Bert Olivier
University of the Free State, Philosophy, Faculty Member
- Bert Olivier works as Honorary Professor of Philosophy at the University of the Free State, South Africa. His work is... moreBert Olivier works as Honorary Professor of Philosophy at the University of the Free State, South Africa. His work is interdisciplinary and he has published academic articles and books across a wide variety of disciplines such as philosophy, architecture, literature, psychoanalysis, cinema and social theory, although his home discipline is philosophy. Bert was awarded the Stals Prize for Philosophy by the South African Akademie vir Kuns en Wetenskap in 2004, and a Distinguished Professorship by the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa, in 2012.edit
This paper focuses on the fact that all approaches to education presuppose not only an ideological stance, but also that, at any given time, a certain intellectual or scientific discipline is dominant, where the latter has a significant... more
This paper focuses on the fact that all approaches to education presuppose not only an ideological stance, but also that, at any given time, a certain intellectual or scientific discipline is dominant, where the latter has a significant influence on what is prioritised in education. Attention is given to the debate between Matthew Arnold and T.H. Huxley in the 19th century, where the former was a champion for traditional, humanities-oriented education, and the latter, an evolutionist, promoted the natural sciences. Ironically, Huxley's grandson, Aldous Huxley, while also showing an interest in natural science, balanced that with his literary activities, and - after WW 2 - warned against the possibility that natural science and technology could lay the foundation for political oppression. Attention is also drawn to the irony, that earlier civilisations, like the ancient and the medieval, enjoyed the benefits of a coherent Weltanschauung (picture of the world), whereas our own civilisation, given the increasing complexity of reality as uncovered by especially the natural sciences, seems to find it almost impossible to arrive at a comparably coherent Weltanschauung. In the light of Vaclav Havel's remarks about the contrast between earlier societies and our own in terms of understanding their 'place in the world' - which we seem to be unable to do - it is argued that a holistic approach to education (which is already taking shape in certain quarters) is essential to regaining this much-needed self-understanding. This would also, importantly, equip us with the intellectual means to rebuff the neo-fascist globalist cabal that is attempting to foist a narrow technocratic social order upon us.
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This article approaches the question of the relation between parrhesia (truth-telling or truth-speaking) and (self-)empowerment from the perspective of Michel Foucault’s resurrection of the ancient Greek concept and practice by that name.... more
This article approaches the question of the relation between parrhesia (truth-telling or truth-speaking) and (self-)empowerment from the perspective of Michel Foucault’s resurrection of the ancient Greek concept and practice by that name. This is done to be able to negotiate the present global terrain where there appears to be a dearth of such truth-telling, and an abundance of obfuscation, judging by the available evidence. A distinction is made between ‘truth’ and ‘truth-speaking’, to highlight the fact that parrhesia is not a theory of truth, before a negotiation of Foucault’s text—interspersed with references to other texts and practices—is embarked upon. Foucault took pains to distinguish parrhesia as truth-speaking from instances where one is indeed speaking the truth to an audience or a friend, such as where a lecturer in linguistics is telling her students the truth about linguistic theories. By contrast, parrhesia does not merely instantiate speaking the truth in such a safe, innocuous manner; it involves speaking truth under circumstances where courage in the face of danger is involved—either because one is telling a valued friend the barefaced truth about what is required from them to rescue your mutual friendship (which does not concern me here), or because you are speaking the truth in public and to powerful others, under dangerous circumstances where you take a significant risk by doing so. This, as well as the manifestation of evil, today, is elaborated on before the question is posed: what, if any, therapeutic consequences does such risky truth-telling have for the speaker, and by implication also for the listener(s)? This is pursued in light of Foucault’s observation, that the truth-teller or parrhesiastes takes up a specific relationship to herself—one which is a manifestation of her refusal to be false to herself. This, it is argued, has demonstrable ethical and therapeutic value for the truth-speaker as well as, potentially, for at least some of those who witness the act of truth-telling. In the final analysis it is a practice that cultivates a sense of autonomy and community during ‘fragile times’, such as the present.
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This paper addresses the vexing question of identity in relation to diversity and ‘rhizomatic complexity’ – a phrase that signals its Deleuzo-Guattarian orientation. It is argued that, far from being something that can be comprehended in... more
This paper addresses the vexing question of identity
in relation to diversity and ‘rhizomatic complexity’
– a phrase that signals its Deleuzo-Guattarian
orientation. It is argued that, far from being something
that can be comprehended in unitary substantialist
fashion (that is, as something unified and
forever resistant to change), ‘identity’ can instead
be articulated as a function of the constantly shifting
relations and interrelations between and among
the ‘processes’ comprising the ‘subject’. According
to this rhizomatic conception, the subject – if indeed
it can be called that – comprises an assemblagein-
becoming, whose contours change as it enters
into open-ended processual relations of desiringproduction.
This simply means that Deleuze and Guattari,
complexifying Lacan’s already complex subject
(stretched between the ‘real’, the imaginary and
the symbolic) even further, have theorised a nonsubstantialist
version of it, which accommodates
change as well as intermittent, albeit fleeting, stability.
This allows for a subject that may be described
as identity-in-flux, which means that identity is
not cast in stone, but instead that the rhizomatic,
open-ended structure of the assemblage subject
accommodates reconfigurations of identity, with the
caveat that such reconfigurations cannot instantiate
a leap over the abyss of nothingness to a point that is
rhizomatically untethered to the hitherto temporally
evolved assemblage-subject. This conceptualisation
of the subject has far-reaching implications for,
among other things, cultural and social reorientation
on the part of rhizomatic interrelationality of individual
subjects. Moreover, it exposes social and cultural
‘diversity’ as being prey to a certain mode of
postmodernism, which exacerbates flux and difference to the point where – unlike the poststructuralist models of Lacan and
Deleuze/Guattari – it cannot account for difference while retaining a sense of (admittedly changeable) social ‘identity’ – something that undermines the political function of agency, as demonstrated in the conclusion of the paper.
in relation to diversity and ‘rhizomatic complexity’
– a phrase that signals its Deleuzo-Guattarian
orientation. It is argued that, far from being something
that can be comprehended in unitary substantialist
fashion (that is, as something unified and
forever resistant to change), ‘identity’ can instead
be articulated as a function of the constantly shifting
relations and interrelations between and among
the ‘processes’ comprising the ‘subject’. According
to this rhizomatic conception, the subject – if indeed
it can be called that – comprises an assemblagein-
becoming, whose contours change as it enters
into open-ended processual relations of desiringproduction.
This simply means that Deleuze and Guattari,
complexifying Lacan’s already complex subject
(stretched between the ‘real’, the imaginary and
the symbolic) even further, have theorised a nonsubstantialist
version of it, which accommodates
change as well as intermittent, albeit fleeting, stability.
This allows for a subject that may be described
as identity-in-flux, which means that identity is
not cast in stone, but instead that the rhizomatic,
open-ended structure of the assemblage subject
accommodates reconfigurations of identity, with the
caveat that such reconfigurations cannot instantiate
a leap over the abyss of nothingness to a point that is
rhizomatically untethered to the hitherto temporally
evolved assemblage-subject. This conceptualisation
of the subject has far-reaching implications for,
among other things, cultural and social reorientation
on the part of rhizomatic interrelationality of individual
subjects. Moreover, it exposes social and cultural
‘diversity’ as being prey to a certain mode of
postmodernism, which exacerbates flux and difference to the point where – unlike the poststructuralist models of Lacan and
Deleuze/Guattari – it cannot account for difference while retaining a sense of (admittedly changeable) social ‘identity’ – something that undermines the political function of agency, as demonstrated in the conclusion of the paper.
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This article focuses on the irony, that centuries of development in the arts, architecture, philosophy and science have been turned on its head by a group of unscrupulous billionaire-fascists that values technology, particularly AI, above... more
This article focuses on the irony, that centuries of development in the arts, architecture, philosophy and science have been turned on its head by a group of unscrupulous billionaire-fascists that values technology, particularly AI, above all else. It is argued that, if technology is one-sidedly valorised to the exclusion of the other spheres in which human knowledge, creativity and ingenuity have, for millennia, produced awe-inspiring cultural artifacts, one could hardly continue speaking of 'human' or 'cultural' development. On the contrary, it would be a form of technical barbarism. To support the argument, a brief overview is provided of the cultural heights that have been scaled since the first (Jewish) alphabet, philosophy, literature and art among the ancient Greeks, the Romans, Middle Ages, Renaissance and Modernity, with special emphasis on the contributions of thinkers such as Kant and Hegel, given their importance for the tradition of 'critical' thought. The irony is highlighted, that while Hegel anticipated an 'ethical society' of peers who would resolve differences by rational means (something later transposed to the register of 'communicative action' by Habermas), today one cannot find such a rational approach to conflict anywhere, in the place of which a raw, if disguised, power-grab is being carried out. Finally, the need for a balanced approach to technology is stressed, given Heidegger's warning, that 'only a god can still save us'. Of such an approach there is no sign today, instead of which technology is being used to oppress humanity.
