Taylor Adkins, @CNoumena, @YAgamben - Wicked Lyotard Pt 2
Jan 9, 2021
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Taylor Adkins discusses Jean Francois Lyotard's Libidinal Economy (1974), delving into topics such as the great zero and its association with negativity and nihilism, the relationship between speeding up and intensities, exploring Lyotard's ideas of deterritorialization, the concept of the tensor, exploring consequences of intention in post-phonemic sign systems, counter-transference and the hysteric body, exploring Jordan Peterson's foot fetish explanation, simulation and schizophrenia, the concept of a stopgap and its relation to the Schizo, translation of 'force' and its influence on civilization, the relationship between a pimp and a prostitute, the status of the criminal, capitalism, prostitution, and desire, and complexity and context.
Lyotard challenges the structuralist view of signs as purely referring to other signs or signifieds, proposing that signs also possess a tensor quality.
The concept of libidinal economy exposes the underlying mechanisms of desire and pleasure within capitalist societies, revealing the system of commodities as a disguised form of prostitution.
The criminal disrupts the established dynamics of exchange by squandering wealth for untransmittable pleasure, challenging the monopoly of money and shaking the circle of exchanges.
Deep dives
The Sign as a Tensor
In this chapter, Leotard tackles the nihilism inherent in semiotics, particularly structuralism. He challenges the idea of signs as simply referring to an absent or absentified signified or another signifier, positing instead that signs also possess a tensor quality. He argues that signs are not just deferential and substitutive, but should also be imbued with attention to the intensities that inform and exceed them. The concept of the tensor sign is introduced to describe this attempt to resist the movement of referral and refrain, and to remain faithful to the intensities that shape signs. Leotard emphasizes that signs are not separate from tensors, as they are inseparable and evoke vain intensities. The idea of the tensor sign challenges the structuralist notion of representation and critiques the relegation of semiotics to nihilism by highlighting the crucial role of libidinal intensities within the signifying process.
The Complexity of Libidinal Economy and Exchange
The chapter explores the concept of libidinal economy and its connection to exchange. It delves into the relationship between pimp and prostitute, highlighting the exchange of money and the exchange of sexual energy. The criminal is presented as a figure that disrupts the system of equivalence between money and pleasure, highlighting the system of prostitution disguised as the trade of objects and services. The chapter argues that the generalized system of commodities is, in fact, a system of prostitution. It challenges the conventional moral distinctions between legitimate exchange and criminal activities, exposing the underlying mechanisms of desire and pleasure within capitalist societies.
Desire and Hidden Abodes of Production
The chapter critiques the social and economic structures that shape desire. It examines the relation between perverse passions, libido, and the social body. The criminal is presented as a figure that disrupts the equation between the pimp and the client by squandering wealth and pleasure. The chapter suggests that the repudiation of monstrosity by institutions is reversed into de facto prostitution, revealing that the generalized system of commodities is the system of prostitution in disguise. It highlights the connection between the exchange of bodies, the secret language of bodily signs, and authentic universal communication.
The Criminal as a Rich and Disconnected Figure
The chapter discusses the criminal's role as both pimp and client, yet neither one nor the other. It emphasizes the criminal's detachment from the established dynamics of the system. The criminal withdraws fortune and squanders it for untransmittable pleasure, creating a disruption in the system of exchanges. The criminal's intervention challenges the monopoly of money by redirecting its use towards pleasure and insurrection. The chapter contends that the criminal is a symbol of the shaking of the circle of exchanges.
Prostitution as a Metaphor for Libidinal Economy
The chapter employs the metaphor of prostitution to illustrate the underlying mechanisms of libidinal economy. It argues that the exchange of bodies through secret bodily signs represents the ultimate form of communication. The chapter suggests that the system of commodities is a disguised form of prostitution, revealing the deep connection between desire, pleasure, and economic exchange. It challenges the moral and social distinctions between legitimate trade and criminal activities, highlighting the complex dynamics of desire within capitalist societies.
Part 2 of a series of discussions with Taylor Adkins, @CNoumena, and @YAgamben on Jean Francois Lyotard's Libidinal Economy (1974). Lyotard referred to it as his evil book, and it was a major influence on Nick Land.
In this episode, we cover chapter 2, The Tensor.
Part 1:
https://soundcloud.com/podcast-co-coopercherry/taylor-adkins-cnoumena-yagamben-wicked-lyotard-pt-1
Taylor's Links:
https://soundcloud.com/user-659574533
https://soundcloud.com/theory-talk
https://fractalontology.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/tadkins613
Cute Noumena:
https://twitter.com/CNoumena
https://linktr.ee/Cute_Noumena
Yung Agamben:
https://twitter.com/YAgamben
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