Žižek’s Most Difficult Idea
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- Опубліковано 10 кві 2024
- “Less than nothing” is arguably Slavoj Žižek’s most difficult idea. In this video I attempt to provide a basic introduction.
Thanks for watching,
Julian
#slavojzizek #zizek #lacan #hegel #philosophy #psychoanalysis
Here are some study-aids that might be helpful:
Žižek’s ontology combines the Hegelian/Materialist/Lacanian Ontology
“Less than nothing” is the conceptual framework by which Žižek uses the logic of the “objet a” to stage a materialist re-reading of the Hegelian ontology.
4 ontologies:
(1) Žižek: every universal is marked by a fundamental antagonism or difference which appears to undermine it yet nevertheless completes it.
(2)Hegel: The Fall retroactively generates that from which it is falling
(3)Lacan: loss as it’s own object (or the transition from desire to drive, or from loss as the object of desire to lack as the object of drive.
(4)Materialism: nothing counted as something.
In sum: for Žižek the subject is the one who stages the gap immanent to the universal, by which the universal is both undermined and yet stitched together (suture). This mirrors the logic of the “objet a” or the transition from desire to drive. The idealist logic functions on the level of desire (loss), whereas the materialist logic functions on the level of lack (drive). Žižek argues therefore that Hegel is not a “mystical” idealist, but in fact what might be called the first materialist.
The psychoanalytic logic of the objet a can therefore be combined with a materialist rereading of Hegel as a thinker of radical ontological openness. I.e. a Hegel of the logic of the signifier, or pure possibility.
Tomorrow I’ll make a video explaining why this makes Hegel arguably “the first materialist.”
For more, see my ebooks on patreon. www.patreon.com/julianphilosophy
Hope that helps!
Julian
PS: apologies for the background noise. Our dog “Molly” was a bit hyperactive today.
This is absolutely incomprehensible.
I agree, it was to me at first, and I’m somewhat familiar with these topics! It’s never going to make sense until you realize what these ideas are for. And you have to ask questions. Like, what is he calling less than nothing?
The ideas in the video are ontological, or relating to reality/existence itself. That is the frame in which they are relevant. The philosophical project here is like creating a theory of everything, by combining four theories into one. So if you’ve ever wondered why we exist, or why anything exists, or how existence exists as opposed to an eternal void, this video is an introduction to the best way we currently have of answering those kinds of ultimate questions.
So, yes it’s incomprehensible at first, but it’s just an introduction to something even bigger. If you really want to know, you can go down the rabbit hole, but if not, you don’t necessarily need to know any of this stuff.
Unfortunately true I tried very hard but even the examples never made sense either
Acho que sim! Juliano precisa melhorar de muito essa nova síntese de Hegel, Lacan e esse misterioso objeto a..
Aguardemos...
I have given it more thought, and this is my interpretation (without so much technical jargon):
With the model explained in the video, we can answer these two questions at the same time:
How did something come from nothing, and what is consciousness?
Now we can re-frame the question slightly. How does consciousness arise from nothingness? Answer: consciousness or subjectivity is the negation of negativity, or less than nothing. Nothing exists outside of subjectivity, in both senses of the word. Consciousness produces existence and experience by subtracting/dividing from the void of “pure essence” or objectivity.
So those two original questions have to go together. In the beginning there was no time or space, and there still is no time or space in pure objectivity! Time and space, or existence as we know it, is produced by consciousness operating within that eternal void to divide the unity into existence. Existence is a broken unity, or a negation of the original negative unity, creating a positive(?)
We basically divided zero by zero. That’s why it’s so hard to compute. The theory is that positivity, or existence, must be the negation of negation, that is the only way to get something from nothing. God divided himself by zero to create the universe, and that is us, that is subjectivity. We are the fractions of zero, the fractions of god, the fractions of unity.
This all sounds crazy, but the four ontologies in the video help to prove the point and clarify the claim. Thanks for reading!
I was wearing headphones and was freaking out thinking someone was trying to get into my window & people walking around next door lmao
Really appreciate these short lectures! I always wanted to understand these famous and interesting concepts. This is the best way to finally do so
3:28 "Antagonism and difference is precisely what structures the void." Brilliant, and this aligns with what we know about the void from QFT, the void is not dead and inert but rather unrelentingly roiling!
Hi Jules could you try redo this as a whiteboard session? I need a visual to keep up😢
Julien sounds like he has been studying the art of edgy Batman voice in this one.
Quality information sir, truly appreciate it. I've learned so much through you. ❤
Jenaline is remodeling part of the house, and I’ve got some major allergies going on 👍
Thank you for your brilliant effort to make the difficult accessible. I have read practically all the books by Zizek and I keep reading them because it is not easy to assimilate a dialectic Hegelian way of thinking. But of course it is crucial. Thanks again!
Well wow. Thanks for making this video
Thank the Absolute there's a transcript for my puny brain to meticulously refer to.
On fire 🔥
What is happening
My favorite part of this video is how someone assembled an entire IKEA dining table while operating the camera.
That's the negation being negated.
All I got from this is that Patrick Bateman has an unopened Tech-Deck on his shelf
You just get better and better.
God I love these videos
please more lacan!
Suggest me the source of this idea..the book and also the prerequisites to understand this nearly unintelligible piece...someone please
The more I try to understand this, the less I see how it is relevant to me or anyone in the world. Why is this idea important? What are its implications? Can anyone help me here?
it doesn't relate to the world, it just relates to how these systems of ideas relate to each other. there isn't a truth value or correspondence with reality, best as I can tell. Its like a sort of abstract poetry, it is interesting rather than useful.
I have given it more thought, and this is my interpretation (without so much technical jargon):
With the model explained in the video, we can answer these two questions at the same time:
How did something come from nothing, and what is consciousness?
Now we can re-frame the question slightly. How does consciousness arise from nothingness? Answer: consciousness or subjectivity is the negation of negativity, or less than nothing. Nothing exists outside of subjectivity, in both senses of the word. Consciousness produces existence and experience by subtracting/dividing from the void of “pure essence” or objectivity.
So those two original questions have to go together. In the beginning there was no time or space, and there still is no time or space in pure objectivity! Time and space, or existence as we know it, is produced by consciousness operating within that eternal void to divide the unity into existence. Existence is a broken unity, or a negation of the original negative unity, creating a positivity.
We basically divided zero by zero. That’s why it’s so hard to compute. The theory is that positivity, or existence, must be the negation of negation, that is the only way to get something from nothing. God divided himself by zero to create the universe, and that is us. We are the fractions of zero, the fractions of god, the fractions of unity.
This all sounds crazy, but the four ontologies in the video help to prove the point and clarify the claim. Thanks for reading!
man what is going on in the background hahah. Great video though
I still don’t get it, why is it materialist? Because regardless of any subjectivity apprehending it, the structure of subjectivity is required for concepts in themselves to exist through the failure to comprehend that is subjectivity?
What is the definition of the Void in the mentioned context?
Void as pre-ontological pure void = substance
Void as (impure) conceptualized substance = “nothing”
@@julianphilosophy Thank you very much!
It feels like you are repeating yourself in many of your zizek videos
If an idea claims to be universal then it should be constantly appearing in all debates of other ideas. And if it doesn't appear, then it isn't universal and we should stop calling it as such.
What a lot of babbling.