Great Minds: Slavoj Žižek

www.intelligencesquared.com/ev...
Modern radical thinker Slavoj Žižek spoke on the 1st July as part of the 'Great Minds' series, and affirmed his status as a great mind of modern philosophy and social, cultural and political theory. Starbucks, social solidarity and self-commodification were among the varied and enlightening topics touched upon by Žižek, all grounded by his interpretation of ideology and its continuing importance.

One of Europe's foremost Marxist theorists, Žižek criticised modern leftist groups who, he argued, didn't really know how to cope with the upheaval of the 'sublime' moment (revelation that an assumed state of total happiness is actually nonexistent). The question of 'what happens next' has been asked since the dwindling exhaustion of modernism into postmodernism. Žižek asks us to put ideological pressure on modern life, confirming the presence of ideological symbolism even in blatant popular culture (such as two Oscar-winning films, The King's Speech and Black Swan [2010]).

His manner was sometimes serious, sometimes comic and vaguely apocalyptic (he is a self confessed pessimist), which all together made for an engaging talk, dense in historical, anecdotal and political references. The combination of issues allowed the modern audience member to examine their own behaviour alongside Hegelian optimism, Freudian self-commodification and Marxist ideas of social roles, in a non 'academic' sense, referring to the purchasing of Starbucks coffee as a subconscious purchasing of social solidarity built into the price. An audience member asks 'isn't it the case that people know that what they're doing is buying a coffee that will then, in some sort of self-serving way, make them feel better about themselves?', thus showing that ideology is no longer a 'smokescreen' of sorts. Žižek answers by claiming that we follow things, knowing that they are ideologies, and this does not necessarily make them 'right' or true. This is where the notion of ideology seems to be headed; to a total self consciousness -- as with a Hegelian resolution of the 'Zeitgeist' (Žižek is actually close to the publishing of an 800 page book on Hegel).
In his relatively brief talk, Slavoj Žižek managed to expose our susceptibility to certain ideologies, thus proving their ever present role in modern society - not bad for a Friday night in West London, perhaps the capital of the British bourgeoisie.

[@ComradeDt]

i love slavoj, you know? hes good and so on and so on

[@N0Xa880iUL]

😆

[@njits789]

I think this is the best, most consistent talk I have seen of him here on YT. And I have seen a lot of them.

[@NathanDudani]

Agreed

[@michaelware4891]

What do you mean by consistent?

[@njits789]

@@michaelware4891 Clear, focused, without too many digressions... I think he was simply a bit tired, to be honest.

[@davyroger3773]

The onw with Paul Holdengraber is one of the best

[@njits789]

@@davyroger3773 Yes, I like that one too. In fact, there are two.

[@ahmedminhal8924]

I loved this and so on.

[@alil2young51777]

You know he’s a great mind when this is still relevant today.

[@MrThe1And0nly]

"She's dead. She died and so on." hahahah

[@ta55o5]

timestamp to save socialism pls

[@SchopenhauerVsCamus]

F’ing fruit juice. Seriously.

[@vaneakatok]

@@ta55o5 16:00 ish

[@andreav318]

@@ta55o5 you have my dads name lol.

[@ta55o5]

@@andreav318 wanna hear something funny? Your name is the same as my dad's as well Andrea(s) in Greek is a male name

[@ariflanzraich7315]

I cant tell if his open-endedness is a compliment, in that he assumes we are all intelligent enough to fill in the blanks, or if he is just so dishevelled that its a naturally product of his brain activity. Either way, love him!

[@MS-il3ht]

"open-mindedness" - talks about destroying perceived "totalitarianism" by radical leftist censorship.

[@ritwikchakraborty2805]

It's a product of him being a Hegelian

[@goofyahhh254]

@@ritwikchakraborty2805 I like that the reply is 9 years after, but from my perspective 2 weeks ago so contemporary for me. Lol

[@jacobskovsbllknudsen5908]

Dialectical synthesis!

[@alexpetrow1237]

I've watched a lot of zizek this year and last night I met zizek in my dream. We looked at museums where I work and I tried to be smart and give big explanations but he I got the notion that it was insignificant to him until he asked me what church was the most beautiful in Tyrol where I am from and I told him the court church but it was more like a museum to me. Either way, we went around Innsbruck and we made some pictures. It was a nice dream. Miss you slavoi

[@solangearaujo2912]

Happened to me last night🤔

[@alexpetrow1237]

@@solangearaujo2912 I forgot about this dream, thank you for your reply!

[@solangearaujo2912]

@@alexpetrow1237 isn't it strange?

