but are still largely upheld, for non-citizens, the U.S. government reserves the right to hold you indefinitely without due process, assassinate you, or intervene militarily against you (for your welfare) as they see fit. The only way to make that Ideology jive with their international actions is pretty horrifying. It's to functionally classify non-citizens as non-humans. It won't end there either, not so long as someone in power has something to gain from pushing that line.

[@user-ub8tn2uc1f]

Thinking you know the correct perspective on what is Good/human rights…may lead to overconfidence around foreign humans.

[@ItHadToBeSaid]

Yes, constitutions and rights are not to protect us but to use against us.

[@ANTEK4321]

think this is what Benjamin Bratton calls boomer theory, the left side of the anti-state coin of the post 68 years. Still worth getting an introduction into

[@roy_4th]

Thanks, and more Dostoevsky

[@ConanDuke]

5:13 Turns out: You never read Tito's letter to Stalin.

[@acardinalconsideration824]

It’s crazy to think that the KFC in Baghdad still hasn’t brought peace to the Middle East. Let’s face it, the conflict is unresolvable.

[@Edmonddantes123]

Trying to think of any current settler-colonial gxnocide that this analysis might be relevant for 🤔

[@mountaintruth1deeds533]

Well I would get better shoes with grip right off..

[@Maverick_Mad_Moiselle]

I don't really quite identify with the anarchist label anymore. I only identify myself as anti-authoritarian, anti-capitalist coming from a place of extreme individualism. I see both of those as a threat to me as an individual so is collectivism. I don't identify with the label anarchist anymore because I see so many people identifying as such justifying authoritarian things in the name of their political projects. Prisons, militias, mass execution of a class of people like bankers, land owners etc. Sometimes even justifying the summary execution of political opponents because they are reactionaries or sympathetic to them like that was the case in the Ukraine free territory. In revolutionary Catalonia, they had labors camps and executions, they sent alcoholics and "loafers" and "political dissidents" (often anarchists) into those work camps. Those work camps are often praised because they were so humane. But I've read a scientific paper on those, only one of those camp was actually trying to be humane. The others weren't even provided food to nourish the slaves they hosted. HA! Like, really? Is that what you think of when you call yourself anarchist or anti-authoritarian? WTF. I am also for these reason completely opposed to the idea of a "revolution". Though, my understanding of it is that it's just a term used to paint a period of history in a good light because they're never coordinated. They always happen during periods of distress like war and famine. Many political factions try to gain power and become violent, acting against the main power, not just the leftists. Even the different leftist factions often get violent toward each-other since many are unapologetically authoritarian (communists) and do not want their power to be challenged by other leftist factions. Eventually, a faction makes a successful Coup d'état, they stabilize their position of power by quelling what's left of opposition and then they proceed to teach the people about the glorious revolution lead by the people against the tyranny of the previous power. I'm not endangering myself for a cause. I'm not associating with people who do not understand authority like I do. I'm not associating with people ho want me to do political work, I don't want to work and don't care for your ideologies, I'm not attending your discussions, I'm not placing posters around the city, I'm not spreading your good words around, I have my own interests to attend to. I do not wish for a revolution, I might even dread it as it can only bring bloodshed. All I do is act for myself and the few people I care about. I try to avoid exploitation, I restrict the data I allow companies to gather from me, I try to dispel hatred, I try to understand the difficulties of others, I resist capitalism in various ways by deliberately trying to harm companies' profits, and most importantly... I try to enjoy myself! I wish more anticapitalists would understand that they don't even need to make big associations to harm and resist capitalism. You can start by -shoplifting-... I mean practicing "individual re-appropriation" and it's fun! You can practice piracy. You can host TOR nodes, you can participate in the decentralization of internet, you can contribute to open-source projects (this doesn't only apply to software and IT), you can learn to repair things yourself, teach skills to others, help others for free and always on your own terms. There are also ways to get money without having a regular job, tough I'm afraid a company will find ways to add transaction fees on your activities, at least you re-appropriate yourself your own work, you decide how and when you do and what you do. And yes, I'm in favor of associating with other people for community projects like idk, having an anticapitalist tech-lab or sewing atelier or whatever, having a worker's cooperative or union-like associations* (conditions may apply). I just wish more people realized they have the power to resist even to their own individual level, it doesn't even matter if your individual actions do not threaten capitalism, it can alleviate the effects of its influence on your life. You can sabotage your work in your company, you don't need an union to do that, you can pretend to be stupid and not understand instructions and mess up your work at your shitty job or completely avoid tasks you don't want to do. You can call in sick (and most often, you should because people tend to go to work when they're sick which is a terrible idea health-wise). Everyone has so many ways to resist at their own individual level without realizing what they can actually do without it being political work but rather doing stuff that makes their life more fun. Freedom cannot be granted, it must be taken. Not mine, it doesn't mean "go and lead a revolution". It just means to do what you want to do. You want food? Take it. Don't want to work? Don't. Don't want to proof-read your idiotic rants on youtube? Don't. Don't want to finish th