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This article explores the puzzling question, why the majority of people worldwide still seem to be in denial about the global power-grab by the neo-fascists of the WEF and the WHO, despite the abundance of signs to this effect. It briefly... more
This article explores the puzzling question, why the majority of people worldwide still seem to be in denial about the global power-grab by the neo-fascists of the WEF and the WHO, despite the abundance of signs to this effect. It briefly considers two other explanations for this ubiquitous denial, or ignorance, which have been examined on this platform before, namely the psychoanalytical notion of repression (linked to the unconscious) and cognitive dissonance, which is symptomatic of repression. But - in the light of the behaviour of tourists, as recently observed - another explanation is offered here, to wit, the effect of the excessive use of smartphones, which seems to have largely replaced conversation among people. The work of Sherry Turkle and of Bernard Stiegler is enlisted in this regard, with Turkle emphasising the way in which cell phone use among children leads to demonstrable lack of development of the capacity for empathy with others, and Stiegler elaborating on its dissipation of critical attention in favour of intermittent attention-capture by commercial agencies. Finally, the implications of these researchers' findings for the lack of awareness of the growing threat of totalitarian rule, on the part of the smartphone-addicted public, are pointed out.
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We live in a time when 'revolt' in the etymological and philosophical sense that Julia Kristeva has given it, is urgently needed. For Kristeva 'revolt' is not merely 'rebellion' in the political sense, but a movement within either... more
We live in a time when 'revolt' in the etymological and philosophical sense that Julia Kristeva has given it, is urgently needed. For Kristeva 'revolt' is not merely 'rebellion' in the political sense, but a movement within either culture or the individual, to 'return to' oneself, that is, to rediscover what it is that is inalienable from oneself, or one's culture. It is argued that, given the threat of totalitarian control hanging over us at present - largely orchestrated by the neo-fascist globalist cabal of Klaus Schwab and Bill Gates (of hell) - the need for revolt in Kristeva's sense of the term has never been greater. This insight is coupled with another, to wit, that of both Empedocles and Freud, concerning the tension between two (cosmic) forces, namely love and hatred (Empedocles) and Eros and Thanatos (Freud), where sometimes the one, and at other times the other of these forces happens to be dominant. Given that love/Eros is a constructive force, and hatred/Thanatos is a destructive force, it is not difficult to discern in the present the overwhelming destructive effects of hatred/Thanatos, and it is further argued that, in the light of this, the time is overdue for humanity to 'revolt' by returning to the constructive power of love/Eros. Only in this way can the annihilating effects of hatred/Thanatos be effectively counteracted.
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This paper addresses the question of progress, which Bauman links to the confidence that people have to seize the opportunities of the present - as Henry Ford believed - to 'make history today'. It further argues that, unlike the time... more
This paper addresses the question of progress, which Bauman links to the confidence that people have to seize the opportunities of the present - as Henry Ford believed - to 'make history today'. It further argues that, unlike the time when Ford expressed this belief, today we face a different dilemma - not one where we only have to deal with unfavourable economic circumstances, but - incomprehensible as it may seem - where we have to confront the unpalatable truth, that we have to deal with a small coterie of powerful, ultra-rich fascists, hell-bent on destroying most of us - the putative 'useless eaters'. It also elaborates on the task we face in this fraught situation, and how we might 'make history today' by bringing together imagination and reason.
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This paper takes Zygmunt Bauman's question, whether people really want to be free, as its point of departure, noting that sometimes this presupposes liberation. It further problematises this question in the light of Feuchtwanger's... more
This paper takes Zygmunt Bauman's question, whether people really want to be free, as its point of departure, noting that sometimes this presupposes liberation. It further problematises this question in the light of Feuchtwanger's satirical rewriting of an episode from Homer's Odyssey, where Circe changes Odysseus' men into swine, and when Odysseus manages to restore the human form of one of them, gets blamed rudely by the fellow because he relished his porcine existence, in the absence of the burden of freedom and responsibility that being human entails. By referring to personal experiences that mirror this apocryphal account of Homer's story - first in my hometown, and second, at a conference on 'diversity' in Portugal, I lay the groundwork for claiming, finally, that - despite the prodigious threat to human freedom posed by the New World Order (under the name of the WEF) - Bauman and Feuchtwanger seem to be correct, that people don't really want their precious freedom; they are happy just to stay in their presumed 'comfort zone', not realising that even that may be taken from them.
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This paper contrasts the novels - Orwell's '1984' and Huxley's 'Brave New World' - with a view to determining what difference obtains between the repressive dystopia in the former, and the kind of happiness-oriented dystopia... more
This paper contrasts the novels - Orwell's '1984' and Huxley's 'Brave New World' - with a view to determining what difference obtains between the repressive dystopia in the former, and the kind of happiness-oriented dystopia (pseudo-utopia) in Huxley's. This comparison is prompted by Zygmunt Baumann's remark, that there has been a 'dispute' between these two novels for decades. The two novels' respective plots are reconstructed, showing how these two types of dystopia function: '1984' by means of constant surveillance, the inculcation of fear, the enforcement of 'loyalty' to the Party, and so on, and 'Brave New World', by contrast, by means of inducing pseudo-'happiness' in citizens. The latter condition is maintained by means of supplying a drug called 'soma' to citizens, which maintains a condition of equanimity, while preventing extremes such as anger and depression. In 'Brave New World' the character of the Savage (John), who was brought from the savage reservations, becomes a symbol of liberty; he criticises the compliant citizens for taking 'soma', and his rebellion is bound to lead to disaster. The question is posed: what does our present situation resemble - '1984' or 'Brave New World'? Is there outright repression, such as during Covid 'lockdowns', or are there signs that the agencies trying to effect a global power grab make use of strategies analogous to 'keeping people happy' (the equivalent of 'soma'- distribution)? The conclusion is that it is an amalgam of the two, with the WEF's (now removed) 'promise', that 'By 2030 you will own nothing, and you'll be happy', exemplifying the pseudo-utopia/dystopia of Huxley's novel.
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This paper is the third of three on various aspects of nihilism. The present one focuses on the kind of nihilism evident on the part of the globalist 'elites' - who are really, demonstrably, parasites -which I originally intended calling... more
This paper is the third of three on various aspects of nihilism. The present one focuses on the kind of nihilism evident on the part of the globalist 'elites' - who are really, demonstrably, parasites -which I originally intended calling 'cynical nihilism', but after reflecting on the meaning of 'cynical', decided to call 'necro-nihilism' instead, after the neologism coined by Achille Mbembe, namely, 'necro-politics' (the 'politics of death') - an exacerbation of Foucault's 'biopolitics'. By referring to relevant instances, it is argued that the neo-fascists of today exhibit all the tell-tale characteristics of 'necro-nihilists', and that - in the light of a remark by Tucker Carlson on Klaus Schwab and the 'envy' the latter, as well as his ilk, display towards the rest of us - who are capable of building things, which they want to break down - their toxic envy, together with their necro-nihilism, is what motivates them in their attempt at democide and general destruction.
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This article is a sequel to my previous posting - 'Nihilism strikes with a vengeance' - but instead of focusing on the historical aspect of nihilism's development, it elaborates on the different kinds of nihilism distinguished by... more
This article is a sequel to my previous posting - 'Nihilism strikes with a vengeance' - but instead of focusing on the historical aspect of nihilism's development, it elaborates on the different kinds of nihilism distinguished by Nietzsche in The Will to Power, namely radical, passive and active nihilism. It discusses the differences between these, particularly the latter two, providing telling examples to make it more concrete - that is, by linking them to culturally recognisable phenomena. The importance of choosing an 'active' nihilism over its passive counterpart in practice is emphasised and explained. Having covered this terrain, the ground has been prepared for a discussion of the 'cynical nihilism' that made its appearance around 2020, and still develops unabated today.
