Slavoj Žižek: Donald Trump is a Postmodernist

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[@cryze0965]

Listening to Žižek is a constant up and down between doubting if anything he says actually makes any sense and the astonishment of how good some of his analysis is when you actually understand what he is trying to say.

[@steirerbua5322]

Listening to Zižek is being lost in his pop culture and historical rambling, trying to understand his point while being completely distracted by his goofiness. But usually when you do understand him I find it to be way more satisfying and entertaining than someone who just straight forwardly says his stuff.

[@flakeyjay]

Thought it was just me.. similar to Chris Hedges..

[@piotrskaa9803]

and (as Zizek would have put it) in a truly Hegelian fashion, by attempting and failing to articulate a point, he inadvertently succeeds in making it

[@Vrailly]

And so on and so on

[@moncef2466]

Fucking continental gibberish generators, they crumble under the slightest kind of careful semantic/logical analysis

[@Nabium]

"what do you mean by saying Trump is a post-modernist?" "you know in Moscow they have these wedding cake Stalinist structures..."

[@littlebitofhope1489]

You mean scstsschalinist scstsschructures.

[@elhant4994]

@@littlebitofhope1489 Dude, I love it :D

[@GeneGrey337]

@@littlebitofhope1489 Bruh 😩

[@samcooley-it9xc]

He’s adding contextualization

[@Nabium]

@@samcooley-it9xc Okay yeah sure, he was describing how the term post-modernism has changed from it's original architectual origin. And that adds to the context, sure. But sir, I made a joke, sir. He got so lost in that point he started ranting about Moscow buildings, so I made a joke about it. Get it? Now it's me who's contextualizationatismationing you! Baha!

[@BlueBarrier782]

This guy knows exactly what to say to make Jordan Peterson cry at night.

[@steirerbua5322]

I imagine Jordan Peterson is crying most nights

[@Mebzy]

If you're implying it's something to do with Jordan being a Trump supporter then you don't know Peterson's work that well.

[@PauLtus_B]

​@@MebzyThe more I see of Peterson the more I believe you can cobble together the idea that he'd be on anyone's side. He's not actually coherent or consistent.

[@magnushmann]

@@Mebzy Definitely agree, however I think it's more to do with some of the post-modernism points.

[@rhinocraft2594]

@@Mebzy I dont think that is the implication. It is probably due to Žižek's greater understanding of postmodernism and philosophy as a whole , which is relevant due to Peterson's propensity to misuse these terms.

[@Dan-ud8hz]

"Alternative facts" is the most postmodern thing I've ever heard

[@Wingedmagician]

Alternative claims

[@machintelligence]

There is no truth, just competing narratives, all equally valid. Trump's lies are as good as everyone else's truths.

[@ThePathOfEudaimonia]

Within postmodernism aren't all facts "alternative facts"?

[@jbapples4611]

Did trump ever use that term? Or imply it? Genuine question

[@moshekallam1070]

By that logic, religion is the epitome of postmodernism (post-truth)

[@HillcrestGames]

I've heard the phrase "Face for radio" Žižek has a voice for books.

[@patrickbertlein4626]

You had 94 likes. Zizek has thousands of people willing to try and grasp every word. Continue patting yourself on the back, its all you will get.

[@HillcrestGames]

@@patrickbertlein4626 I feel for every single one of them and understand the struggle.

[@jakubb9498]

Good thing that he wrote about two dozens of books!

[@quixotik1021]

@@patrickbertlein4626lmao I don’t think he will see the this. Suck harder and he may feel it

[@alexandraquadling510]

rude Tbh

[@Communist-Doge]

Oh man, you got Zizek? Nice! Looking forward to watching.

[@cassif19]

Listening to Zizek is a struggle, but it's always worth it

[@Chronically_ChiII]

Maybe he would be offended by it, but maybe he should go to a speech therapist.

[@xBaphometHx]

His pronunciation issues and nervous tics make it hard for me to follow the arguments, but when I understand what he says, it is valuable information.

