In this first episode in a series devoted to Lacan's seminars, Ryan and Todd lay out their reading of Seminar 1. They discuss Lacan's critique of alternative psychoanalytic practices and work through his initial understanding of the relationship between the imaginary and symbolic registers.
In this episode, Ryan and Todd analyze Walter Benjamin's famous essay "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction." This dive into the concept of aura that Benjamin focuses on, and then they move to the relationship between fascism and art. They also explain the significance of the differences between the distinct versions of the essay.
In this special episode, Ryan and Todd debate two different conceptions of universality. Ryan locates universality in the quilting point, whereas Todd conceives of universality in terms of constitutive absence. They explore these different ideas alongside Slavoj Zizek's conception of universality as antagonism.
In this episode, Ryan and Todd define and explore the implications of interpassivity, a concept developed by Robert Pfaller and popularized by Slavoj Zizek. Through this discussion, they speculate on the possibility of interpassivity as a possible point of collectivization for the Left.
In this episode, Ryan and Todd discuss the Lacanian aphorism, "The big Other does not exist." They try to understand what Lacan means with the notion of big Other, contrasting it with symbolic order and ideology. Then they work out the relationship between time and the recognition of the big Other's nonexistence.
In this special episode, Ryan and Todd lay out the relationship between capitalism and racism. They argue for racism's link to capitalism and question the ability of capitalism to survive without it. They consider this relationship in light of the massive protest movement currently going on in the United States. References mentioned in the episode: National Bail Fund Network https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory National Lawyers Guild https://www.nlg.org Red Library Podcast htt...
In this episode of a continuing series on Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit, Ryan and Todd go over the three subsection of the Consciousness chapter: sense certainty, perception, and force and understanding. They move from a discussion of Hegel's clarity in sense certainty to his opacity in Force and Understanding. They contend that this last section of Consciousness represents one of the major moments in both Hegel's thought and in all of modern philosophy.
In this episode, Ryan and Todd trace the history and development of the Oedipus complex, as well as its relationship to the entirety of the psychoanalytic project. They question its centrality and discuss the merits of its continued importance.
In this episode, Ryan and Todd explore the concept of the missing signifier. Rooting this discussion in Alenka Zupancic's book What IS Sex?, they delve into the theoretical and political ramifications of the missing signifier. Following Zupancic, they argue that this signifier is the point of primary repression and marks where enjoyment forms in the social order.
In this episode, Ryan and Todd explore Ryan's concept of Zaddy fascism, a concept that focuses on the erotics of the fascist leader. They discuss the possibilities for conceiving of the difference between the fascist leader and the leftist alternative.
In this episode, Ryan and Todd discuss the implications of Mari Ruti's book Penis Envy and Other Bad Feelings. Following Ruti, they explore the notion of penis envy from a feminist perspective. Then, they trace the book's other theoretical movements, including Ruti's take on pornography.
In this episode, Ryan and Todd discuss the political implications of the coronavirus pandemic. They lay out the differences between a natural disaster and an emergency that has a clear enemy. They explore the implications that the response to virus has for the concept of biopower and the idea that we have been reduced to bare life today. From listener and clinician Conor McCormack: Structures are key to Lacanian practice and the parameters of differential diagnoses and can currently be nicely di...
In this episode, Ryan and Todd explore Lacan's aphorism, "the unconscious is structured like a language." They discuss the misunderstandings that this aphorism has produced and debate whether or not it represents a good point of entry into Lacan's thought. They also consider various examples the illustrate the idea expressed in the aphorism.
In this episode, Ryan and Todd explore the radicality of Immanuel Kant's notion of freedom, which he ties to our ability to give the moral law to ourselves. This paradox that the law is the source of our freedom serves as the basis for a discussion that touches both Kant's place in the history of philosophy and his relationship to psychoanalysis.
In this episode, Ryan and Todd explore Lacan's famous concept of the mirror stage. They discuss the role that this concept has in the popular understanding of Lacan's thought in contrast with the part that it plays in the theory itself, while also working through a detailed reading of Lacan's essay on this topic.
In this episode, Ryan and Todd discuss new materialisms, exploring their rejection of epistemology and their embrace of a flat ontology. After laying out the basic position of new materialism and its rejection of the priority of the subject, they attempt to prove that this is ultimately an untenable theoretical position to champion. They make reference to Todd's essay that critiques this position in light of Hegel: https://www.academia.edu/9832109/On_the_Necessity_of_Contradiction_Hegel_with_the...