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This article focuses on the notion of nihilism, that is, 'the belief in nothing', with a view to understanding its provenance and its pervasive manifestation today. Having looked at several 'definitions' of nihilism, Nietzsche's early... more
This article focuses on the notion of nihilism, that is, 'the belief in nothing', with a view to understanding its provenance and its pervasive manifestation today. Having looked at several 'definitions' of nihilism, Nietzsche's early text, The Birth of Tragedy from the Spirit of Music, is succinctly reconstructed to enable one to grasp the grounds of the emergence of nihilism. In particular, Nietzsche's distinction between the Apollonian and the Dionysian in the context of ancient Greek culture - specifically tragedy - shows his conviction that, unless both of these principles are represented in a culture, it will lose its vitality and degenerate - which is what he believes has happened to western culture, given the gradual repression of the Dionyian principle because of the growth of scientism. The historical links between the emergence of modern science and nihilism, as well as between capitalism and nihilism are discussed, before concluding with a reference to the 'cynical nihilism' that made its appearance in the last four-and-a-half years, in the guise of the so-called New World Order's representatives going out of their way to destroy human societies, culture, and people themselves, manifesting a veritable sub-human mentality in the process.
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What is a 'differend'? According to Jean-Francois Lyotard, a 'differend' occurs when two or more parties enter a dispute or have a disagreement on something, and their disagreement is adjudicated by means of a rule or 'phrase' which... more
What is a 'differend'? According to Jean-Francois Lyotard, a 'differend' occurs when two or more parties enter a dispute or have a disagreement on something, and their disagreement is adjudicated by means of a rule or 'phrase' which either only one of the parties, or neither of them, recognises. If this occurs, a 'differend' obtains and an injustice is committed. An example of a 'differend' would be the irresolvable stand-off between holocaust denialist historian, Faurisson, and someone who acknowledges the holocaust. Faurisson argues that the only thing that would convince him that the holocaust actually took place is someone who witnessed the operation of the Nazi gas chambers in operation - that is, someone who died in the process. His opponent naturally states that this is an impossible demand, because such 'witnesses' all perished, and that the existence of such gas chambers today, at Auschwitz and Dachau, for example, is sufficient to prove that the holocaust took place. The 'differend' between them cannot be resolved, because each refuses to recognise the other's criterion of judgment. It is further argued that today, we are witnesss to the most widespread of 'differends' in history - that between those who believed the orchestrators of the 'pandemic', including the reasons for lockdowns, social distancing, masking and the promotion of Covid 'vaccination', on the one hand, and those who resisted the drive to submit to all these things. This manifests itself in the irresolvable disagreements between friends, family and colleagues, as well as at the level of the media, between the 'mainstream' media and the alternative media. However, if this 'differend' cannot be resolved, what would make it disappear? This question is tentatively answered towards the end of the present article.
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This article addresses what increasingly seems to be something of grave concern - the threat of an outbreak of avian (bird) influenza among humans. Although naturally occurring bird flu has not posed a risk to humans in the past, the fact... more
This article addresses what increasingly seems to be something of grave concern - the threat of an outbreak of avian (bird) influenza among humans. Although naturally occurring bird flu has not posed a risk to humans in the past, the fact that a person was recently diagnosed with it in Texas, is symptomatic of the fact that the virus has probably mutated, and the question is raised, whether this was done in a laboratory under 'gain of function' pretexts. The work of the Ice Age Farmer on such research that was done at the University of Wisconsin (Madison) provides valuable resources to answer this question, and the answers are reason for concern, if not outrage. This is because it appears that the research team funded by (who else?) Bill Gates managed to combine a bird flu virus with its swine flu counterpart, and as if this was not already going too far, splicing a human gene segment into this hybrid virus - one that gives the virus the ability to bypass the human immune system. If one considers that the constructed virus is said to have a 10% to 50% mortality rate, it surpasses comprehension that such research was allowed to happen. (Covid's mortality rate was less than 1%.) All of this is discussed in light of the question, what would motivate anyone calling themselves human to engage in such superfluous and dangerous research, which has been roundly condemned by the scientific community, given its 'potential' (nudge nudge, wink wink) to spill over to humans.
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It is with a heavy heart, but a hopeful spirit, that I write this. After all, it is not easy to acknowledge that one stands in a historical place where one is able to glimpse nothing less than the possible, but fortunately not probable,... more
It is with a heavy heart, but a hopeful spirit, that I write this. After all, it is not easy to acknowledge that one stands in a historical place where one is able to glimpse nothing less than the possible, but fortunately not probable, demise of a society characterised by the predominance of freedom. In what follows, I address the difference between courage and cowardice, highlighting the urgency to find courage in oneself despite being afraid, which is only human. I also remind readers of the urgency of taking a stand in favour of freedom and against the current batch of oppressors at the WEF, the WHO and the UN, who hide behind platitudes of beneficence, while plotting to enslave the rest of humanity and depopulate the planet into the bargain. I supply sufficient sources where evidence of my claims can be acessed. Read the whole 'open letter' and distribute it to others - there is not much time left before the prison-gates close behind and around us.
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This article reflects on the recent Kant 300 Congress in Kaliningrad, Russia, (which commemorated the 300th anniversary of the philosopher's birth in that city when it was still Koenigsberg), where I presented a paper on Kant's 'Perpetual... more
This article reflects on the recent Kant 300 Congress in Kaliningrad, Russia, (which commemorated the 300th anniversary of the philosopher's birth in that city when it was still Koenigsberg), where I presented a paper on Kant's 'Perpetual Peace' and the NATO/Ukraine - Russia conflict. It also comments on other papers delivered at the congress, and on conditions in Russia that belie the West's claims about that country, and on signs that Russia is decidedly NOT part of the New World Order.
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Can one learn anything about how to govern from the ancient Greek philosopher, Plato? This article argues that one can indeed, specifically concerning Plato's conviction that one should have knowledge of the composition and functioning of... more
Can one learn anything about how to govern from the ancient Greek philosopher, Plato? This article argues that one can indeed, specifically concerning Plato's conviction that one should have knowledge of the composition and functioning of the human soul (psuche), to be able to govern well and to the advantage of the people. Unless one has such knowledge, you cannot know the people's capacities and needs , nor those on the part of the rulers. Plato argues that the soul comprises three distinct, interdependent 'parts' - reason, spirit and appetite or desire. The first is symbolised by a charioteer, and the second and third by two horses which pull the chariot. The first one is obedient and supports the will of the charioteer, while the second is very strong and disobedient; without the help of the obedient, but spirited horse the charioteer would not be able to master the strong, disobedient horse of desire. When the charioteer of reason, assisted by the horse of spirit, controls the horse of appetite, Plato calls the soul 'just', and in harmony with itself. In his Republic, he maps this model of the individual soul on to the collective (the polis or city-state), arguing that the rulers (guardians or philosopher-kings) exemplify reason, the protectors (soldiers and navy) represent spirit, and the producing (commercial) class stands for desire. The state is a 'just' polis if the guardians, assisted by the protectors, can keep the sometimes overwhelming appetite of the commercial class in check. Against this backdrop it is argued that today, too, so-called 'rulers' require knowledge of the people whom they govern, BUT with different intent, compared to Plato's in the Republic. While Plato set out the prerequisites for GOOD governance, which would be in the interest of BOTH the ruled and the rulers, today one is witness to the employment of a kind of technological psychology, or psy-ops, based on knowledge of the means to manipulate and control populations worldwide - and this is done, NOT with the benefit of the people in mind; on the contrary, the aim is totalitarian control. Examples of such instances of psy-ops are provided to substantiate the argument of the article.
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This article focuses on instances of action on the part of people who have developed so-called Covid 'vaccines', among other things, to ascertain whether they are compatible with Immanuel Kant's 'categorical imperative', the crown jewel... more
This article focuses on instances of action on the part of people who have developed so-called Covid 'vaccines', among other things, to ascertain whether they are compatible with Immanuel Kant's 'categorical imperative', the crown jewel of his deontological moral philosophy. The categorical imperative states that one should always act in such a manner that the maxim, or motivating principle of one's action may be elevated to a universal law for all rational (human) beings. This, and this alone, determines the moral goodness of actions. This contrasts with consequentialist moral philosophy, which argues that the goodness of the consequences of actions determines whether actions are morally justifiable. Attention is subsequently given to studies which reveal that there is a strong correlation between high mortality rates among people in a certain age bracket in the UK and the fact of them having received the Covid 'vaccines', in contrast with a much lower death rate among those people in the same age category who did not receive the 'shot'. The ineluctable conclusion is that the actions on the part of those involved with the development and manufacturing of these pseudo-vaccines are not morally justifiable because their motivating maxim cannot be regarded as a universal moral law for all of humanity.