[@chlorine5795]

Just reminding you of the dream again

[@alexpetrow1237]

@@chlorine5795 forgot about the dream again. Thanks 😅

[@jopeDE]

I think this is the best talk on ideology i have ever listend to.

[@habibie]

I am Zizekian! Long live Zizek! Superb!!!!

[@abecerra81000]

So you’re a Stalinist lol there’s no such thing as a zizekian

[@Torrriate]

I've had a feeling for so long why my intellectual peers are wrong in so many points of their world view, but I couldn't point it out, thus wasn't taken seriously. Now Zizek points it out clearly, what's wrong with them. He even goes beyond and shows even me new perspectives. Kudos to this man.

[@TS-hi4il]

🤣ma gavte la nata

[@goofyahhh254]

Exactly. But I'll go a step further- he points our what's wrong with precisely MY view of the world

[@nachannachle2706]

This man has VERY original observations. Ideology is still alive and thriving, for better and worst.

[@ahmedminhal8924]

And so on

[@entelektuel.yolculuk]

And so on....Though no.... Whereas Islam is the truth and solution to the problems of the mankind, ideologies can never be trve and real. And their time is looooonnnng gone.

[@jccusell]

It's good thing Slavoj is still around. One of the few Marxist intellectuals left in academia these days. He really challenges the main stream ideas common in so many social an political science curricula.

[@hzingano]

"One of the few marxist intellectuals left in academia" wow... how distant from reality can you be?

[@RobotRocker615]

hzingano I can't think of many Marxist intellectuals that speak as often on as many subjects as he does while doing it from a Marxist perspective. Can you name a few? I always love to hear more.

[@hzingano]

Brandon R. how about almost every single professor in academia? College is the most Marxist volcano in the us, from whom do you think this comes from? please... open your eyes

[@RobotRocker615]

hzingano what do you think Marxism is?

[@hzingano]

Brandon R. marxism is not an idea, it's the whole revolutionary system, changes ideology from time to time, from place to place. the Frankfurt school changed how marxism penetrates western society in the 20th century, so you can't define what it is, becouse it is not a policy or a party. the question "what is marxism" comes from a person who does not know what marxism is.

[@rumiumegaki8415]

The Charing Philosopher. I could listen to him for hours

[@oddnejmus]

Sometimes I think Zizek's greatness lies in his ability, not to invent new material or produce original thought, but rather in finding pop cultural pearls.

[@vanhavirta]

The worst use of "I'll try to keep this brief" at the end (by an audience member). :) Awesome lecture.

[@intanhidayat6064]

Even the first minute was a genius statement. Love that punch.

[@sawtoothiandi]

By far the clearest presentation of Slavoj's i've heard, or perhaps i'm now getting the gist of it!?

[@martolba]

Absolutely brilliant! Remarkable presentation!

[@MyTomServo]

I have no idea what he's talking about, but it's fascinating

[@fartinIutherking]

Ah so you are just a sheeple

[@ShivaalTiluk]

*faschinating **,

[@jacobloving6765]

Shivaal Tiluk China

[@fartinIutherking]

@Name Name What insecurities?

[@fartinIutherking]

@Name Name Sounds more like you are projecting yourself. And if not, continue with your fantasies

[@Birthdaycakesmom]

Does anyone else think that because we did not come up with Ancient Greek Philosophy, but have attempted to apply it, that we might be able to avoid a “fall of Rome,” but more dealing with of things “falling into place.”

[@marcelors2764]

Not my disciple but you are doing it right and sometimes funny.

[@putudarasaraswati3462]

I love how he tried not to touch his nose at the begining

[@jez9999]

"Don't know what you did to this microphone Slavoj..." "I did NOTHING."

[@metabalcanico]

Good insight on the change occurring within universities...Here in Australia we have our own version of the private use of reasoning: Its called the Melbourne Model...streamlined education to get you to become a unit of capital asap..Not to mention the proliferation of so-called long distance courses, higher education "institutions", etc etc...

[@gilliancockroft1719]

...think alike ❤

[@JUGAopet1]

30:00 (Kant) - 37:20 is fookin' brilliant ! Go, Slavoj GO !

[@deepakborgave7242]

Extraordinary

[@m-bronte]

People don't act on what they believe because society has invested a lot of money into making us all feel insecure and not sure of what we see and know. We are all in a constant state of insecurity 24/7. Even if you think your not, YOU ARE!

[@m-bronte]

When you look back in time the era's that had no media, those times were colourful, creative, great minds were born, people were interesting. As soon as media began, all creativity went out the door and people became subservient.....the age of insecurity was born.

