You are viewing a single comment's thread from:

RE: Steem Social Lab: the S. Zizek vs J. Peterson debate - part 1

in #steem5 years ago

What a great discourse! Though I guess it did turn into some sort of a debate about two hours in. I'm so glad that they addressed what I considered a misuse of the word happiness in the debate title. I guess Capitalism V Marxism just didn't have the same ring to it. The problem with using the word for me, is that happiness can often be a bi-product of non-economic spiritual and artistic drives and for me is not intrinsically linked to economic philosophical theory. Neither does happiness necessarily denote meaning, something which often implies unhappy moments of struggle to overcome, which I would consider more important. That aside, there were a couple of mind blowing non-economic references from Zizek closer to the end, that I'll share for those that don't have a spare couple of hours to burn. The first one being the reference of Christ's atheism on the cross, as a thought that even God incarnate despairs when facing the worst of human conditions. But God incarnate as man is still God, so it is God doubting God. But considering I haven't met a person that hasn't doubted himself/herself and in Christian theology man is made in God's image, I guess story checks out ,but he sounds more like a Greek god when you talk about him like this with all his vulnerabilities. Just as mind blowing was the reference that Himmler carried around the Bhagavad Gita! just a big wow. For me it's just one more reference of the complexities of good and evil and why debate itself is so important, as perspective shapes everything and the line between things is not always so simple and clear cut.

Posted using Partiko Android

Sort:  

This is very in tune with Zizek's discourse, I believe, where he says "happiness should be treated as a necessary byproduct". And he gives the example of Czeckoslovakia during the Communist years.

I haven't yet listened to the end, the problem with these dense debates is that I have to concentrate, I can't listen casually while doing something else so I really need to find the time to listen intently. Thanks for highlighting these important reflections coming toward the end