In this episode, Ryan and Todd work through the possibilities for a psychoanalytic theory of aesthetics. Starting with the concept of sublimation, they discuss how psychoanalytic ideas might give us the tools for understanding and judging aesthetic value.
In this episode, Ryan and Todd try to pin down Jacques Lacan's elusive and crucial concept of the objet a. They offer different ways of thinking about and give various examples before identifying the point at which it emerges in Lacan's trajectory.
In this episode, Ryan and Todd discuss the possibilities for the marriage of psychoanalysis and existentialism, including the ideas that might render this marriage ultimately untenable. They explore how psychoanalysis and existentialism each provides a critique of the other, touching on Jacques Lacan's critique of Jean-Paul Sartre and Sartre's version of existential psychoanalysis.
In this episode, Ryan and Todd examine Hegel's critique of racism and analyze the charge of racism leveled against him. They discuss his championing of the revolting slaves in Haiti, as well as his comments about Africa in the Philosophy of History.
In this continuation of the previous episode, Ryan and Todd spell out the common criticisms launched against Freud and psychoanalysis. In each case, they try to show how these critiques ultimately come up short and either secretly rely on Freud's own psychoanalytic method when criticizing him or miss the aim of the psychoanalytic project. In this part, they confront the charges of Freud's heteronormativity and his sexism, while also speculating about why critiques stick to Freud and not to other...
In this episode, Ryan and Todd spell out the common criticisms launched against Freud and psychoanalysis. In each case, they try to show how these critiques ultimately come up short and either secretly rely on Freud's own psychoanalytic method when criticizing him or miss the aim of the psychoanalytic project. In this part, they address the image of Freud as a cocaine addict, as a pervert, and as a charlatan. In the next episode, they will confront the charges of Freud's heteronormativity and hi...
In this episode, Ryan and Todd argue for a psychoanalytic understanding of capitalism's appeal and staying power. They reflect on the possibilities for a psychoanalytic critique of capitalism and ponder its abilities to offer alternatives, rather than just serve as a source of critique.
In this episode, Ryan recounts his own disability as a way of framing the discussion that he and Todd have about the relationship between psychoanalysis and disability. They explore the implications of disability for the status of the Other and the role that it plays in fetishistic disavowal. They conclude with an investigation of how disability runs counter to the structural logic of capitalism.
In this episode, Ryan and Todd dissect the television series "Mad Men" in political and psychoanalytic terms. They look at the characters Don and Peggy as ethical figures, as well as discussing the critique of capitalism that the series levels. They explore in depth the episode entitled "The Suitcase" as an example of the theoretical concept of the bottle episode.
In this episode, Ryan and Todd discuss the Incel phenomenon and its relationship to the logic at work in misogyny. They frame the question in terms of how symbolic castration functions in contemporary society. The discussion turns to how the phenomenon of the Incel actually sheds light on many other aspects of today's capitalist universe.
In this episode, Ryan and Todd unpack Jacques Lacan's famous aphorism about the signifier--"the signifier represents the subject to another signifier." This aphorism focuses on the role of the desiring subject in signification and highlights the contrast between meaning and signification. Ryan and Todd contrast this definition of the signifier with the sign and explore what's at stake in this distinction. They wrap up the podcast by interpreting some current cultural signifiers and explain why w...
In this episode, Ryan and Todd explore the problem of contradiction, especially as it appears in Hegel's philosophy. In doing so, they work through the argument of Todd's new book on Hegel, "Emancipation After Hegel: Achieving a Contradictory Revolution." They debate the thesis of the book--that the end point of Hegel's philosophy is reconciliation with contradiction--while pondering the ramifications of contradiction for politics.
In the third of a series of three special episodes featuring Slavoj Zizek, Ryan and Todd respond to Todd's interview with Slavoj concerning his relationship to Hegel. Slavoj brings up questions about Todd's interpretation of Hegel in his new book, specifically the claim about the end of history and the idea that Hegel argues for political freedom. Building on the interview, Ryan and Todd ponder how we might think of progress in Hegelian terms.
In the second of a series of three special episodes featuring Slavoj Zizek, Ryan and Todd respond to Todd's interview with Slavoj concerning his relationship to Lacan. They cover what Slavoj thinks is the key Lacanian concept and seminar, as well as Slavoj's assessment of trans theory. Ryan questions Slavoj's written interventions on this issue for not highlighting the way that the psychoanalytic theory of subjectivity speaks directly to the trans position.