[@srglepore]

There has got to be a means for us who agree with this observation to form an alliance that will reach around the world because people from all over are feeling this vicegrip of austerity tighten each year and for every disaster a billionaire is born.

[@m-bronte]

@@srglepore agree, but I'm afraid it will just be you and me in this alliance, as everyone else to to chicken sh*t.

[@srglepore]

@m-bronte People are hard to put in a single box. I can not explain it all here. People are animals who want to live. If something beneficial to the sentient animal appears, they will eventually want a part of it. Jobs, for example, we are so geared up to show up to work, even if it sucks. War-no one wants it. Hunger-no one wants it. Etc. To get to the point: Money is the residual vestige of our species that must be dropped off like we are doing to religion. Resource based economy must replace it. Capitalism and Communism are dying patients on the doctor's table. I am telling people younger than me to imagine such a world and replace their brainwashed minds occupation with 1. Religion and 2 Money with a core meaning to their lives. This is to create a world where there is no need for war and no need for money. The natural resources of the world should be made avail. to all like a global Magna Carta. We have thousands of universities. Factories. Brilliant scientists, technicians, farmers, etc. If we got out of this competition mode of the dinosaurs, we can build a global cathedral for all life forms. People would not have to fear tomorrow. You could go to school and develop the knowledge to cure cancer, hunger, create food unheard of, there would be more Tesla - minded individuals to discover new avenues in science we still cannot understand because we are in competition with one another. Imagine a global Alexandrian Library. Alien civilizations have evolved past 1. Religion and tribalism 2. Monetary systems 3. War 4. Scarcity. We can do the same, but it must begin in the mind. Jacques Fresco had the answer: The Venus Project. He spent 50 years of his 101 years developing it and sharing it. Somehow, the science community worldwide must learn of this alternative and push it.

[@m-bronte]

@@srglepore agree, but I'm starting to think people the animal are inherently built to self destruct, that's where it feel's like it's going.

[@Tenning]

Around 30:00 he talks about universities producing experts, who will then figure out how to exercise soft power and spin in order to avoid public criticism and gatherings, e.g. I think he refers to protest and crowd control, media spin and by the use of mass media maintain an ever present narrative that leaves no room for dissidence or criticism. I think he refers to some kind of "economism", that can always point to a buttom line for justification. If so I think he's right, it's happening.

[@mieszkomieszko]

I'm perpetually amazed how does he jump form genial insights into notions which make me want to crie. :)

[@robertholland8283]

Interesting conversation.

[@levogiro]

How can i contribute by captioning this to spanish?

[@delgermaadavaasuren]

is there any possibility to obtain a text of his talk here?

[@andrew5613]

this man has the word i never had to my ideas and thought i have and ideas to thought i never had manly the latter

[@Mauser91]

Where does Zizek speak of this Hegel book? I some how missed it.

[@slowflowheat]

Is there a transcript of this anywhere? It would be of some use for some of the things he refers to.

[@MrWhooy]

"The Kink's Speech"

[@albacan]

Remarkable man

[@timtillack]

Thanks. This was a wonderful call to critical thinkers and intellectuals

[@mercmer....]

Žižek⭐

[@yasseralsaidi1168]

So true

[@jblanchette91]

this guy always convinces me i need therapy

[@N0Xa880iUL]

Why

[@mikoajbadzielewski3396]

zajebisty akcent

[@jamespotts8197]

This is an excellent lecture, I am still in a state of misunderstanding wether or not the " knowing of a fact" that has the potential to lead to a catastrophic outcome and not acting on that fact in some preventive manner is in it's self an ideology? Or is that the problem with ideologies of modernity, the past and or the future?

[@boracay234]

@Zhiloreznik haha cheers mate i definitely agree. you should read umair haque if you do not already. talks about redefining economic thinking for the 21st century

[@multi_misa72]

so thrue!

[@arixap]

I think they purposefully positioned the camera so that you are forced to see the EYE, instead of his eyes.

[@alex_on_the_web]

Brief questions please...

[@leninstreet]

great

[@MelbadeShokolad]

There's no chance to have some subtitles? Please?

[@TheRacistsMustDie]

@mltorley Well I was talking more about the concept of overdetermination which states that no theory about the social world can ever be fully conclusive which if I think Althusser was the the first one to come up with, but afterwards it has become a commonly accepted fact in the social sciences (which I study, thus my outrage). It is btw not a concept grounded in Marxism so criticizing that wont really bring overdetermination into discredit. Why he didn't believe me? Because he thought I was

[@mihairotico]

1:07:51 sorry, I cannot understand the question: "Why do the preachers last acts not get your theory?"

[@aloofaloofing2859]

Nothing says, ‘Pro’ quite like starting off with, ‘I hope this works’.

