Lacanian Marxism On Today’s Left with Jensen Suther
Jan 20, 2023
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Philosopher Jensen Suther discusses Lacanian Marxism on today's left. Explores Hegel's unhappy consciousness and Lacan's turn towards Sassurian linguistics. Examines metaphysical presuppositions of the analytic paradigm and the concept of the true father. Explores the intersection of Lacanian psychoanalysis and Hegelian philosophy. Engages with Nietzsche and Hegel, discussing their influences on the author's book.
Lacanian Marxism presents a metaphysical understanding of the unconscious, but fails to consider the historical conditions and changing nature of capitalism.
Alexandre Kojev's interpretation of Hegel in Lacanian Marxism overlooks the concerns of logical determinacy, intelligibility, and sense-making that Hegel addresses.
Psychoanalysis is important for addressing constitutive alienation within capitalist society and rehabilitating the psyches of rational subjects.
Deep dives
The problem with Lacanian Marxism
In this podcast, Jensen discusses the issues with Lacanian Marxism. He points out that Lacanianism often presents a metaphysical understanding of the unconscious, which leads to subjects of guilt and lack. However, this perspective fails to take into account the historical conditions and the changing nature of capitalism. Jensen argues that while we are not all proletarianized under capitalism, we are all dominated by capital. This domination affects both the bourgeoisie and the workers, and understanding this distinction is crucial for a more nuanced critique of capitalism.
Critique of Kojev's Hegel
Jensen critiques Alexandre Kojev's interpretation of Hegel, highlighting its anthropologizing tendency and its focus on the human species. Jensen argues that this overlooks the concerns of logical determinacy, intelligibility, and sense-making that Hegel addresses. He also notes that it diminishes the powerful philosophical and critical resources that can be found in Hegel's work.
Revisiting the Lacanian Legacy for Marxism
Jensen discusses his own dissertation on the modernist novel and its engagement with Hegel and Marx. He then explores the role of Lacanianism, specifically Jacques Lacan's work, in revitalizing Hegelian Marxism through figures like Fredric Jameson. Jensen acknowledges the valuable aspects of Lacanianism, such as its focus on lack and big otherness, but also brings attention to the limitations of this framework, particularly in addressing class distinctions and envisioning emancipatory forms beyond capitalism.
The importance of psychoanalysis in addressing constitutive alienation
The podcast episode explores the importance of psychoanalysis in addressing constitutive alienation within capitalist society. The speaker emphasizes that psychoanalysis is crucial for rehabilitating and reintegrating the psyches of rational subjects. It is viewed as a method for addressing the unsatisfied desires of individuals in capitalism. While psychoanalysis as an institution of therapy is seen as essential for producing autonomous individuals capable of acting on satisfying reasons. However, it is acknowledged that the practice of psychoanalysis is predominantly limited to bourgeois classes, so there is a call to expand access to therapy and implement free clinics as a tactic for socialist politics.
Debating the role of the proletariat in Marxist theory
The podcast episode delves into the ongoing debate regarding the role of the proletariat in Marxist theory. While some argue that the traditional conception of the proletariat needs to be revisited and supplemented, others emphasize the importance of retaining the proletariat as a standpoint of critique. It is asserted that the proletariat, as the self-negating class of capitalist society, provides the necessary foundation for an imminent critique of capitalism. The discussion highlights the need for a nuanced dialogue within the left to define the contemporary significance and definition of the proletariat.
We sit down with philosopher Jensen Suther for a conversation on Lacanian Marxism on today's left.
Jensen Suther earned his PhD in Comparative Literature from Yale University and was recently elected as a Junior Fellow to the Harvard Society of Fellows. His forthcoming book, Spirit Disfigured: The Persistence of Freedom in the Modernist Novel, argues against the “lacanian turn” in Marxist theory and provides a new reading of Hegel’s encyclopedia as the philosophical foundation of emancipatory politics. The host, Daniel Tutt is the host of Study Groups on Psychoanalysis and Politics and has taught philosophy at George Washington University, Marymount University, the Global Center for Advanced Studies and the Washington DC jail.
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