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This article addresses the critically important issue of the WHO's attempt to gain totalitarian control over all the nations of the world, by persuading governments to accept the proposed amendments to their international health... more
This article addresses the critically important issue of the WHO's attempt to gain totalitarian control over all the nations of the world, by persuading governments to accept the proposed amendments to their international health regulations. If they succeed, all member nations (more than 190, if memory serves) would lose their sovereignty, which would be usurped by the WHO. That this is a nightmare to be avoided at all costs, is here argued by enlisting the work of Hannah Arendt on totalitarianism in her monumental study, 'The Origins of Totalitarianism', and the parallels between her characterisation and what we have already experienced during the Covid 'pandemic' are pointed out. Against this backdrop, reflecting on the looming possibility that the WHO may succeed in getting compliant nations to accept the proposed amendments to their health regulations, yields greater insight into the concrete effects this would have. And these aren’t pretty, to say the least. In a nutshell, it means that this unelected organisation would have the authority to proclaim lockdowns and ‘medical (or health) emergencies,’ as well as mandatory ‘vaccinations’ at the whim of the WHO’s Director-General, reducing the freedom to traverse space freely to ironclad spatial confinement in one fell swoop. This is what ‘total terror’ (as explained by Arendt) would mean. It is my fervent hope that something can still be done to avert this imminent nightmare.
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The ancient Greek philosopher, Plato, wrote an allegory in Book 7 of the 'Republic' , where he depicts a group of beings sitting with their backs to a cave entrance, facing the cave wall, and with their necks chained so that they cannot... more
The ancient Greek philosopher, Plato, wrote an allegory in Book 7 of the 'Republic' , where he depicts a group of beings sitting with their backs to a cave entrance, facing the cave wall, and with their necks chained so that they cannot turn around. behind them is a road with creatures and objects moving along it; behind the road there is a huge fire, and further on there is the cave entrance, with the sun shining outside. The fire casts the shadows of the creatures moving on the road against the cave wall, and the cave dwellers talk about these as if it is the only reality there is. One of the cave inhabitants succeeds in freeing herself from the chains around her neck and makes her way to the entrance of the cave, where she is amazed by the bright sunlight and colourful world outside. She returns to the cave where she wants to share the exciting news with her erstwhile community, but as Plato indicates, she may have a problem because the 'cave language' is attuned to shadows, and any words she invents to describe a world never seen by the others would seem like the ravings of a madwoman to them. Consequently, she would probably be regarded as being insane, ostracised, and possibly even killed. Plato's point (paradoxically) is that there is a difference between sensory perception and the objects of thought. Examples of historical individuals who have dispelled various shadows are discussed. A parallel is drawn between Plato's myth and the present , with the reminder that, today, in addition to the fact that perception sometimes deceives one, an additional layer of deliberately distorting information in the form of images and texts is added to the observational world by powerful media agencies, and one therefore requires a specific mode of critical thinking to disabuse oneself of these mendacious images and other information. Examples of contemporary 'shadows' are provided.
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The article focuses on the recent decision by the U.S. House of Representatives, to ban the short video-App, TikTok, putatively because the Chinese government is using it to spy on American users, and to manipulate their thinking and... more
The article focuses on the recent decision by the U.S. House of Representatives, to ban the short video-App, TikTok, putatively because the Chinese government is using it to spy on American users, and to manipulate their thinking and behaviour. Attention is given to the eloquent speech made in the House by representative Thomas Massie (R) of Kentucky, in which he spells out the ludicrousness of such a ban, deemed 'urgent', while - on the other hand - the pressing issue of thousands of illegal immigrants crossing the borders into the U.S. is ignored. Reference is also made to Senator Rand Paul's accurate debunking of the claims made in the House regarding TikTok, including the fact that the company is not even owned by China. More worryingly, however, Paul highlights the fact that such a ban, should it come into effect, would be the thin edge of the wedge, as it were, of potentially unrestrainable dictatorship by the American president, because the bill is formulated in such a way that, at the president's whim, websites and internet platforms - such as X, BitChute and Rumble, or the Joe Rogan Show - could be banned on the basis of spurious claims that they are under the control of 'foreign adversaries'. The parallel between this state of affairs and the looming possibility of a new McCarthyism raising its ugly head is pointed out, focusing on the fact that, like the 'witch hunts' presided over by Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s, where people were persecuted with no regard for fairness or adequate evidence, the TikTok ban could unleash a comparable, if not worse, persecution of American companies and individuals without any consideration of their Constitution-guaranteed rights of freedom of expression. Should the Senate corroborate the decision of the House, McCarthyism on steroids may be in the offing.
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This article highlights the necessity, under current circumstances of great urgency, to be ruthlessly open to friends and family (and even strangers) about the ongoing, sustained attempt, by the WEF, the WHO and the UN, to install a... more
This article highlights the necessity, under current circumstances of great urgency, to be ruthlessly open to friends and family (and even strangers) about the ongoing, sustained attempt, by the WEF, the WHO and the UN, to install a totalitarian world state in the place of nation states as they exist today. Instead of (for reasons of 'considering people's feelings') desisting from being forthright about every aspect of this psychopathic power-grab - from the engineering of the plandemic, with its concomitant 'vaccine' mandates, to the controlled collapse of the world economy and the war in Ukraine and Gaza, and, most disturbing of all, the accompanying depopulation programme through democide - one should resolutely expose those around you to relevant evidence gleaned from alternative sources of information. Examples are provided of information that is not subject to the censorship that is routinely applied to the mainstream media.
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Focusing on Bernard Stiegler's work on stupidity in the 21st century, this article discusses the relation between such stupidity and knowledge as an instance of a 'pharmakon' - poison and cure at the same time - where knowledge is, there... more
Focusing on Bernard Stiegler's work on stupidity in the 21st century, this article discusses the relation between such stupidity and knowledge as an instance of a 'pharmakon' - poison and cure at the same time - where knowledge is, there is stupidity, and vice versa. This constitutes what Stiegler calls a 'pharmacological situation', which bears careful analysis. Instances of 'stupidity' on the part of people, for example, concerning the (by now) obvious lie (given the many studies that have demonstrated the opposite), that the Covid-'vaccines' are 'safe and effective', are adduced. The relevance of this is further elucidated by pointing to the egregious failure, on the part of most philosophers, to speak up in the face of a global attempt to install a totalitarian regime (a specific kind of stupidity), and linking this to 'repression' in the psychoanalytic sense, as well as to 'cognitive dissonance', which is symptomatic of repression. Although stupidity in the face of the neo-fascist attempt at a power-grab is still widespread, in the final analysis knowledge appears to be in the ascendant. It is important to realise, however, that according to the law of the pharmakon, the fight against such stupidity is never-ending.
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This paper addresses the issue of contemporary technology, in the guise of the mainly internet-based media, as 'pharmaka' (plural of 'pharmakon'), which means that they are simultaneously a poison and a cure. It takes its cue from Andrew... more
This paper addresses the issue of contemporary technology, in the guise of the mainly internet-based media, as 'pharmaka' (plural of 'pharmakon'), which means that they are simultaneously a poison and a cure. It takes its cue from Andrew Feenberg's contention, that, 'once inside the machine' - which 19th- and 20th-century dystopians could not foresee, people could start practicing a 'politics of technology. That this is happening today, is demonstrated by discussing the contemporary mainstream media as manifestation of the 'poison' aspect of the 'pharmakon', and alternative media as expression of its 'cure' aspect, explaining why this does not merely reflect a bias in favour of the latter. Before elaborating on instances of these two countervailing practices, however, a telling example of the 'pharmakon' from Jacques Derrida's work is discussed - one that pertains to 'Plato's Pharmacy' (Derrida) and the ancient Greek's paradoxical valorisation of speech (cure) above writing (poison) in the 'Phaedrus'. It is then demonstrated, by means of paradigmatic examples, how the legacy media systematically and poisonously distort, or obfuscate, newsworthy occurrences in the world, while the alternative media provide therapeutic, substantiating evidence for its own (usually) contrary claims. This explains, in the final analysis, why the so-called 'Davos elites' complain that they 'no longer own the news'.
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This article takes a look at the attitudes of the mega-rich, so-called 'elites' (or what I would call 'parasites') towards ordinary people. Through a discussion of the difference between 'ethical' and 'moral' - which are usually employed... more
This article takes a look at the attitudes of the mega-rich, so-called 'elites' (or what I would call 'parasites') towards ordinary people. Through a discussion of the difference between 'ethical' and 'moral' - which are usually employed as synonyms, but which are, strictly speaking, not interchangeable - it is disclosed that the 'elites' may indeed claim to be acting 'ethically'. That is, that their actions are in accordance with a specific (perverted) 'ethos', which has to do with what they term the (not so) 'great reset' and its deplorable concomitant features. Having explained the differences between 'ethical' and 'moral' with reference to Hegel, Kant and Habermas, in order to demonstrate that even members of a collective such as the 'New World Order' cannot hide behind its (in this case perverse) 'ethos', but instead remain morally (albeit not ethically) culpable for their reprehensible deeds, this claim is illustrated through a discussion of the late Stanley Kubrick's last masterpiece, the noir film, 'Eyes Wide Shut'. The narrative of the latter film foregrounds in no uncertain terms, as a scrupulous analysis indicates, the contempt that the super-wealthy have for us 'ordinary' mortals, and also that, although they may appeal to a particular 'ethical' mission of sorts, they cannot escape the universal 'moral' implications of their unforgivable deeds.