[@lexsite]

The second coffee scene he refers was also used in Seinfeld? George costanza turned down an invite because it was too late for coffee.

[@kustomkure]

@RedTigars yeah, I figured

[@truelieswow]

@Vier5501 The other explinations, both explicit and implicit are the pressure of being king, the favouritism of his father, his domineering older brother etc. Then there's all the underlying tensions and you could probably crack out some Frued on this bad-boy.

[@ChrisLeeW00]

This has aged like wine.

[@ThorstenPattberg]

Why don't people in the audience just ask simple questions, succinct and clear? There is always someone who tells about his own life, makes statements, tells jokes, tries to outwit the speakers, tries to propose a whole counterargument, drops some names, elaborates more facts... crazy.

[@jopeDE]

But I think exactly these small added subinfos in there questions were nessecary to make the point clear, even though they might appeared annoying and unnecessary to you. Often times the" Nebensächlichkeiten" are only able to build the "Hauptsache".

[@miloradbajic8318]

Briliant.

[@user-oo7rv4pu4o]

English subtitles,please

[@TheRacistsMustDie]

@mltorley normal, apparently I didn't fit well enough into the stereotype.

[@typicaljaguar9155]

Did I miss something or was Varufakis in the crowd?

[@Lu9c8as7]

you can also reject it, but if you do it without understanding it then you are prejudicially rejecting it

[@eddiebrock5022]

Perfect comedic timing

[@Feanic]

"I am not paranoiac..." ...touches himself all the time.

[@crazyguysadvice]

What exactly is your point, if you have any other than making yourself known in some pathetic way, in being related to your excitation with Slavoj Zizek?

[@Feanic]

Willem Dodds I am sorry if I hurt your feelings for him.

[@crazyguysadvice]

you still haven't answered my drunken question, what was your point? ... And well, I don't have feelings for him, ah hahaha. I only have feelings that get irritated by senseless banter

[@Feanic]

Not senseless for me. My point is that he acts paranoid.

[@crazyguysadvice]

haha well. I hope I haven't offended you. But yes he can act strange at times, this is true.

[@yasseralsaidi1168]

Zizek .s is A true Crusader +++ i could picture him with his helmet⛑️ of Combat and body Armor

[@Lu9c8as7]

He makes a point about your opinion on the idea that politics is hopeless; but he says that the odd thing is that people who dismiss the whole political establishment still demand, as if to someone else, change; they never say, we the people will take over this responsibility, it's always about an external solution

[@dariopavicic8205]

I have quite convincing sentence for religious individuals here, which might imply an afterlife: "she died and SO ON... ( 1:07:00 )". Haters will say it's a proverb, taken out of context.

[@Clartred]

hahahahahahahahah :D I LOVE THIS COMMENT SECTION!

[@Lu9c8as7]

and, this is very dangerous, because if we are demanding it, someone may come and respond to those demands, but if it comes from outside the political establishment, who knows what kind of fanatical leaders may take the place of politics

[@mltorley]

@TheRacistsMustDie Its not so hard to grasp as you may think. There's a bit of a trap that can get you stuck in an infinite loop but since its basically just a fractal its pretty easy to work out the essence of the pattern. Its a shame most people can't see it but human perception is pretty limited. People on the autism scale tend to get caught up in calculating incalculable relations. The numbers and functions keep changing. Once you figure out whats fuzzy and whats emergent, its easy.

[@truelieswow]

@Vier5501 It's not stated in the film. It's given as one of the many problems that could have caused it.

[@lukashanzel6320]

However, this is the charm of a debate! The counterarguments, dropping names, elaborating more and more facts, this is what society needs. Would you like to have just one way look on all things in the world? Of course not, however people hate to be challenged in what they believe is the only truth, they are even stupid enough to feel offended by such action. But there does not exist such a thing as "the only truth" because the truth never fails only because it never stands just on one side.

[@TheRacistsMustDie]

@mltorley Moreover, this came just to my mind after posting, I once I told this classmate I had autism, and he didn't believe me!

[@squidsalive]

Can anyone identify the shirt that he is wearing? Is it an artist, a band??

