Tuesday, May 02, 2006

 
Slovenian-born social philosopher (Slavoj Zizek) is famous for applying the tenets of Lacanian psychoanalysis to the culture at large, and analyzing the way people and societies alike delude themselves into thinking that they act freely and responsibly -Noel Murry
we went to hear Slavoj Zizek speak at Jack Tilton Gallery Monday night. Zizek, philosopher/social critic/politician/cult figure talked about fundamentalism (a danger to belief itself), Atheists (believe radically, without guarantees), violence and globalism (the more neighbors we have, the more fights we'll get into), political correctness (like fundamentalism, afraid of the other, obsessed with harassment), Tolerance (thumbs up or down), the violence of language (with language comes misunderstanding, meaning is in perplexity, not in naming), the monstrosity of other humans (tolerance is overestimated, the hazards of oversharing), comedy and tragedy, torture, the danger of Bill Gates and Bono, the invisible violence of a functioning society, the obscene underside of the church and the unconscious of an institution, breakfast danishes, and so on. He has an amazing way of turning thoughts upsidedown, making wild connections and finding irony in the most unexpected places, paradoxes abound. It was a lot of fun, a lot to take in.

Comments:
this sounds great corny, thank you for all the links. Maybe today at work will be less of a brain drain now. and his photo is the best. a place to enjoy the thoughts.
 
he's pretty fasinating. Here's another good essay about the
Super-ego, diet-coke and Nietzsche

If this doesn't keep your mind active today try this (with a magic marker)
 
I'd have a handlebar moustache tatooed on my chin
 
I have them all over my legs!!!
 
they're sure a nice addition to a brazilian wax
 
I have read what he's written about atheism and ethics and agree with him completely. It was such a relief to have someone say that religion is the reason why bad things are perpetrated on others and atheism is the conscious decision to do the right thing simply because you know you should. (paraphrase). And I like this idea that meaning is in the perplexity not the naming. It feels freeing. Thanks for sharing this great stuff Corns.
 
Yes his ideas are liberating, I felt shocked at times when he was speaking, but it was the surprise of having a recognizable feeling validated by a big brain who actually does put words to thoughts that you need named and it's so RELAXING.
 
Good paraphrasing on atheism MM. I'm a believer.
 
very interesting stuffs. i have been trying to read it all morning. my co-worker has tried to expose my blogging at work. she will be sorry.
 
MORALITY TEST

THE SITUATION:

You are in New Orleans and there is chaos all around you caused by a hurricane with severe flooding. This is a flood of biblical proportions. You are photo journalist working for a major newspaper, and you're caught in the middle of this epic disaster. The situation is nearly hopeless. You're trying to shoot career-making photos. There are houses and people swirling around you, some disappearing under the water. Nature is unleashing all of its destructive fury.

THE TEST:

Suddenly you see a man in the water. He is fighting for his life, trying not to be taken down with the debris. You move closer. Somehow the man looks familiar. You suddenly realize who it is. It's the President, George W. Bush. At the same time you notice that the raging waters are about to take him under forever. You have two options, you can save the life of the President or you can shoot a dramatic Pulitzer Prize winning photo, documenting the death of one of the world's most famous men.

THE QUESTION:

Here's the question, and please give an honest answer.......

Would you select high contrast colour film, or would you go with the classic simplicity of black and white?
 
What is moral is what you feel good after, and what is immoral is what you feel bad after.

Ernest Hemingway
 
Anon., I would definitely do the classic balck and white. It would make me feel good and therefor it is 100% moral.
 
I like this picture of Zizek. I can't picture Terry Eagleton doing this. Does morality really feel good? There was a stray dog with a broken leg when I lived in Bushwick and I hung out with him and fed him for a few hours before the city picked him up. I felt like total shit for days.
 
Point taken kelli,

last week Sloths was 20 minutes late meeting me to look at art in Chelsea. I waited and waited, turns out Sloths had been helping an old lady cross a street and then walked the old lady down the block. I guess morality doesn't always feel good.
 
Sloths is a good sort. I'm a big atheist but Karma is no joke. Speaking of which why is Jade still on America's next top model? Isn't the universe supposed to be biting her on the ass sometime soon?
 
oh shit I knew I should be watching ANTM, I LOVED that show last season. I can't wait till after my fricken show opens and i can get my life in front of the TV back.
 
She's the model who thinks she is smart. Said without irony "elephants are in the dinosaur family". Totally horrible and rotten to the other chicks. Watching gay men torture teenage girls from the Midwest may be some sort of fetish. Forget I mentioned it.
 
Wow, that Slothers is really somethin.' She's helped me across the street in CHelsea too, as it is such a daunting task.
 
Only when the oncoming traffic is on your eyepatch side, PD.
 
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