[@richardscathouse]

American, Japanese concentration camps? 😢😢

[@Deepskies268]

British concentration camps, the first ones at all. Also no mention of the greatest slaughterer of all times Winston Churchill. That Hitler/Stalin (or abstract "dictator") obsession is a late-modern political superstition that rarely leads to ethically consistent insights, but only justifies again and again the Anglo-American war of aggression and annihilation against Germany (whose ultimate goal was and is of course the conquest of the Eurasian landmass). It is truly ridiculous: the current Russian intervention against NATO-sponsored Ukrainian fascism is criticized in a perverted narrative that projects the Western imperalist human rights narrative onto Russia, while the Anglo-American historical revisionism of the Second World War as a humanitarian war against evil Nazis and fascists and as a holy war of supreme and exceptionalist democracy against evil dictatorship is perpetuated. Very annoying flaws in that presentation.

[@beangobernador]

On the pandemic part, he’s not being pragmatic, this is Utopian-like logic. Ideally we would all vote for a lockdown, but we don’t live in that kind of society. Is the top down order of a lockdown depriving our rights? Yeah. Does that make it a bad thing? No. A dictator can be good, the problem with hierarchy isn’t that it’s evil, it’s that it can very easily be.

[@user-ub8tn2uc1f]

Can you protect your own human rights? Or do we need big brother to do it for us?

[@user-ub8tn2uc1f]

State human rights vs personal human rights.

[@richardouvrier3078]

Agamben is right. They cause neglect.

[@richardscathouse]

How about the Dombask and Lugansk? 😢

[@maxheadrom3088]

Police brutality against African Americans isn't a worldwide problem since very few African Americans live outside the US. In Brazil, for instance, people with dark skin are called Brazilians.

[@richardscathouse]

😅😅 Human Rights! 🤣🤣🤣🤣 try to cash that check! 😢😢 as if!

[@richardscathouse]

How about the Human Rights of the populations of Dresden, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, 😢😢😢

[@richardscathouse]

What about Palestinian human rights? 😢

[@acardinalconsideration824]

The majority of Palestinians don’t appear to yearn for most of the individual rights that the west deems to be ‘human rights’. The reasons for this are obviously multifaceted, but it’s still worth bearing in mind.

[@Herr_Vorragender]

I don't know. I feel like I didn't understand something super important. The case against human rights colides with the states of crisis and many emergencies. Covid was an emergency. Some countries made better legislations, others not so much, none were perfect. There are individuals who really do believe that Guantanamo is a good thing. Because they are all evil? I don't hink so. My case for human rights is, that is an imerfect solution in an imperfect world full of imperfect people. We humans are everything, every character, every desire, every special need. The only reason why we can break basic human rights is, that we have constituted the basic human rights out of imperfect minds. To ever imagine anything perfect comming out of imperfect minds, never mind how many, seems like a far stretch at best.

[@anewwaveanewbeginning3606]

Palestinian civilians?

[@richardscathouse]

Who invaded Crimea??? 😢