[@gnomechomsky2524]

TOILETS

[@richardallan2767]

Like an avalanche or whirlpool of academic word salad with genuine wisdom within. And so on, and so on.

[@Will-xf3qe]

Yeah I have to watch him with subtitles otherwise I don't understand a word here and there then it all starts to sound like gibberish and so on and so on

[@BurnigLegionsBlade]

Holy shit didn’t see this collab coming

[@willjackson6522]

On any given day, the only person more distressed than Žižek is the person who has to listen to him the most that day

[@lucassurjus7692]

hahahah brilliant..

[@pascalg16]

This is like a Zizek joke.

[@nad1ax792]

Summary In this KZbin clip, Slavoj Žižek discusses Donald Trump's public persona and labels him as a postmodernist. Žižek highlights the irony of Trump presenting himself as a neoconservative Christian while engaging in postmodern manipulation and egotism. He explains that postmodernism involves irony, cynicism, and self-relativization, which Trump employs in his political actions, even when they seem contradictory. Žižek also distinguishes between simple doubt and putting oneself in doubt, emphasizing that Trump doesn't seriously question his own stance. He contrasts Trump's approach with Bernie Sanders, whom he sees as a genuine advocate for basic moral values. Highlights 😮 Slavoj Žižek suggests that Donald Trump's public persona is akin to a postmodernist. 🤔 Trump presents himself as a neoconservative Christian but engages in postmodern manipulation and egotism. 🙃 Postmodernism is characterized by irony, cynicism, and self-relativization. 👉 Trump's political actions often involve contradictory positions, such as supporting Israel while aligning with openly anti-Semitic allies. 🤷‍♂ Trump doesn't seriously question his own stance, according to Žižek. 👍 Bernie Sanders is viewed as a genuine advocate for basic moral values in contrast to Trump.

[@TeaParty1776]

@@nad1ax792 Your evasion of sanders alleged moral values is noted.

[@nad1ax792]

@@TeaParty1776 what are those?

[@CosmicSkeptic]

The full, nearly two-hour podcast with Slavoj Žižek is available to preview now for Patreon supporters (www.patreon.com/cosmicskeptic). The episode will go live to the rest of the world later this week!

[@Pumpkinking64]

Well I'm definitely not watching a clip before the full thing so I might have to patreon it...

[@wdwuccnxcnh7022]

Can't wait to watch this !!!!

[@metallicarocks300000]

This is awesome love Zizek and your podcasts, this is gonna be great

[@ethandoingstuff1433]

ohhhhhhhhhh baby. Im already impressed with your directing of the conversation in this small clip

[@Vrailly]

Later today but not UK time? =( Just signed up for patreon and it's not up yet!

[@daikucoffee5316]

Postmodernism is when my iPhone with more transistors than I have brain cells takes more than 3 seconds to turn on the flashlight.

[@esterhudson5104]

😂

[@KYSMO]

It is impressive how a great, world-renowned philosopher is willing to offer up his free-time to give legitimacy to an internet personality and acknowledge them as an equal in a philosophical debate so that they can grow and become more famous. Truly the act of a great man. I am sure that Žižek was honored by this chance.

[@samueloak1600]

Lmao cooked

[@Mart-B]

Haha usually I can spot those jokes a mile off but you caught me this time, well played

[@williamchamberlain2263]

:)

[@dannyarcher6370]

I'm sure it wasn't free. Ah shit. You got me.

[@sadhlife]

why does the man look like he's moving in 2x speed

[@MinaDeborah]

coke og recipe minus everything else

[@sanskritikapoor337]

Like his mind ig

[@JoshWiniberg]

Nice one Alex, looking forward to the full discussion.

[@dempsey2023]

I can't wait to see the full interview. You are both great thinkers.

[@SoundLegion]

I think there is something here, nice clip will have to go watch the full. Appreciate you Alex and the points your bring forward

[@strangebird5974]

I will have to listen to the full conversation later. But I must say, I am excited about the prospect of a conversation between you and Zizek. Your styles are so very different that I think it can only be a fruitful and interesting conversation to listen to.

