Sunday, February 13, 2005

Citation

I Cite has been posting some very useful stuff on Zizek, eg this:


Politically, one of Zizek's examples includes the changes in Eastern Europe: all of sudden, the whole matrix, the whole system, fell apart. And, this change can't simply be explained by the fact that people lost faith in the system--that had been the case for years (if indeed there was ever much faith to begin with). No the change, was something different, like the signifier that held the chain together was suddenly gone. I think of this in the way that all sorts of reasons and evidence can be introduced to persuade a person, but if their fundamental framework won't admit the evidence, if that framework is based in faith, say, or an alternative matrix of desire, then going through the reasons simply misses the point. The key is what holds the chain together. And one of Zizek's key insights is that this can be held together by a contingent, irrational, element of libidinal investment.

Her blog also seems to attract intelligent comments.