Bartleby Politics ('I would prefer not to')
The political potential of Occupy Wall Street, defined not by demands but by the active, immobility-based occupation of public space, akin to Bartleby's refusal.
In his words 2
“sometimes when with your apparent, even critical activity, you keep things going on. the truly subversive thing is not to be violent, to do nothing.”1:40:34 Left in Dark Times · Bartleby politics / subversive withdrawal
“The first thing to do — it's the first part of what I call Bartleby politics — is 'I prefer not to': we stop to dream your dream. This is not unimportant, this is extremely important.”58:00 First as Tragedy, Then as Farce · Bartleby politics as first step of liberation
The stories that teach it
the jokes and anecdotes he reaches for when he works in this idea, ranked by how many of its talks they turn up in; each card is one story, with every retelling on its page
Obsessional neurosis in psychoanalysis
Žižek recounts being diagnosed as an obsessional neurotic during his own psychoanalysis; he would talk non-stop in sessions to prevent the analyst from asking a difficult question, not to achieve change but to ensure nothing would change.
Clash of the Titans, Zeus complains that gods die when men stop praying
In the 2010 Clash of the Titans, Zeus (Liam Neeson) complains that if men stop praying to and celebrating the gods, the gods will cease to exist, illustrating the Lacanian point that God ex-ists only through belief.
Slovenian Strikes
Žižek notes that in late 60s/70s Slovenia, when people had free weeks, they got into fights, suggesting that humans need obstacles and occupation, not just luxury.
Obama and universal healthcare as symbolic struggle
Žižek uses Obama's healthcare debate as a model of a 'precise battle with universal connotation', not revolutionary but capable of shifting popular common sense about what the state can legitimately do.
Occupy Wall Street
Žižek defends Occupy Wall Street against claims it was just upper-middle-class students, arguing it formed the 'fertile ground' for Bernie Sanders and gradual political change, proving that failed attempts create the right moment.
Žižek and So On
Žižek jokes about the title of his guest's show, 'Žižek and So On,' interpreting 'so on' speculatively: he is merely a byproduct of the 'so on,' implying the host is the primary subject.
Where it comes up 20
22 moments located in the transcripts, click a timestamp to play from there