For the return to the PATREON https://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 subs...
Oct 12, 2021•3 min
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 rea...
Oct 04, 2021•59 min
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
May 13, 2021•3 min
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
Apr 27, 2021•1 hr 4 min
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...
Apr 19, 2021•47 min
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
Apr 09, 2021•1 hr 18 min
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 pr...
Mar 31, 2021•4 min
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 an...
Mar 16, 2021•53 min
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 i...
Mar 09, 2021•3 min
Essential to Zizek's thinking on ideology is his denunciation of antisemitism. In this episode, &SoOn discusses how Lacan's 'pathologically jealous husband' is a key to understanding the true evil of antisemitism. For access to the full episode and our discord, join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/zizekandsoon
Feb 24, 2021•3 min
In our conversation with Todd McGowan we discuss his 2016 book Capitalism and Desire . Todd brings us through what he argues is the essential role of desire in capitalism—not as something which is repressed by the system, as many have argued, but rather how capitalism perpetuates itself through the very structure of desire. Without coming to terms with this, he says, any attempt to formulate a new system, or find the exit from capitalism, plays into the terms capitalism lays out in the form of “...
Feb 16, 2021•1 hr 3 min
A Coup d’etat? Unambiguously, NO. Terrorism? Let's think about why that term would be advantageous for the state to use. Insurrection? The right deed for the wrong reason. Patrons: “We love you. You’re very special” To gain access to the full episode and our Discord, join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/zizekandsoon
Jan 12, 2021•3 min
On the podcast this week we interview Agon Hamza, the author and editor of a number of books, including “Reading Marx'', co-written with Frank Ruda and Slavoj Žižek, and “Repeating Žižek”, in which he contributed “A Plea for Žižekian Politics”. We discuss the situation in Kosova, the EU—eurocentrism, and the remainder of the Balkans—the “problem” of Politics, the “borromean knot” of Žižek’s political theory, theory vs. practice, communism, and alienation. https://www.patreon.com/zizekandsoon Ham...
Jan 05, 2021•1 hr 8 min
In this episode we take a second pass at Žižek’s new book “Hegel in a Wired Brain”, and further discuss the concept of the wired brain and its limitations. Other topics include poetry, Winston-Churchill-Heidegger, the status of Spirit and subject, the signification/meaning distinction, and how singularity can’t take a joke. https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/hegel-in-a-wired-brain-9781350124417/
Dec 24, 2020•58 min
This week, we take a dive into Žižek's new book: Pandemic! 2: Chronicles of a Time Lost. Thanks for joining us this year, everybody! See you in 2021— To hear the full episode and many others, join our patreon @ https://www.patreon.com/zizekandsoon
Dec 23, 2020•3 min
The boys are back with a discussion on a 2019 interview with Alenka Zupančič in Crisis and Critique. This piece brings us back to thinking through the importance of psychoanalysis for philosophy, and also opens the door to talking about the ontology of sexuality from the Lacano-Hegelian perspective. article: https://crisiscritique.org/april2019/zupancic.pdf
Dec 08, 2020•4 min
In this Patreon exclusive episode & So On discusses the superego and the act. How does Zizek understand authentic action within the context of the symbolic order, capitalism, and the superego injunction to enjoy? How does an act break the symbolic co-ordinance and bring about an Event in subjectivity? Jake, Peter, and Will take a stab at it. For access to this exclusive episode and others, go to: https://www.patreon.com/zizekandsoon https://zizek.uk/the-superego-and-the-act/...
Nov 03, 2020•5 min
This week, we take on Žižek’s concept of the Event and ask: what happens when something happens? Join our Patreon for more exclusive content!
Oct 22, 2020•58 min
In this Patreon exclusive episode, Jake, Peter, and Will pull back the veil of Samsara and chat about the limitations of mindfulness, whether meditation is better than a walk, and contemplate translation issues while Peter eats a piece of bread. For access to the full episode and much more exclusive content, join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/zizekandsoon
Oct 08, 2020•4 min
This week, we discuss Zizek's approach to Buddhism. From the first Noble Truth, Buddhism describes human existence as an endless cycle of suffering, and posits the path towards enlightenment as the severing of attachment, and the cessation of desire. From a psychoanalytic standpoint, Zizek emphasizes that, in contrast, we enjoy our suffering (as when we fall in love, for example), and that desire cannot be simply done away with. After discussing the finer points of a Lacano-Helgelian critique of...