[@JesseStarks]

He really does nail it. This is identical with David Foster Wallace’s essay of American post modernism all the way back in the 90s. E Unibus Pluram. DT is the caricature.

[@lullaby218]

@bbq925 True, they're slowly making energy more and more expensive, wages are low, rent is high, they're cutting down on our food supplies.

[@lullaby218]

@bbq925 The forced influx migrants, the creation of pure chaos

[@JesseStarks]

@bbq925 being a postmodernist is a criticism

[@BlueBarrier782]

DFW was a frigging prophet. I always hoped he would be wrong, but here we are . . .

[@JesseStarks]

@bbq925 ?

[@kiara4345]

Really looking forward to this one!! Keep up the amazing content, Alex!! This collab I surely did not see coming.

[@littlebitofhope1489]

I will never be able to make it through the entire interview without the saying "Say it don't spray it" running through my head.

[@kiara4345]

@@littlebitofhope1489 thats a sacrifice im willing to make

[@itsbobo]

i can’t wait for this episode!!

[@davidpretiz4439]

Like a lot to see and hear Alex approaching real issues that affect us all, because Alex, I think of as a chap who always seeks the "Truth", whatever that may be. Cheers!

[@writerblocks9553]

Wow, looking forward to this!

[@FrozenMilkOnACloudyDay]

Always happy to see more content from you; I often worry those with the capacity and drive to reason end up reasoning themselves to death before the ignorant get anywhere near waking up.

[@esterhudson5104]

If reasoning looks your nasty comment I’m pleased as punch to be ignorant by my own hand (and choices, eh Slavoj?). 😁

[@v.sandrone4268]

Zizek flips from sounding like a word salad bar, without a cough guard, to the sound of a katana making surgical strikes with ideas.

[@esterhudson5104]

While suffocating on the dryer lint of his own chaotic snake-Queen underbelly. 😆👏

[@WasThisMail]

This is the most brilliant, fascinating and so on video I never new I needed

[@GjaP_242]

When there is no person to play a specific and determined role, we can create and formulate that person. 3:06

[@jamessaltlife]

WILD stuff Alex!!

[@apolloforabetterfuture4814]

Can't wait for the full episode Alex🙏🙏 Zizek the 🐐

[@jonas6120]

I have no idea why, but I never expected Alex to have Zizek on. I love it!!!❤

[@JesseTate]

Nooooo. I need the full release NOW! This is a dream come true. Now all we need is Peterson himself, Chalmers, Yudkowsky, Brian Cox, Dennett, and onwards

[@wet-read]

If he hadn't died a few years ago, I would have loved to see Alex talk with Quentin Smith as well.

[@NoNameNoShame22]

oooh alex and zizek, this gonna be good

[@czarlito_]

Alex debates Destiny. Destiny debates Zizek. Zizek debates Alex. The cycle is complete 🙏

[@Shitgotmegeekin]

Neither of them were debates, but ok

[@ergot1803]

@@ShitgotmegeekinThis is just the Destiny/DGG jargon

[@dawnkeyy]

​@@ergot1803Debatebrained dgger

[@sanskritikapoor337]

New paradox

[@Shitgotmegeekin]

@@ergot1803 Well he's wrong, lol.

[@adamts131]

I can't wait for the whole episode. Žižek is awesome! I was always hoping that he would have been a guest on this podcast

[@zaksaidi4769]

Great guest!

[@animaginaryboy_]

9 “and so on”s in six minutes with 5 being in the first minute. That might be a record. Can’t wait to listen to the full interview.

[@aklcraigc]

Did his reply reveal anything at all? That was painful.

