{"id":8767,"date":"2012-02-14T09:49:49","date_gmt":"2012-02-14T14:49:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.terada.ca\/discourse\/?p=8767"},"modified":"2012-10-02T10:12:32","modified_gmt":"2012-10-02T15:12:32","slug":"hegel-definition-of-totality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.terada.ca\/discourse\/2012\/02\/14\/hegel-definition-of-totality\/","title":{"rendered":"Hegel definition of Totality"},"content":{"rendered":"

zizek in turkey, pt 6 at 3 min 19 seconds<\/a>\u00a0 talk in Turkey, January 2012<\/p>\n

Zizek just wrote a book on Hegel over 1000 pages book on Hegel. In this talk he also mentions Saroj Giri<\/a><\/p>\n

Crucial for Hegel, the distortion of a notion to a distortion which is part of this notion itself.<\/p>\n

critique of capitalism vs. moral critique.\u00a0 You become a theorist when you ask the crucial question: What is it in the system itself that makes the corruption possible.\u00a0 But if the possibility for possiblity for corruption is IMMANENT to capitalist system as such.<\/p>\n

Property is theft: This is not that we have property then it can be stolen from us.\u00a0 The philosophical move is: What if property AS SUCH HAS A DIMENSION OF THEFT.<\/p>\n

Enemies approach us commies and say, “you want to abolish marriage”, but isn’t bourgeois marriage a form of abolishment as such (formalized prostitution).<\/p>\n

HEGEL’s TOTALITY: not a totalitarian notion as such.\u00a0 Totality means you should include into the system, the concept, all things that may appear to be deviations, antgonisms, etc.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Fukuyama: We have liberal democratic capitalism, which works and then we have countries not there yet, it takes time, some countries are on track some more some less.\u00a0\u00a0 A DIALECTICAL HEGELIAN view, these countries that are not there yet, are NECESSARY parts of the system.\u00a0 If you want to talk about capitalism, also talk about CONGO.\u00a0 a county very rich in natural resouces, but a state that doesn’t function as a state.\u00a0\u00a0 Each of the warlords are connected to an international company for mining.\u00a0 Congo is fully INTEGRATED INTO THE GLOBAL CAPITALIST SYSTEM.<\/p>\n

On a related note, I am NOT for the Taliban, but they were the only ones that truly diminished the production of opium in Afghanistan, when the Americans took over opium production went through the roof.<\/p>\n

Hegel’s Definition of Totality<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Totality does not mean everything has its place in a harmonious global order.\u00a0 NO!\u00a0 Totality means precisely that the way things go wrong are part of the system, when you talk abou the system YOU INCLUDE IN IT the antagonisms, contradictions, destructive phenomena and so on.\u00a0 This is what HEGEL means by totality.<\/p>\n

Philosophy of Right<\/em> Hegel includes into legal order the necessity of crime, crime is part of the global order.<\/p>\n

What does this mean today. To approach the global order in its totality.<\/p>\n

German:\u00a0The situation\u00a0is serious but not catastrophic and the Austrians reply: The situation is catastrophic but not serious.<\/p>\n

Today: we experience it as catatrophic but not serious: ecology, biogenetics … we can move objects by our thought alone.\u00a0 But the history of theology, I don’t like St. Augustine, but he developed 1 point, the theory of ELECTION.\u00a0 Augustine claims sexuality is not cause of our fall but its punishment, our sin was that we thought we were equal to God.\u00a0 Punish man for his arrogance, God said to him, part of your body I will put out of your control (guess what part?).\u00a0 Uncontrollabe character of erection is divine punishment of human being.\u00a0 Maybe we can do things with our thoughts alone … but you know unfortunately if we can do this outside, we can control our brain inside.\u00a0 Forget about Iran, atomic arms, the secret institutes of the army, psychological warfare, they discovered when you are in a panic, you brain emits electro-magnetic vibrations, if you artificially generate, then you are in a panic.\u00a0 I push a button you are all in panic.\u00a0 We are really really approaching a new era.\u00a0 Unfortunately, we know the situation is potentially catastrophic but we are not able to take it seriously, we live in a TIME OF DENIAL.\u00a0 Je sais bien mais quand meme.\u00a0 I know very well but nevertheless.<\/p>\n