[@harisubramanian4165]

Please add Subtitle

[@diegorodriguez6193]

Critique of Ideology. Ideology is still here today. Two Examples The King Speech "Who can be stupid enough to say that 'it is my divine right to become king'" The Black Swan- It reinforces one of the myths of femininity. If you are a man you can be stupid and still get what you want. If you are a woman then you have to make a choice. If you choose your career then you will pay the price for that by death. Now lets take a step further. How can we detect this ideology in culture? "It doesn't only matter what you say. It also matters what you don't say." Sherlock Holmes example. "I know very well, but I do not believe it." This makes us refuse what we see and know. You recognize the principle but do not put it into affect in your daily life. It is not about what you know or do not know. It is about how some things you might know but do not put them into your daily life. You base your life on a lie and it will come back to you in a very haunting fashion. The fetishist function where you just accept stuff but do not take any of what you are learning seriously enough to actually act upon it. Secretly their fetish allows them to take a distance from the realization of their actual situation and actions. What is fetish? Example of the guy who's wife died from breast cancer. While he was talking about the death of his wife he was playing with a hamster. The hamster was his fetish. I believe it but I do not actually believe it. We believe a lot more than we know we believe. Within your acts the belief has manifested.

[@diegorodriguez6193]

Don Ventura thanks

[@tiagocruz6307]

Its like italo calvino city: People changes jobs every week and the city is alive,houses move,robots do automatic stuff, " and so on"...

[@FedjaHvastija]

There's a handy way to see if he has anything sensible to say. It mostly revolves around watching the rest of it.

[@olespe1138]

Why not?

[@cgdermot]

"Hit him in his Hamster", love it.

[@jonahfox]

I don't agree with his reading of Black Swan but I am currently reading The Parallax View and it is very good.

[@Lu9c8as7]

No ideology comes without it's problems, or it's villains. Comparing them is all you can do.

[@astroboomboy]

@mltorley The asperger aspect might let him actually see things as they are, rather than what most social "scientists" do, namely try and find evidence to support their ideology even if there is no evidence at all. But of course, he does not have asperges.

[@timnray99]

theology has moved into the quantum world .....safely secured and existing well beyond the panjandrums of religion and philosophy

[@cbawt]

I know what you are describing. Unfortunately however you will never know unless you actually understand it :) Many of his points presuppose some familiarity with some philosophical notions, so if you really want to get it, you should probably read up on the big philosophers, and at the very least some Descartes, Hegel and maybe some psychoanalysis, many of his references both obvious and subtle are rooted there.

[@Zirc0nium69]

don't take him so literally. he has often stated that, yes he does view himself as marxist, but he absolutely does not want a system like the soviet union to return. he is, like marx, a philosopher. and like marx's work his thoughts are being used by many ignorant people. i am an anti-communist since my family had to suffer many times under the oppression of a communist government but i still love listening to zizek, because he accepts no taboos when it comes to thinking

[@vpdisco]

I'm sure Zizek (and many famous intellectuals) gets that a lot. There's a doc where a young fan tried making an impression on him (which failed) and was very awkward to watch.

[@donluchitti]

pause at @1:15:02 this is what shall be the model for the giant Zizezk that will stand watch over my harbour.

[@CC3GROUNDZERO]

19:59 "--I don't have time to go into this direction, but nonetheless--" ^ _ ^

[@unkleskratch]

I'll be brief' say the first questioner, and takes 4 minutes to ask his question.

[@ianmartinezcassmeyer]

"The movie with Ewan McGregor before he became a Jedi..." hahaha

[@robertholland8283]

#AndIQuote Question the question.

[@adamusein]

because there aint no simple questions

[@TheRacistsMustDie]

@mltorley I didn't know Gödel & of course humans ain't rational, every social science student knows that. As I have learned overdetermination is concerned more with that the forces recognized are obviously grounded in a paradigm, but that no paradigm can account for every force present. A theory may be & often is able to give a sufficient explanation. You've offered me, in my opinion, a common sense method for trying to make a good theory within a paradigm, but you haven't convinced me that

[@ShaneyElderberry]

There are no simple questions? :)

[@MrFabianGhosty]

@AndroidPolitician if you listened to some of his other stuff, he explicitly rejects both those ideas as Cold War propaganda

[@farrider3339]

"Hit him at his hamster point !" Very nice idea to ultimately call the others bluff. However 'hamster', as we've seen in Zizeks example, became clear only RETROACTIVELY ! In a hot discourse, hamster is a very well hidden, mysterious agent, I claim ! Sorry, I don't chave time now to develop dezz further ~

[@sandelic1]

This opinion is based on watching this video or have you actually read anything from Slavoj?

[@Oishi08]

It's sad, but true what this European thinker states is the case. He is not quaint in rendering the ideological pressures on modern life. No, he in fact confirms the presence of ideology even in popular culture and in acts of purchasing Starbucks coffee. His work is crucial to understanding the cynical functioning of ideology today. "It is ideological cynicism which obscures the religious core of capitalist beliefs."

[@marianohernandez6612]

jajaja truly bolchevique part of London jaja love this guy.