[@kylegray1482]

Yeah I would say so, but it’s quite convoluted. Basically Trump is a postmodern president (defined below). Zizek defines post modernism as the era (now) in which the role of irony and cynicism in ideology become widespread (universalized, in his words). That is to say that politics becomes ironic and edgy. Trump is a prime example of a postmodern president given his embrasure of the ironic contradictions in his political movement and his own character. One example Zizek gives of an ironic contradiction in this vein is Trump’s formal support for Israel despite the fact many of his more ardent supporters/political allies are openly antisemitic (to varying degrees). Many if not all politicians have these contradictions probably, but Trump is the president who has most fully embraced these postmodern contradictions in his political movement. One of the best examples of this was his success in the 2016 election-winning the votes of conservative Christian republicans (unaware of/in denial of the contradictions) as well as the ironic and cynical neoconservative right (4chan/Musk fans). Perhaps while McCain and Romney were “modern” Republican presidents who campaigned on an ostensibly good faith moral conservative basis, Trump moves into the “postmodern” with his conscious and strategic ironic political image. Trump and many of his more cynical supporters are fully aware that he is not the moral Christian savior that the traditionally conservative right desperately tries to make him to be, but he feigns that anyway and winks to his more fascist supporters on the side when he needs a show of force (ie January 6th).

[@aklcraigc]

@@kylegray1482 Thanks for that. So in essence, if we define postmodernism as an embrace of contradiction and cynicism, then Trump is postmodern.

[@kylegray1482]

@@aklcraigc yeah exactly. and he’s embracing it all openly, which makes him especially postmodern (and perhaps one of the most extreme examples at the moment)

[@rosellavaughn5394]

When they say the link is on the screen, but the full interview doesn't come out til later that week. Daam uuuu time

[@PhenixJoe]

Bring an umbrella to any conversation with this man.

[@Logical.Psychopath]

The frequency with which Slavoj Žižek moistened his lips with his tongue is remarkable. Edit: I counted 52 licks of which 3 were long, that gives us an estimated 0.151 L/s (licks per second) or 8.1 L/m (licks per minute). Incredibly impressive!

[@fabianschobinger2765]

You‘re right. Now I can‘t unsee it anymore

[@littlebitofhope1489]

Does he have teeth? I really don't think he does. That may be why.

[@ahmadjamalmughal47]

What the hell lmao

[@croutendo2050]

I'm pretty sure it's a facial tic. I think I've heard him address it elsewhere.

[@johnzhou4877]

OMG you actually managed to get Zizek on your podcast

[@leslieviljoen]

What the hell does any of this mean?! Žižek is always interesting to listen to because he says surprising words but as for whether he is actually communicating anything - well it's bouncing off my skull most of the time, that's for sure.

[@sigmascrub]

Yeah, he's always struck me as sort of a left wing Jordan Peterson in that regard.

[@dannyarcher6370]

Howzit, china.

[@leslieviljoen]

@@sigmascrub Left? He defies categorization.

[@matthijsbog7276]

You have interviewed zizek?!?!?!? LETS GOO

[@Vrailly]

Oh my god you got Zizek on. Congrats man.

[@sheyarjames4904]

A great video, and so on and so on.

[@clorofilaazul]

I love Zizek and I'm so glad your paths crossed, Alex! I would love to see him in Lex Fridman's podcast now.

[@raskolnikov3799]

This was an insane notification to get!

[@charlesnunno8377]

Slavoj always on point.

[@michaelhenry8091]

Hard listen but im here for it

[@latetotheparty4785]

Zizek introduced me to Rammstein. When speaking of postmodernism, no one is clear. Postmodernism by definition is not clear, or certain, or knowable. That’s what postmodernism is.

[@dannyarcher6370]

Which is why it's useless bullshit.

[@tomasbarta3020]

Zizek is luring us all with his tongue into the deepest abysses of Hegel's philosophy - just like those fish living in the deepest seas hunting their poor prey.

[@jeremyray4819]

This is what happens when you ask a continental philosopher to define their terms.

[@Celestina0]

this obsession with definitions is anathema to actually investigating the meaning of concepts

[@samueloak1600]

​@@Celestina0no it's not

[@Schmidtelpunkt]

@@Celestina0 I don't think having somebody narrowing down what he is meaning does stop from investigating meanings. It just decreases the production of hot air. Which, in the age of climate change, we should always be interested in.

[@loganleatherman7647]

@Celestina0 How else could you possibly “explore concepts” without having their definitions readily understandable? They’re concepts. At the end of the day all you have to explore concepts are definitions and languange. It’s not like you can empirically test “concepts” in a lab. It all rests on the definitions of said concepts or else you can’t do anything meaningful with them.