1. Marxist economists, when we read it today, we should focus much more on the central structural role of unemployment. today things are much more radical, what is happening is that unemployment is so pervasive, to become exploited in the Marxian sense, … To be continued …<\/p>\n

Part 7<\/a><\/p>\n

Mike Davis Planet of Slums<\/em>: living out of normal civil order, people not only becoming permanently unemployed, the very success of capitalism, modernization, makes more and more people permanently unemployable.\u00a0 All of textile factories in Slovenia went bankrupt. What do you say to the women working for 25 yrs.\u00a0 Pomo, you can “reinvent yourself” cynical b.s.\u00a0 Permanently unemployed, and now in Greece, we are getting more and more students who study, but are aware even while they are studying that they will be unemployed in advance.<\/p>\n

Disagrees with Jameson: doesn’t emphasize i.e. Congo, rogue states are not just excluded, but this exclusion is the mode of their inclusion.\u00a0 Jameson is right, under influence of pomo thinkers, we were talking too much about domination … in a classical Marxist way Z proposes we learned alot about new analysis of domination, i.e. family relations, how women are subordinated, nonetheless, I would like to counter domination with EXPLOITATION.\u00a0 Exploitation should be radicalized, in Marxist sense, you work you get your wage, but surplus value is appropriated.\u00a0 In a more radical sense, we should include in exploitation its own NEGATION.\u00a0 Those who are permanently rendered unemployed, living outside nations, they are more radically exploited, we need to be aware of the POTENTIAL agent of change is not centrally the employed an exploited working class, it is those PERMANENTLY UNEMPLOYED, and those in 3rd world living in slums.<\/p>\n

Contrary to Fukuyama(ists), capitalism cannot any longer even attain this FORMAL equality.\u00a0 New forms of slavery are required.\u00a0 Z cites taxi drivers from Pakistan working in Dubai.\u00a0 Their passports are taken away, they must work for 5 yrs. living in barracks in the suburbs, sometimes w\/o air-conditioning.\u00a0 More and\u00a0 more in different forms, we are getting signs of this: Capitalism can afford less and less even bourgeois formal freedom.<\/p>\n

On Negri: capitalism is almost communism, more and more with digital organization, bourgoisie is no longer needed for prod’n process.\u00a0 I agree but not in same way.\u00a0 Jean Claude Millner (Enemy and Zionist, Lacanian theorist) he proposed bourgeoisie are more and more non-functional, even for capitalism itself. The typical enterprise is no longer I as owner, exploit you, it is now who is owner? BANKS, the class distinction is between proletarians, and new bourgeoisie, is accorded privileged wages, CEO managers, bonus for managerial work.<\/p>\n

We are in a way approaching capitalism without bourgeoisie, Banks are the OWNERS they are run by managers.\u00a0 Shanghai is new capitalism, but if you measure socialist character of a country by ownership by how much is privately owned, Shanghai is between 80-85% state owned, but at same time most capitalist.\u00a0 Not private owners.<\/p>\n

The thesis of Millner is that we are getting a new bourgeoisie, waged, salaried, managers, lawyers, privileged lawyers, professors, and biggest fear is that they will lose their privileges and be reduced to working class.\u00a0 The system more and more wants to reduce salaried bourgeoisie into working class. \u00a0You get two privileges, either more money or less work. \u00a0For example professors, not paid very well, but you don’t have to work too hard. \u00a0But they are losing these\u00a0privileges. \u00a0The trade off for salaried\u00a0bourgeoisie\u00a0you either get more money or less work.\u00a0 Now they are losing these\u00a0privileges.<\/p>\n

Now it is a privilege to STRIKE<\/strong>.\u00a0 Worker’s Strike in some countries:\u00a0you have privileged state\u00a0bourgeoisie, lawyers, doctors, teachers, to\u00a0strike\u00a0is to distance themselves from ordinary workers.\u00a0 Judges strike and then doctors strike.\u00a0 The strike is becoming a tool of state employed\u00a0bourgeoisie: to increase distance between themselves and ordinary workers. \u00a0It is crazy.\u00a0 Practically only state employees dare to strike.\u00a0 In private sector, owners say go ahead strike and you’re fired! \u00a0The strike now is to maintain privilege. \u00a0This is a sad phenomenon, typical of post-modern capitalism. \u00a0Strike is used to maintain privilege.<\/p>\n

