November 2011
9 posts
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Preliminary notes for a discussion of...
There are a few axis points I think are important for the discussion on subjectivity, one being inter-subjectivity in the embodied Hegelian sense, against a Habermasian conception of communicative inter-subjectivity that focuses on the deeper stratum of rationality and (soft) linguistic teleology. The second is Liebnizian/Spinozian/Deleuzian subject monism versus a comparative structure. Of course...
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Austerity
“People everywhere, under very different conditions, are asking themselves: Where are we? The question is historical not geographical. What are we living through? Where are we being taken? What have we lost? How to continue without a plausible vision of the future? Why have we lost any view of what is beyond a lifetime? The well heeled-experts answer: Globalization. Postmodernism....
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Hijacking Queerness
This post is a response to an article I read on Reality Sandwich which argues for Psychedelic Studies justification as an interdisciplinary academic field due to its close relation with queer studies. However, I feel my critique is viable for any of the various abuses composed from the snatched dwarf fruit of queer theory, particularly Judith Butlers concept of gender performativity. ...
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For those about to read Habermas:
I was actually surprised by how thoughtless Habermas’ critique of Marx was, relying as it does on the Weber/Lukacs reading, and the whole base/superstructure trope. For those of you who heard about this famous duality and want to critique Marx based on it: Marx said this ONCE, and with contextual specificity. He didn’t really believe you could just dump the social on top of some stool...
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Zizek on Lenin
“In February 1917 Lenin was an almost anonymous political emigrant, stranded in Zurich, with no reliable contacts to Russia, mostly learning about the events from the Swiss press; in October 1917 he led the first successful socialist revolution - so what happened in between? In February, Lenin immediately perceived the revolutionary chance, the result of unique contingent circumstances - if...
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A day in the life of the proletariat
The crossing guard (or as we’d call her in the UK, the lollipop lady) at the elementary school in my neighbourhood is 73 years old. She hopes to retire in June, though her supervisor doesn’t want her to, because she is a dependable employee. She says her body is telling her to retire. She stands outside every day for an hour in the morning and an hour after school in the heat, rain,...