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This article focuses on the pertinence of Gilles Deleuze's prescient article, 'Postscript on the societies of control', of the 1990s, for the present exacerbation of (technological) control throughout the world. Deleuze contrasted such... more
This article focuses on the pertinence of Gilles Deleuze's prescient article, 'Postscript on the societies of control', of the 1990s, for the present exacerbation of (technological) control throughout the world. Deleuze contrasted such societies of control with what Michel Foucault had analysed as 'carceral' societies of discipline, and pointed out that even at the time of writing his essay, societies had already moved into the phase of 'societies of control'. Deleuze also remarked on the relative ease with which people can be controlled through debt, as opposed to the disciplinary modes of control noted by Foucault. The uncanny way in which Deleuze (and his colleague, Guattari) anticipated the kinds of control imposed on citizens today, is elaborated upon, before concluding with a reference to Jacques Lacan's distinction between 'the mugger's choice' and 'the revolutionary's choice', and noting its extraordinary relevance for the difficult choice people face today.
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Via a discussion of Ad Verbrugge's book De Gezagskrisis (The Crisis of Authority, 2023), the historical and cultural grounds of the waning of (the grounds of) authority are explored in this article. The four questions guiding Verbrugge's... more
Via a discussion of Ad Verbrugge's book De Gezagskrisis (The Crisis of Authority, 2023), the historical and cultural grounds of the waning of (the grounds of) authority are explored in this article. The four questions guiding Verbrugge's research are briefly discussed, before reviewing the changes that have taken place since the 1960s, leading up to today, and specifying what Verbrugge sees as the significant events that gradually hollowed out the traditional grounds of authority vested in governance structures. The 1960s are characterised as a kind of watershed, with the cultural rejection (by the hippie generation) of the older generation's values, while the 1970s saw a hardening of divergent views into ideological opposites. The 1980s, in turn, marked a return to 'business as usual', laying the basis for the advent of the network society in the 1990s. The early 2000s, marked by 9/11, saw an 'external' rejection of western values and authority, while the 2008 financial crisis signalled the internal, systemic threat to these, with the financial 'system' manifesting itself as the new source of 'decision making', replacing the representative structures of democratic governance. Verbrugge identifies the Covid 'pandemic' as indicative of a 'crack in the system', showing how all those traditionally authoritative democratic institutions finally 'lost' their authority.
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The work that I wish to concentrate on here, Perpetual Peace, is situated at least in the converging fields of (international and constitutional) law and politics. Given its date of publication (1795), Kant's preceding works may all... more
The work that I wish to concentrate on here, Perpetual Peace, is situated at least in the converging fields of (international and constitutional) law and politics. Given its date of publication (1795), Kant's preceding works may all safely be said to have prepared his thinking for the progressive ideas expressed there, but to disclose the specific threads that connect each of these 12 preceding works with Perpetual Peace would require far more than a mere article. For this reason, I have confined myself largely to drawing such connections between the latter work and Kant's seminal (and famous) essay, What is Enlightenment? (1784) before elaborating on Perpetual Peace and its implications for the current global situation, which will, therefore, also have to be reconstructed, unavoidably, from my own perspective. This article, therefore, addresses the question of "lasting" world peace through the lens of Kant's essay on the conditions for "perpetual peace." This is done by listing each of the six "Preliminary Articles" and three "Definitive Articles" stated by Kant, in turn, and comparing their respective requirements to current events in the extant world, specifically those surrounding the Russia-Ukraine/NATO conflict. It is demonstrated that, although Kant admitted that the principles he listed comprised an "ideal", the present era marks a set of conditions further removed from lasting peace than ever before.
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This paper focuses on an emblematic encounter between philosophy and psychoanalysis in the guise of a textual analysis that demonstrates the tension between two (philosophical) texts by Slavoj Žižek, through what is omitted from one of... more
This paper focuses on an emblematic encounter between philosophy and psychoanalysis in the guise of a textual analysis that demonstrates the tension between two (philosophical) texts by Slavoj Žižek, through what is omitted from one of them, on the one hand, and some psychoanalytical texts, on the other. Employing Lacanian psychoanalytic theory, one can uncover a curious blind spot on Žižek's part regarding the prevailing social and political context of 'lockdowns' and 'vaccinations'which arguably signal the attempt to execute a global coup d'etat by the 'New World Order'by identifying lacunae in Žižek's second text, which are symptomatic of what Freud called 'negation', and which Lacan relates to the 'censored chapter' of the subject's life story. One can regard these omissions as symptomatic of repressing knowledge of disturbing events in the extant world, given Žižek's well-known ability to offer trenchant criticism of any action he deems deserving of it.
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Today, risk has been multiplied and exacerbated beyond anything that even Ulrich Beck's work on 'risk society' seemed to suggest when first published, although with hindsight one can detect traces of the excessive risks of the present,... more
Today, risk has been multiplied and exacerbated beyond anything that even Ulrich Beck's work on 'risk society' seemed to suggest when first published, although with hindsight one can detect traces of the excessive risks of the present, centred on the Covid-19 'pandemic', in his prognostications. Setting aside the contribution of Anthony Giddens to the social theory of the 'risk society', this paper concentrates on the work of Beck instead, with a view to mining it heuristically for a better comprehension of the risks unleashed by the Covid-19 'pandemic' and everything associated with it. It is argued that, despite sharing the denominator of 'technological', compared to the kinds of risk distinguished by Beck, those introduced by the 'pandemic', lockdowns, Covid 'vaccines', and in their wake, economic hardship, to mention only some, are of a different, more deleterious order altogether. If, in contrast with the society of wealth-distribution (through goods), the 'risk society' was recognisable by the (by-)production and distribution of hazards such as toxic contaminants, pollution and climate-changing emissions, today society seems to be facing something far worse, namely the production of potentially, if not actually, lethal substances and conditions. If the hazards of risk society were seen as preventable (compared to 'natural' perils)after all, they were socially produced and exacerbated (or sometimes moderated) by economic and cultural practices one might expect that it would be the case with those faced today, too. This, it turns out, is highly improbable, largely because growing evidence suggests that most of the 'ultra-risks' that have emerged of late have been produced intentionally, or by design, and that it is too late to undo most of them, although others may be prevented. What Beck argued, namely that the potential for cataclysm was increasing, has been exacerbated beyond what could have been expected under ‘normal’ risk-conditions. Ironically, under these conditions the uncertainties of science in the face of unpredictable risk, which were highlighted by Beck, have made way for contrary, ideological claims concerning the ‘certainties’ of ‘the science’ in relation to COVID-19. These and other aspects of ‘pandemic’ society, are addressed through the lenses of Beck’s work on risk society, raising the fraught question of the possible extinction of humanity.
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This article focuses on evidence that Bill Gates and the WEF are attempting to increase the levels of technological control over people to the nth degree, by introducing flying microchips that can monitor people's mind-activity in case... more
This article focuses on evidence that Bill Gates and the WEF are attempting to increase the levels of technological control over people to the nth degree, by introducing flying microchips that can monitor people's mind-activity in case they might commit a 'thought crime'. Add to this Gates's patenting of the human body as a source of (electrical) power, and the totalising technological project of the NWO is clear. In light of the capacity of science fiction to anticipate real-world scientific and technological developments, several science fiction movies are discussed, to highlight their capacity to cast light on present developments. These include Spielberg's 'Minority Report', the Wachowski's 'The Matrix', and Niccol's 'In Time', all of which illuminate specific aspects of the current attempt to gain technical control over humanity. The work of Jean-Francois Lyotard is enlisted to show how this quest for technical control is related to what Lyotard called 'the inhuman' in his eponymous book, stressing that the first sense of this phrase is here intended, namely the 'inhuman system of (technological) development'. However, the second sense of the 'inhuman' - what Lyotard associates with 'the savage soul of childhood' - may be understood as the psychic bulwark against any attempt to 'colonise' the psyche, effectively comprising the source of the human capacity for revolt against systems such as the one currently being deployed against people globally. In short, paradoxically the latter kind of 'inhuman' (lodged in 'the secret part of the human soul') can rescue our humanity from the clutches of the other kind of 'inhuman', with its imperatives of technical control of humanity.