I have a suspicion that some of the Greek protest is part of this strike of state bourgeoisie.\u00a0 Privileged state employees were hit by the crisis and they are protesting.\u00a0 Arab spring, victory of Islamists, shows the same tragic limitation, yes it was a secular rebellion, misread in the west as a Liberal revolution, it was middle class, young people who saw their privileged bourgeoisie threatened. \u00a0The silent majority of really poor people were not mobilized. It wasn’t a rebellion of the really poor.<\/p>\n

The violent protests in England, looting shops, this was something very tragic<\/strong>. We had a rebellion, where you know what you want, it was a ZERO level rebellion. Those looting shops didn’t want anything, didn’t protest injustice towards, immigrants, no they were just looting stores.\u00a0 OK. now you got a post-ideological rebellion, ok a rebellion of disqualified consumers.<\/p>\n

Part 9<\/a><\/p>\n

Wall St. potential limitation. \u00a0The greatest idiot is guy in San Francisco, it’s a hippie event” this is the horror. What I like about OWS, first mass movement not directed against this or that injustice (abortion, peace) but the system as such. \u00a0And even more importantly, a vague insight that the political system, institutionalized multi-party system isn’t strong enough to fix the problem, they will have to be re-invented.<\/p>\n

Beyond this vague negative insight, protesters effectively didn’t have any positive ideas of what to do either: Keynesian economic ideas or Moralism. \u00a0The problem is that the system is in crisis and we don’t have a idea of how to move beyond.<\/p>\n

We need to create a new language. \u00a0The most terrible reaction to wall street was Ann Applebaum. \u00a0She is the wife of Polish politician. \u00a0this is not politics this is simply freedom of expression, they can’t make any proposals, instead of protesting they should engage in real politics. \u00a0Then she says something true: It is true that today’s capitalism is out of control more and more of our democratic system, she openly says globalization has begun to undermine the legitimacy of democratic systems. \u00a0We should just accept this and play the game. \u00a0OWS we SHOULD NOT ACCEPT THIS BLACKMAIL. CHANGE THE RULES OF THE GAME. \u00a0Alain Badiou, the enemy today is not capitalism but democracy. \u00a0The only way to change things is to break out of the way democracy exists today, multi-party system. \u00a0The point is to re-invent the system. we have to think outside the constraints of democracy (legalize, nationalize blah blah). \u00a0When you cannot beat the enemy clinch, the capitalists are clinching, so keep away, time is needed to organize ourselves, don’t get too close.<\/p>\n

But it’s a utopia that things can be changed. \u00a0IMPOSSIBLE: this term is complex and ambiguous. \u00a0What is possible \/ impossible today. Biogenetics and cloning growing new organs, turn psyche into software, everything is possible … \u017di\u017eek tells the story of surgeon, at a certain level everything is possible, but as soon as you approach the economic system even small changes are impossible. \u00a0Anything can happen, it’s easier to imagine the end of the world, asteroids hitting earth, but can’t envision the end of capitalism.<\/p>\n

The lesson of OWS is the true utopia is not that we can have a different society, the true utopia is that things can go on as they are. \u00a0We are approaching some tough decisions, if we do nothing we are in a new authoritarian order (Berlusconi). \u00a0You can have all the private fun but the system will work. The ethics will remain ENJOY and hedonistic ethics, at the same time it will be a controlled regulated society.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

zizek in turkey, pt 6 at 3 min 19 seconds\u00a0 talk in Turkey, January 2012 Zizek just wrote a book on Hegel over 1000 pages book on Hegel. In this talk he also mentions Saroj Giri Crucial for Hegel, the distortion of a notion to a distortion which is part of this notion itself. critique … Continue reading “Hegel definition of Totality”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[100,18,115,76,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8767","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hegel","category-political","category-precarity","category-sub-destitute","category-zizek"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.terada.ca\/discourse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8767","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.terada.ca\/discourse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.terada.ca\/discourse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.terada.ca\/discourse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.terada.ca\/discourse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8767"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.terada.ca\/discourse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8767\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8769,"href":"https:\/\/www.terada.ca\/discourse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8767\/revisions\/8769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.terada.ca\/discourse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.terada.ca\/discourse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.terada.ca\/discourse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}