[@Celestina0]

@@loganleatherman7647 because a definition closes the meaning of a concept. If you want to explore what ‘truth’ is, you don’t define it, because that’s giving an answer at the start to a question you’ve just set out to investigate

[@vinista256]

Back in the Fall of 2020, there were two publications (“This Week” and “The Atlantic”) that ran articles explaining how “camp” is the essence of Trump’s appeal. I have a feeling that Žižek’s use of the term “postmodernist” is saying essentially the same thing, right?

[@alexkidd3d]

This has a really weird legal implication because part of a lot of criminal statutes is a reliance on determining the persons state of mind. Some of Trumps defence relies on him truely believing he won the election. From what ive seen of Trump he does seem to have an odd postmoderny take on reality, I think he knows he lost the election but also believes he did win it in some deeper sense.

[@joshuakakooza5736]

Interesting analysis lmao

[@Renato404]

He identifies as someone who won the election. He would much rather be adressed as president - and not only that, gain acess to the spaces reserved for the president (a transpresident is a president😂)

[@DJWESG1]

He's definitely insane, but that's criminally insane, meaning he's a career criminal, he only thinks along the lines of the con, the grift, the steal. I don't beleive he could plead insanity until he gets a proper diagnosis of such. However, he's criminally insane, from what I've seen of him.

[@oneiroagent]

The crossovers are real

[@null_s3t]

Legend says that one of these days, Slovenia will discover tissues.

[@jon780249]

If ever there was a spurious reading it is this one. Hypocrisy and cynicism, lack of self critical faculties and toxic narcissism have been around far longer than postmodernism!

[@nemo3259]

bro is popping off

[@LilVukie]

Zizek! We are bringing in the continental philosophy heavy weights-I see 😊

[@theunclejesusshow8260]

💩👍

[@helios9025]

I hate them all

[@RenewedRS]

what the fuck I need this full thing now

[@v.sandrone4268]

Every time I hear this guy reference a philosopher he makes it sound like he is quoting a friend he had a drink with that agrees with him.

[@Michael-Rosen]

First Destiny, now Alex. Slajov doing all the sidequests rn 💯

[@maocharlisme]

You know those bobbing heads when you put them on the dashboard of your moving vehicle?... less restless.

[@awkwardsean5141]

You're the fella from that Oxford Union debate.

[@user-iv1bv6kv6x]

Now this is a TITLE

[@organiseduser7216]

Where can I see the entire thing?

[@kiara4345]

later this week, it would seem

[@CosmicSkeptic]

Early access is available now for Patreon supporters (www.patreon.com/cosmicskeptic). It will go public on KZbin later this week.

[@d.s.7669]

Holy shit, an Alex Žižek crossover????

[@ronagoodwell2709]

I'd like to take this opportunity to say "Hi!" to Slavoj Zizek.

[@bobbynomates958]

He looks younger than he used to

[@totonow6955]

Thanks Alex!

[@charlieropesocks5793]

Love ZIzek!

[@fernandooliveiralino]

Found a new cool corner on KZbin.

[@amarug]

Wow, irrelevant to the content, but Slavoj looks really good, seems he lost quite some weight and looks generally much more taken care of

[@Tuariq1]

Colab I didn't know I needed - and yet here I am

[@eugenehertz5791]

After trolley problems, you're now doing Zizek; I see you've become a meme channel.

[@mr.purple7816]

I feel like listening to Zizek would be how the greeks felt listening to Diogenes.

[@sanskritikapoor337]

Finally the two minds I wanted to see on screen together, this is the kinda content I pay my internet bill for

[@stewartcohen-jones2949]

Alex starting to look that little bit healthier.

[@tinarichardson364]

Trump is not able 'to doubt his own stance', as Zizek puts it, because he is a perfect example of the Dunning-Kruger Effect in action!

[@matthijsbog7276]

Zizek is a berniebro? Hell yeah

[@marqpsmythe228]

“Learning From Las Vegas” - Robert Venturi et al.