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Today, risk has been multiplied and exacerbated beyond anything that even Ulrich Beck’s work on ‘risk society’ seemed to suggest when first published, although – with hindsight – one can detect traces of the excessive risks of the... more
Today, risk has been multiplied and exacerbated beyond anything that even Ulrich Beck’s work on ‘risk society’ seemed to suggest when first published, although – with hindsight – one can detect traces of the excessive risks of the present, centred on the Covid-19 ‘pandemic’, in his prognostications. This paper concentrates on the work of Beck, with a view to mining it heuristically for a better comprehension of the risks unleashed by the Covid-19 ‘pandemic’ and everything associated with it. It is argued that, despite sharing the denominator of ‘technological’, compared to the kinds of risk distinguished by Beck, those introduced by the ‘pandemic’, lockdowns, Covid ‘vaccines’, and in their wake, economic hardship – to mention only some – are of a different, more deleterious order altogether. If, in contrast with the society of wealth-distribution (through goods), the ‘risk society’ was recognisable by the (by-)production and distribution of hazards such as toxic contaminants, pollution and climate-changing emissions, today society seems to be facing something far worse, namely the production of potentially, if not actually, lethal substances and conditions.
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This article addresses the question, whether there is sufficient evidence in the public domain to conclude whether Bill Gates is a psychopath in the clinical sense of the word. It reviews various news and commentary sources to be able to... more
This article addresses the question, whether there is sufficient evidence in the public domain to conclude whether Bill Gates is a psychopath in the clinical sense of the word. It reviews various news and commentary sources to be able to answer the question, and then compares the available evidence with the description of psychopathy and sociopathy in the Oxford Dictionary of Psychology. The differences and similarities between these two psychic conditions are noted, before concluding that Gates is a textbook example of a psychopath, while simultaneously exhibiting some of the characteristics of a sociopath as well.
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The question is raised here, where Russia - or more specifically, Vladimir Putin - stands regarding the ongoing attempt, by the so-called Davos 'elites', to enslave the people of the world in a global totalitarian state. To be able to... more
The question is raised here, where Russia - or more specifically, Vladimir Putin - stands regarding the ongoing attempt, by the so-called Davos 'elites', to enslave the people of the world in a global totalitarian state. To be able to answer this, several instances are adduced which arguably indicate that Putin is not only opposed to the WEF and its deadly programme, but that he is actively fighting it through the agencies at his disposal. While acknowledging that these signs of his antagonism to the WEF may be red herrings, I believe the weight of evidence points in a contrary direction. Brief mention is also made of the work of Aleksander Dugin, an important Russian philosopher and Putin's friend, which seems to influence Putin's valorisation of traditional values in opposition to the attempt by the WEF, to undermine these through, among other things, the 'woke' movement.
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This articles is a response to a question put to me by a reader, concerning the possible causes of estrangement between adult children and their parents, a phenomenon that has become fairly widespread in the US. He sent me the link to an... more
This articles is a response to a question put to me by a reader, concerning the possible causes of estrangement between adult children and their parents, a phenomenon that has become fairly widespread in the US. He sent me the link to an article in which this issue is addressed with reference to several such cases, and to the advice given to parents who are suffering and at their wits' end. Having reflected on the matter, it struck me that the cultural phenomenon of 'wokeism', woke culture or woke ideology could be related to the alienation between parents and their adult children. Hence, the article explains the difference between wokeism as ideology and as discourse, draws on the experience of an anonymous PhD in the US who was initially interested in 'Critical Social Justice' - as wokeism is called in US academia - but eventually became disillusioned by it when she was at the receiving end of woke colleagues' ire, in the face of her defending reason, science and freedom of speech, among other things. Some misunderstandings regarding wokeism are also discussed - specifically in relation to Marxism and postmodernism, before presenting an argument about the possible link between three decades of wokeism at American universities, its entry into mainstream culture and the phenomenon of estrangement pertaining to a significant number of parents and their adult offspring.
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This article reviews David Webb's disturbing, but crucially informative book, The Great Taking (2023), in which he unpacks in documentary detail the plan - more than 50 years in the making - on the part of the financial 'elites', to use... more
This article reviews David Webb's disturbing, but crucially informative book, The Great Taking (2023), in which he unpacks in documentary detail the plan - more than 50 years in the making - on the part of the financial 'elites', to use legislation in subtle, covert ways, to steal everything they own from 'ordinary' people. The unfolding of the plan has now progressed so far that it could happen very suddenly. If this sounds far-fetched, don't believe me; read the book, which can be downloaded free through the link I provide in the review, and spread the link as far as you can; the more people know about this, and can prepare by safeguarding their money (buying gold, silver, etc. and storing it safely), the better. It could even be averted, but ONLY if sufficient numbers of people resist the plan. Webb, who is a financial expert with decades of experience, does not mince his words or pull his punches in this articulate, well-documented disclosure of what has been planned in light of the unavoidable collapse of the present financial system, which the 'elites' want to replace with a centralised, digital system, where CBDCs will replace money, locking people in a digital prison. I cannot provide more particulars here; you will have to read the review.
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The paradoxical nature of hope is addressed in this paper, by drawing on the work of the philosopher of hope, Ernst Bloch, who links this affect with the idea of utopia in his work. Bloch contrasts hope with hopelessness, which undermines... more
The paradoxical nature of hope is addressed in this paper, by drawing on the work of the philosopher of hope, Ernst Bloch, who links this affect with the idea of utopia in his work. Bloch contrasts hope with hopelessness, which undermines one's motivation, to do the 'work of hope' by engaging with the world of becoming. The astonishing resemblance between many of Bloch's pronouncements about hope, and the fraught time in which we live is noted, with reference to specific instances of actions on the part of the neo-fascist technocrats that are almost tangibly aimed at undermining hope. A cinematic detour provides a concrete illustration of how hope and hopelessness correlate with experiencing the future as open, and as closed or predetermined. The films in question are the first two of James Cameron's Terminator movies, which are paradigmatic in embodying the grounds of hope for an open future where humanity is no longer robbed of hope.
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The present article attempts to demonstrate that Jacques Lacan's notion of the human subject provides the conceptual resources to come to a better understanding of addiction-a particularly intractable phenomenon, judging by the number of... more
The present article attempts to demonstrate that Jacques Lacan's notion of the human subject provides the conceptual resources to come to a better understanding of addiction-a particularly intractable phenomenon, judging by the number of theoretical approaches to it. The structure of the subject in terms of the three 'orders' of the 'real', the 'imaginary', and the 'symbolic', according to Lacan, is briefly discussed as a necessary backdrop to the discussion that follows. It is argued that, because the ego is for Lacan an imaginary construct, one would look in vain to it for 'ego stability' to overcome addiction, and that it is to the 'je' ('I') of the symbolic that one should turn instead. The function of desire, and its relation to excess, are noted, before exploring the latter concept in relation to jouissance in two contexts. The first relates to jouissance, trauma, the 'real', prohibition, and transgression, and the second to jouissance, repetition, masochism, and the death instinct. These articulations of jouissance are subsequently employed to arrive at formulating possible therapeutic interventions, which are then, in turn, related to the role of the 'talking cure' in the symbolic register. To conclude, the question of power relations in political terms, and the implications of living in a capitalist society are briefly indicated.
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This paper attempts to uncover the probable intention behind the making of the recent 'disaster film', 'Leave the World Behind', by scrutinising some of its scene-sequences as well as some relevant information concerning the involvement... more
This paper attempts to uncover the probable intention behind the making of the recent 'disaster film', 'Leave the World Behind', by scrutinising some of its scene-sequences as well as some relevant information concerning the involvement of the Obamas (as producers) in the film's provenance. Of particular interest are reports concerning the enthusiasm of the erstwhile president of the US, to provide 'notes' to its director (Sam Esmail), on shifting it in a more 'realistic' direction, as well as the latter's reported anxiety about working with Obama. It is argued that the symptomatic 'giveaway' of the intention behind the film's appearance is the sentence uttered by the character, GH, to Clay, viz., 'Whoever started this, wants us to finish it' (an obvious allusion to the civil strife that would probably erupt after a widespread cyberattack and the chaos it would cause), something also stressed by Karen Kingston. Far from being a direct admission of any intention driving the movie's production - which could easily be denied, given the number of red herrings in the plot, anyway - a more careful analysis of 'Leave the World Behind', along the lines of what Jacques Lacan called 'the lure' (deception, or tricking), discloses its sophisticated character as a 'double' lure of the kind that the young child engages in with its mother. Freud inimitably epitomised this in the 'double-deception' joke he told about two Polish Jews on a train. The result? Lacan enables one to perceive this ostensible disaster movie as a 'double lure or deception': 'they tell us that they are planning a cyberattack, knowing that we shall think they are doing this to hide their real intent, but in fact they ARE planning such an attack'. And this is no joke.
