The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Social Division
Oct 28, 2024
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Slavoj Žižek, a renowned Slovenian philosopher and cultural critic, dives deep into the alarming growth of social division in today's world. He discusses the evolution of new forms of social apartheid and the challenges posed to global capitalism. Topics include AI's role in exacerbating isolation, the revolutions brewing within marginalized communities, and the paradox of charity in perpetuating inequality. Žižek emphasizes the need for fundamental societal changes rather than temporary fixes, questioning whether the current systems can truly address these critical disparities.
Žižek highlights that modern social division manifests as new forms of apartheid, creating barriers to public participation and representation.
The podcast critiques the revival of capitalism, which masquerades as free market ideology while perpetuating exploitation and systemic inequalities.
Historical context reveals that past critiques of capitalism often overlooked its structural issues, contributing to the naturalization of capitalism in contemporary society.
Deep dives
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
The podcast discusses the concept of social division and new forms of social apartheid through the lens of Slavoj Zizek's philosophical framework. Zizek identifies four antagonisms that hinder the realization of global capitalism: genetic commons, ecology, general intellect, and humanity. The focus today is on the fourth horseman, which pertains to social division and the emerging forms of apartheid, likening these divisions to walls and slums that create barriers to participation in public life. Zizek argues that these forms of social apartheid are particularly resistant to resolution within the capitalist paradigm, marking a critical point in understanding the failures of the system.
Growing Social Division and Historical Context
Drawing on historical context, the conversation notes that early 2000s anti-globalization movements criticized American imperialism while neglecting a fundamental critique of capitalism itself. The revival of capitalism, now often masqueraded as free market ideology, lacks genuine competitive spirit and leads to exploitation. By failing to directly address capitalism, many past discussions missed a deeper analysis of its structural issues, which continue to manifest in contemporary society. Zizek suggests that these omissions have contributed to a naturalization of capitalism, obscuring its ideological underpinnings and the crises that emerge from it.
The Rise of New Forms of Apartheid
Zizek identifies the fall of the Berlin Wall contrasted with the construction of new walls globally, emphasizing a shift towards an authoritarian global apartheid society. Examples cited include border walls separating Israel and the West Bank, EU barriers, and the US-Mexico border, illustrating the growing trend of exclusion. This phenomenon reveals the increased disjunction from nature, symbolizing a broader societal struggle for public participation and representation. The rise of urban slums is identified as a significant geopolitical event, as they are spaces where communities live in stark contrast to wealth, reflecting the inequality perpetuated by global capitalism.
Slum Dwellers as a Revolutionary Subject
In the discussion, slum dwellers are described as potentially embodying a revolutionary subject within the capitalist system, being both excluded from traditional state authority while existing within its structures. Zizek posits that these communities are crucial in examining how capitalism fails to address social antagonisms and can be viewed as sites of political possibility. The exploration includes references to historical revolutionary movements that have emerged from similar marginalized positions, such as the political mobilization witnessed in Venezuela under Hugo Chavez. However, Zizek warns against a romanticized view of slum dwellers as a homogenous revolutionary force without acknowledging the complexities of their experiences.
Confronting Ideological Representation and Antagonism
The podcast raises questions about how social realities are constituted and perceived, citing anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss's theories on dual organizations. It highlights that the attempt to objectively represent social realities often misses the underlying traumatic antagonisms that shape them. Notably, Johnny Miller's drone photography is cited as a tool that exposes wealth inequality, yet there is caution against oversimplifying such representations. The discussion suggests that while these images reveal inequalities, they may inadvertently neutralize the antagonistic tensions that are essential to political mobilization.
Alright, we’re Living in the End Times and this is the FOURTH and FINAL episode in our series on The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, or as Žižek sometimes puts it, the Four Riders of the Apocalypse.
So far in our series we’ve taken a look at the economy focussing on intellectual property, the biogenetic revolution, nature and the ideology of ecology, and today we’ll look at the fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse, the one Žižek locates in the space of the global commons of humanity, what he describes as the explosive growth of social division or new forms of apartheid, new walls and slums...
Žižek says we are approaching a whole series of critical points, and the question is: can the global liberal democratic system – the capitalist system – deal with them or not?
A special thank you to everyone who has been reaching out to us about this new series, it's been much appreciated!
See you in Paris!
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