[@katlehomahlophe6513]

Slavoj is the only guy who makes Jorden Peterson think hard.

[@LysanderLH]

He seems to talk endlessly about whatever comes to mind and then tries to relate that to something he just said. It’s like trying to reconstruct a mountain after an avalanche

[@BBBIW-84]

I know what else fascinates Zizek…💨💨💨

[@redbaronlast]

"Postmodernism in general ideology is the era where irony and cynicism became universalized"

[@Imnothere59]

I came, as fast as I could .

[@williams.5952]

TMI

[@Dutch_bastard_23]

Oh god Slavoj on cosmic sceptic!?

[@andythomas4998]

Some people just cannot control their tongue and I think of "the hidden" with Kyle MacLachlan...

[@anthonycostello6055]

Charles Jencks introduced the term "postmodern" in architecture. With regard to Trump, I think Zizek is fairly correct; Trump is someone who really has no deep or serious belief about anything, certainly not anything metaphysical (that would ground morality). He seems to live life like it is a game, which is what the postmodern author or artist considered art, a type of game, play with words, nothing more. One has the sense Trump could kind of be anything to anyone, a sort of plastic person. Why he chose to be a Republican candidate over a Democratic one is hard to say; he was a Democrat most of his life. Why he is a champion of conservatism right now is hard to say, it seems he easily could be a champion of social liberalism, look at his own life. Why he even decided to run for president is hard to say, except that he probably felt he had nothing better to do at that stage in his life. What was interesting in the 2016 election was you had two of the most narcissistic candidates in American history running against each other, neither of whom one really has a sense thinks much about anything beyond themselves.

[@shughy1]

My phone screen needs windscreen wipers

[@voxsvoxs4261]

I'm confused by how he says Trump is a postmodernist: His stance is this, as far as I can tell from the clip, Postmodernism refers to the postmodern era characterized by cynicism and irony. Trump supports Israel (the Jewish state) but his allies are often against Jews (no direct reference, I assume he's referring to Kanye), that is irony or cynicism. However then he specifically describes Trump as not having any doubt on his own position, I don't see how you can hold that simultaneously that he is cynical and ironic but also genuinely occupies his positions doubtlessly.

[@thenablade858]

I agree with this. It’s a contradiction of his previous statement, but I think he’s referring to many Trump supporters who are openly anti-semitic like Marjorie Taylor Greene. Kanye is just a mental patient who thinks African Americans are the real Jews (with no archaeological or genetic evidence, and there are already Black Jews: Ethiopian Jews).

[@hgf44876]

Something about a glass of water... I didn't quote catch it..

[@djanzzdjanzz1459]

We need more videos with Slavoj

[@roberto4898]

Isn't those books behind colour coded? Lol Zizek

[@jamesdavis3851]

Seems like Alex and Zizek would self annihilate if they made contact... and that doesn't even make sense.

[@heyhorinshi]

Alex should charge him for the therapy venting session

[@pipichi8441]

I can barely understand zizek in english so when he speaks german, its actual alien language

[@Flags.crosses.trailerparks]

I’m almost convinced!! He’s quite good. It isn’t hard to bury Petersen in a conversation that deals with empirics and things to pin him down on. JPs kind of wishy washy and very non commital.

[@eliasGreek1982a]

🇪🇺🇬🇷athens hi🇬🇷🏛🗽 TRUMP 2024 Trump to end ww3 before it started.......... You are too educated To understand Alright then Let Biden and zelensky to push europe to ww3 And america to poverty You are too educated to understand 🏛🏛🇪🇺🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷👋🗽🗽

[@ublade82]

He never presents as neoconservative he's not a warmonger

[@dannyarcher6370]

I'm a right libertarian but Zizek always fascinates me.

[@exiletheexile9856]

Could be some weird bird seeing if it’s wings are grown in yet. Testing if the ground has become the sky. Because weird birds spread sky like black holes build space. Swimming in their own honey spit.

[@davidsprouse151]

I only got 6 minutes with him. I was hoping for 15