Oct 06, 2020•55 min
On this week's episode, we get into Žižek's semiotic triangle of German, French, and English/American toilets. We discuss the metaphysical stance of the German toilet, the revolutionary posture of the French, and the utilitarian and pragmatic sensibility of the English toilet. We also talk about the waterless urinal, the austerity politics of low-flow taps, and many other excremental subjects. Take a seat and have a listen!
Sep 29, 2020•52 min
In this patreon-exclusive episode, we take a second pass at Žižek’s new book “Hegel in a Wired Brain”, and further discuss the concept of the wired brain and it’s limitations. Other topics include poetry, Winston-Churchill-Heidegger, the status of Spirit and subject, the signification/meaning distinction, and how singularity can’t take a joke. to hear the full episode and other extra content join our patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/zizekandsoon
Sep 22, 2020•4 min
This week, we take on Žižek's recent book, "Hegel In A Wired Brain" in what will be become an ongoing series. By way of introduction, we discuss: our animosity towards Elon Musk, Neuralink, the Singularity and the future of cyborg/human relations, and as always, the Matrix and the Simpsons. https://www.patreon.com/zizekandsoon Twitter: @zizekand https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/hegel-in-a-wired-brain-9781350124417/
Sep 15, 2020•53 min
This week, the fellas discuss two recent articles concerning the ongoing pandemic, “The Will Not to Know,” by Slavoj Zizek, and “Social Distancing and its Discontents,” by Matthew Flisfeder. Using the articles as a starting point, we talk: the idea of “protest,” neoliberal ideology, the disruption of the symbolic order, and how the virus compels us to enjoy in different ways. "The Will Not to Know,” by Slavoj Zizek https://thephilosophicalsalon.com/the... “Social Distancing and its Discontents,”...
Aug 27, 2020•1 hr 1 min
Episode 20, a Patreon exclusive, is all about toilets. We discuss Žižek’s three examples of toilets (the German, French, and Anglo thrones) that form an ideological tripartite, each demonstrating different ways of dealing with the excrement of the Real. We also talk the austerity politics of waterless urinals and low-flow taps, “green” toilet paper, and how ideology permeates what we consider the most elemental and excremental. Take a seat, and have a listen join our patreon at: https://www.pa...
Aug 22, 2020•11 min
This week, we return to topics we discussed previously with Dr. Russell Sbriglia, Assistant Professor and Director of Undergraduate Literature Studies at Seton Hall University. We get Russell's take on Graham Harman's recent essay written in response to his book “Subject Lessons”, and get into the weeds on the debate between Object Oriented Ontology, and the Ljubljana school. "Subject Lessons: Hegel, Lacan, and the Future of Materialism" Edited by Russell Sbriglia and Slavoj Zizek: https://nupre...
Aug 22, 2020•1 hr 2 min
This episode, we take another stab at our failed attempt to talk about Žižek and film. Earlier in the week we spoke to Dr. Matthew Flisfeder, the author of the 2012 book The Symbolic, the Sublime, and Slavoj Žižek's Theory of Film — but we did not record the conversation. So, in our second attempt to tackle this crucial topic in Žižek's work, we talk about Matthew's book, as well as "The Pervert's Guide to Cinema", the choice between reality and illusion, the third pill , Hitchcock's MacGuffin, ...
Aug 13, 2020•59 min
An excerpt from our most recent patreon-exclusive content. This episode, we take another stab at our failed attempt to talk about Žižek and film. Earlier in the week we spoke to Dr. Matthew Flisfeder, the author of The Symbolic, the Sublime, and Slavoj Žižek's Theory of Film — but we forgot to record the conversation... So, in our second attempt to tackle this crucial topic in Žižek's work, we talk about Matthew's book, as well as "The Pervert's Guide to Cinema", the choice between reality and i...
Aug 11, 2020•11 min
In this Patreon exclusive episode, we discuss our evolving thoughts on the covid crisis, then turn to a post-op on the Ben Burgis interview. We wonder how formal logic could be given a Hegelian twist, via Todd McGowan's book, "Emancipation After Hegel". https://www.patreon.com/zizekandsoon
Aug 05, 2020•3 min
This week, we speak to Ben Burgis, professor at Georgia State Perimeter College and author (and co-author) of recent Zero Books publications "Give Them an Argument" and "Myth and Mayhem". Our discussion ranges from the Žižek v. Jordan Peterson debate, to the state of the Left (after its recent social democratic failures), the difference between formal and dialectical logic, and many other topics. patreon: https://www.patreon.com/zizekandsoon...
Aug 03, 2020•1 hr 4 min
