In this episode of Psyche Podcast, I sit down with philosopher and Lacanian theorist Todd McGowan for a deep exploration of Frantz Fanon’s engagement with G.W.F. Hegel. Together, we unpack how Black Skin, White Masksreimagines Hegel’s master–slave dialectic through the lens of colonialism, race, and psychic struggle.
Todd explains how thinkers like Alexandre Kojève shaped the 20th-century obsession with recognition and how Fanon both inherits and critiques that legacy. We explore Fanon’s bold claim that freedom must be won through struggle, not simply mutual understanding—and how his universalism sets him apart from later postcolonial and identity-based readings.
Our conversation also moves into psychoanalysis, examining Fanon’s dialogue with Freud and Lacan, his implicit engagement with the death drive, and his view of colonialism as a system driven by disavowed self-destruction. We also touch on Fanon’s reflections on violence, alienation, and the tension between theory and political action.
This is a wide-ranging discussion about freedom, universality, and the cost of liberation, and why Fanon’s work still speaks urgently to our moment.