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Taking a bizarre statue of a man on a headless, handless brute's shoulders in the city of Prague as its point of departure, this paper sets out to demonstrate the accuracy of three historical figures' diagnosis of the human condition as... more
Taking a bizarre statue of a man on a headless, handless brute's shoulders in the city of Prague as its point of departure, this paper sets out to demonstrate the accuracy of three historical figures' diagnosis of the human condition as absurd and irrational - the three figures being absurdist writer Franz Kafka, irrationalist philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer and the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud. In Kafka's work the absurdity and alienation of human life are explored, for example in his novel, The Trial, where the accused cannot even discover what he is accused of. In Schopenhauer's work one encounters a rejection of the rationalist tradition of western philosophy, on the grounds of Schopenhauer's belief, that humans are driven by the irrational, blind, will instead. Freud, in turn, corroborates this by showing that primordial instincts located at the level of the Id more often than not upend the Ego's attempts to act rationally. The claim that these thinkers' work has come home to roost in the present era is demonstrated by scrutinising three relevant recent instances which seem to confirm, unambiguously, the irrationality of supposedly 'rational' human beings. Two of these exemplary cases pertain to the judiciary, while one has to do with so-called 'gain-of-(lethal)-function' virological research.
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In his seminar on the four discourses, Lacan seemed to group capitalism under the heading of the ‘discourse of the university’, but a few years later, in the Milan lecture, he changed his mind and characterized it as discursively... more
In his seminar on the four discourses, Lacan seemed to group capitalism under the heading of the ‘discourse of the university’, but a few years later, in the Milan lecture, he changed his mind and characterized it as discursively ‘hysterical’, in this way providing a powerful ‘methodological’ conceptual configuration for the analysis, and ultimately, intellectual strategies for the subversion of capitalist practices (although some have raised doubts about this). Several other texts, including Naomi Klein’s recent book, The Shock Doctrine, which outlines her assessment of the phase (in the history of capitalism) known as ‘disaster capitalism’, on the other hand, provides just the kind of information and insight to help one put Lacan’s theory to work. This paper is an attempt to understand how this could happen (and is perhaps already happening).
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This book chapter explores the many ways in which neoliberal capitalism inflicts violence upon society and the concrete lives of people. Starting with an explanation of 'neoliberal capitalism' (Harvey, McChesney, Foroohar), it focuses on... more
This book chapter explores the many ways in which neoliberal capitalism inflicts violence upon society and the concrete lives of people. Starting with an explanation of 'neoliberal capitalism' (Harvey, McChesney, Foroohar), it focuses on different manifestations of violence, as seen through the work of, among others, Hardt and Negri, Naomi Klein, Slavoj Žižek, David Harvey and Manuel Castells. It is edited by Chris Jones of Stellenbosch University, South Africa.
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The present is a time of unmitigated nihilism. This statement is unpacked, first, by using Nietzsche's distinction between three types of nihilism, namely radical, passive and active nihilism, respectively, where the first denotes the... more
The present is a time of unmitigated nihilism. This statement is unpacked, first, by using Nietzsche's distinction between three types of nihilism, namely radical, passive and active nihilism, respectively, where the first denotes the realisation that nothing has intrinsic value, because everything valued is the result of conventional practices and beliefs. Passive and active nihilism are both responses to radical nihilism, where the first is born of the incapacity to face the abyss of nothingness, followed by a ‘blind’ return to convention. Active nihilism, by contrast, responds to the abyss by ‘dancing upon it’, that is, by cheerfully inventing new values. It is argued that today we are witnessing the emergence of another kind of nihilism, which could be called ‘shock nihilism’ or - drawing on the work of Bernard Stiegler – ‘consumer proletarian nihilism’. This novel kind of nihilism accompanies what Stiegler sees as the second wave of proletarianisation under capitalism, the first having been the proletarianisation of workers in the 19th century according to Marx, when their skills (savoir-faire) were replaced by machines, and they were reduced to mere labour power. At present we are witnessing the proletarianisation of consumers globally, because of capitalism's imbrication with advanced communications technology as ‘externalised memory’, leading to the systematic eradication of ‘internal memory’ and the loss of people's ‘savoir-faire’ (know-how), except in a narrow technical sense, as well as their ‘savoir-vivre’ or knowledge of how to live, because of the manipulation by advertising and the culture industry – none of which would be possible on a global scale without what Stiegler calls ‘technics’. This, it is argued, gives rise to ‘shock (or consumer proletarian) nihilism’ because of the rapidity of technological change, as well as to a nihilistic loss of knowledge concerning the maintenance of educational relations between parents/teachers and children/students; hence the crisis in education at all levels. Add to this the fact that culture appears to have reached a state where values have become unhinged from their moorings, as it were, existing now in a state of endless circulation, beyond any meaningful criteria for determining what is good, or bad, and the bland landscape of contemporary nihilism becomes perceptible. In light of this state of affairs, a new form of ‘active nihilism’ is called for.
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PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION The second edition of Projections has been substantially expanded with the inclusion of four new chapters: on Natural Born Killers, Dead Poets Society, Wag the dog and Kieslowski's marvellous cinematic trilogy,... more
PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION
The second edition of Projections has been substantially expanded with the inclusion of four new chapters: on Natural Born Killers, Dead Poets Society, Wag the dog and Kieslowski's marvellous cinematic trilogy, Three Colours Blue, White and Red. The opportunity to enlarge this edition has been afforded by the (to me surprising) fact that the first edition of 1996 has been sold out. I hope it would not be premature to see in this an indication that the philosophical interest in film is alive and well in South Africa. The new chapters are written in the same philosophical mode as the earlier ones, namely that of critical, cultural-philosophical reflection on the themes, as well as the cinematic modes of presentation of these themes, as they are addressed
in the films in question. As readers will notice, this is done in such
a way as to make the relevant themes as accessible as possible, in the hope that the films dealt with here may gain greater meaning in the light of these philosophical interpretations. Have a good read!
The second edition of Projections has been substantially expanded with the inclusion of four new chapters: on Natural Born Killers, Dead Poets Society, Wag the dog and Kieslowski's marvellous cinematic trilogy, Three Colours Blue, White and Red. The opportunity to enlarge this edition has been afforded by the (to me surprising) fact that the first edition of 1996 has been sold out. I hope it would not be premature to see in this an indication that the philosophical interest in film is alive and well in South Africa. The new chapters are written in the same philosophical mode as the earlier ones, namely that of critical, cultural-philosophical reflection on the themes, as well as the cinematic modes of presentation of these themes, as they are addressed
in the films in question. As readers will notice, this is done in such
a way as to make the relevant themes as accessible as possible, in the hope that the films dealt with here may gain greater meaning in the light of these philosophical interpretations. Have a good read!
Research Interests:
When one is invited, by the narrative structure of a Hollywood 'rom-com', to perceive similarities between the film in question and one of Charles Dickens's tales, namely A Christmas Carol (2006), it seems somewhat of a stretch of the... more
When one is invited, by the narrative structure of a Hollywood 'rom-com', to perceive similarities between the film in question and one of Charles Dickens's tales, namely A Christmas Carol (2006), it seems somewhat of a stretch of the imagination, until one realises that what imparts similarity to these unlikely bedfellowsapart from narrative isomorphismis their resonance with the discipline of psychoanalysis, however counter-intuitive it might seem. The film is question is Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009), the plot of which revolves around Connor Mead, photographer and womaniser, who attends his brother's wedding, where he angers everyoneincluding Jenny, the only girl he ever loved by his open rejection of marriage. He is visited by the ghost of his uncle, Wayne, who taught him the art of seduction, and announces the imminent visits of three more ghosts, who would guide Connor through his past, present and future relationships with women. What they reveal, and is confirmed by Wayne, is that a life of philandering leads to ultimate loneliness and lack of fulfilment, and this lays the basis for his romantic reconciliation with Jenny. This narrative structure is indebted to Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, where the miserly Scrooge receives visits from ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, respectively, to reveal to him the past roots as well as (potentially) dire future consequences of his heartless actions towards erstwhile friends and family. This has a therapeutic, conscientising effect on him and leads to his personal transformation. Against the backdrop of these narratives dealing with the reconstruction of personal histories, the practice of (Lacanian) psychoanalysis is scrutinised regarding the function of the analysand's verbal reconstruction of his or her personal historiy (anamnesis), which is crucially supplemented by the analyst eliciting the unconscious, repressed memories (the forgotten chapter) that escape the analysand's conscious reconstruction. It is these formerly unconscious memories that comprise the basis for the analysand's possible emancipation, just as the repressed memories to which Connor and Scrooge are introduced by their respective spectral escorts function as the keys to their emancipation from practices precluding their own fulfilment as human subjects. This interpretation is supplemented by drawing on Lacan's theory of 'the four discourses' to demonstrate how both fictional characters may be understood as being governed by a specific 'master's discourse, which is subverted by the doubt of the 'hysteric's discourse' and mediated by the transforming 'analyst's discourse', to be able to arrive at a newly relativised master's discourse.
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Today, risk has been multiplied and exacerbated beyond anything that even Ulrich Beck's work on 'risk society' seemed to suggest when first published, althoughwith hindsightone can detect traces of the excessive risks of the present,... more
Today, risk has been multiplied and exacerbated beyond anything that even Ulrich Beck's work on 'risk society' seemed to suggest when first published, althoughwith hindsightone can detect traces of the excessive risks of the present, centred on the Covid-19 'pandemic', in his prognostications. Setting aside the contribution of Anthony Giddens to the social theory of the 'risk society', this paper concentrates on the work of Beck instead, with a view to mining it heuristically for a better comprehension of the risks unleashed by the Covid-19 'pandemic' and everything associated with it. It is argued that, despite sharing the denominator of 'technological', compared to the kinds of risk distinguished by Beck, those introduced by the 'pandemic', lockdowns, Covid 'vaccines', and in their wake, economic hardshipto mention only someare of a different, more deleterious order altogether. If, in contrast with the society of wealth-distribution (through goods), the 'risk society' was recognisable by the (by-)production and distribution of hazards such as toxic contaminants, pollution and climate-changing emissions, today society seems to be facing something far worse, namely the production of potentially, if not actually, lethal substances and conditions. If the hazards of risk society were seen as preventable (compared to 'natural' perils)after all, they were socially produced and exacerbated (or sometimes moderated) by economic and cultural practicesone might expect that it would be the case with those faced today, too. This, it turns out, is highly improbable, largely because growing evidence suggests that most of the 'ultra-risks' that have emerged of late have been produced intentionally, or by design, and that it is too late to undo most of them, although others may be prevented. What Beck argued, namely that the potential for cataclysm was increasing, has been exacerbated beyond what could have been expected under 'normal' riskconditions. Ironically, under these conditions the uncertainties of science in the face of unpredictable risk, which were highlighted by Beck, have made way for contrary, ideological claims concerning the 'certainties' of 'the science' in relation to Covid-19. These and other aspects of 'pandemic' society, are addressed through the lenses of Beck's work on risk society, raising the fraught question of the possible extinction of humanity.
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The current 'pandemic' is approached through the lens of (mainly) the concept of Homo sacer, elaborated on by Giorgio Agamben (1998). Taking the work of Michel Foucault on the 'disciplinary society' and 'bio-politics' further, and drawing... more
The current 'pandemic' is approached through the lens of (mainly) the concept of Homo sacer, elaborated on by Giorgio Agamben (1998). Taking the work of Michel Foucault on the 'disciplinary society' and 'bio-politics' further, and drawing on the role played by the principle of homo sacer in antiquity, Agamben uncovers the disconcerting extent to which this principle has become generalised in contemporary societies. In antiquity the principle of 'sacred man/human' was invoked in cases where someone was exempted from ritual sacrifice, but simultaneously seen as 'bare life', and therefore as being fit for execution. Agamben argues that the sphere of 'sacred life' has grown immensely since ancient times in so far as the modern state arrogates to itself the right to wield biopolitical power over 'bare life' in a manner analogous to ancient practices, and finds in the concentration camp the contemporary paradigm of this phenomenon. Arguing that today we witness a further downward step in the treatment of humans as 'bare life', these concepts are employed as heuristic for bringing into focus current practices under the aegis of the Covid-19 'pandemic'. In particular, the spotlight falls on those areas where burgeoning 'bare life' practices can be detected, namely 'origin of the virus', 'lethal vaccines', 'engineered economic collapse', 'chemtrails' and 'what (to expect) next'. In the light of emerging evidence it is argued that these practices take the notion of homo sacer, 'bare life' and its concomitant biopolitical and pharma-political practices to unprecedented, virtually incomprehensible levels of depravity.
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We live in a time of major events in civilisational history, currently centred on the so-called Covid-19 'pandemic'. In this global context, contemporary people are at the mercy, largely, of powerful media companies that disseminate... more
We live in a time of major events in civilisational history, currently centred on the so-called Covid-19 'pandemic'. In this global context, contemporary people are at the mercy, largely, of powerful media companies that disseminate officially sanctioned news and opinion pieces about all aspects pertaining to the 'pandemic'. The very same thing that makes this mainstream media hegemony possible, however, namely the internet, also allows alternative news sources to circulate censored news and critical opinion, so that one witnesses an information and communication-divide on a scale never seen before in history. This paper sets out to reconstruct this information and communication chasm with reference to representative instances of each of the adversarial sides in what may be called a 'war of information', and attempts to make this intelligible by interpreting these mainly through theoretical lens of Jacques Derrida, supplemented by a coda enlisting Jürgen Habermas work on communication. While the latter does foresee the possibility of authentic communication ('communicative action'), despite the constant spectre of miscommunication ('strategic action'), Derrida is less optimistic about this. Instead, taking his cue from Joyce's Ulysses, he insists that the very means of 'reaching' the other in the act of communicating, are also, ineluctably, the means for failing to reach them, and that 'receiving' a message from someone can thus either result in a mechanical repetition of the message, or a paradoxical 'repeating differently'. Moreover, elsewhere he indicates the paradoxical implications of a change of 'context' as far as an utterance is concerned. This difference between these two thinkers allows one to get an intellectual grip on the situation unfolding in the world in 2021-2022a world of ubiquitous information exchanges, implicitly claiming to be communicational exchanges. More specifically, Derrida and Habermas equip one with the communication-theoretical means to ascertain what this plethora of information exchanges amounts to.
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The present paper attempts to think through the many, often contradictory aspects of the present socalled 'pandemic', with a view to arriving at a cogent notion of what 'psychotherapy' would mean under these circumstances. It begins with... more
The present paper attempts to think through the many, often contradictory aspects of the present socalled 'pandemic', with a view to arriving at a cogent notion of what 'psychotherapy' would mean under these circumstances. It begins with a consideration of the relevance of the idea of 'mass psychosis', informed by Leonard Shlain's characterisation of the 16 th-century witch hunts in western Europe, in the course of which more than half a million women were executed as supposed 'witches'. This suggests a parallel with today's manifestation of what is arguably a mass psychosis, induced by endemic fear of lethal contamination, fed by global governmental responses ('prescribed' by the WHO) to the alleged 'pandemic' caused by this pathogen. Aspects of the current 'vaccine tyranny' are investigated, as well as the nature of a 'mass psychosis', which is explored from various perspectives, before attention shifts to the issue of appropriate psychotherapy, with recourse to the thinking of Julia Kristeva on 'revolt' and Lacan on the 'revolutionary's choice'.
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Jean-Francois Lytotard’s concept of ‘the differend’ enables one to gain a purchase on the plethora of clashing, divergent discourses or opinions characterising the current historical era, that of the coronavirus ‘pandemic’ (Covid-19), in... more
Jean-Francois Lytotard’s concept of ‘the differend’ enables one to gain a purchase on the plethora of clashing, divergent discourses or opinions characterising the current historical era, that of the coronavirus ‘pandemic’ (Covid-19), in so far as this concept enables one to discern those areas of discourse where no possibility of agreement could possibly be reached. It contrasts Lyotard’s notion of the differend with Habermas’s of ‘consensus’, and advances the argument that Lyotard’s perspective not merely seems to be applicable to the global situation, today, but that it appears to be vindicated by the incommensurability of opinions, views and beliefs characterising the informational and communicational exchange in contemporary media on various aspects of the ‘pandemic’. The latter includes the question of the origin of the ‘novel coronavirus’ (natural, zoonotic transfer to humans, or techno-scientifically produced in a laboratory); the issue of so-called PCR-tests (reliable or not); whether to ‘lockdown’ or not (Sweden versus the rest of the world); and perhaps the most vexing question of them all, namely, whether to receive a Covid-19 vaccine or not (one of several available ones), or to depend on alternative available treatments such as Ivermectin, when necessary. It is demonstrated that the available reports, opinions and pronouncements on these issues diverge irreconcilably, and therefore constitute an exemplary instance of the differend. Finally, the question is raised, what it would take to resolve the differend, or alternatively, make it disappear.