Discussion on rules of eating, biased thinking, violence of information, murder, the queen, and a vanishing boy. Badiou's ethics and its connection to Lacanian notions of desire. Badiou's evolution in politics and relationship with Spinoza and Lacan. Deviance, ethics, and truth procedures. Fidelity to truth and the challenges of maintaining it. Exploring book endings, societal inequality, and transformation of politics. Exploring trauma, cooperation, healers, and confrontation in 'God Emperor'. Delving into martyrdom sacrifice, confrontation, and adversaries.
Badiou argues for an ethics of truth that starts with the good and fidelity to an event, as opposed to focusing on evil and negative prescriptions of everyday discourse.
Evil can arise from the fullness of a situation, leading to hierarchies, exclusions, and terror, while betrayal involves adhering to a false event and bringing disastrous consequences.
The podcast explores the theme of making difficult choices between conflicting fidelities, raising questions about the indiscernible nature of subjects, the unnameable consequences of event-oriented truths, and the tension between particularity and universalism within different truth procedures.
Deep dives
Starting with the Good and the Evil of Terror and Betrayal
Badu argues for an ethics of truth that begins with the good, rather than starting from evil. He sees the ethics of everyday discourse as negative prescriptions that focus on what not to do. In contrast, the ethics of truth are based on fidelity to a truth procedure, drawing out the consequences of an event. Evil can arise from the fullness of a situation, where a chosen group is hierarchized above all others, leading to terror and exclusion. Betrayal is another form of evil, where fidelity is given to an obscure subject that lacks truth and brings disastrous consequences.
The Role of Judgment in Ethics
In an ethics of truth, the question of judgment arises. Badu argues that judgment is relative to truth procedures and the events they involve. Judgment does not have an opera rule for deciding, as each truth procedure requires an individual means of deliberation. The split in the situation allows for the emergence of obscure subjects who are faithful to an event, providing a space for judgment to be made. However, the undecidability of the event means that judgment is always in relation to the undecidable and the consequences of truth.
The Positive Role of the Sophist in Philosophy
Badu sees the figure of the sophist as necessary for keeping philosophy honest. The sophist reminds philosophy of the emptiness of truth and the limitations of language games. While the sophist denies truth, philosophy wagers on truth and allows for the compossibilization of truths. Philosophy does not create truths but harmonizes the different truth procedures. The sophist plays a crucial role in challenging philosophy's claims and keeping it from becoming a master's discourse.
Starting with the Good and the Evil of Terror and Betrayal
In an ethics of truth, the focus is on the good, with evil arising as a consequence of betraying fidelity to an event and upholding fullness instead of emptiness. Terror occurs when the fullness of a situation leads to hierarchies, exclusions, and the domination of certain groups. Betrayal involves an obscure subject adhering to a false event, resulting in disastrous consequences. Both terror and betrayal arise from starting with the fullness of a situation, rather than recognizing the void from which truths emerge.
Betrayal of Fidelity to Truth
In this podcast episode, the speaker discusses the concept of fidelity and its potential betrayals. Fidelity to a truth procedure is seen as a break from the state of the situation, challenging the status quo. Betrayal of fidelity can occur when individuals deny or undermine the consequences of an event, or when they stick to outdated or pseudoscientific beliefs. The danger lies in not respecting the unnameable and allowing for disaster and even totalitarianism to emerge.
The Impossible Choice of Fidelity
The podcast episode explores the theme of making difficult choices between different fidelities. It highlights the potential ethical dilemmas and sacrifices that can arise when faced with conflicting loyalties. Drawing from the example of the protagonist in the book 'Dune', who must choose between fidelity to his loved one and fidelity to a greater political vision, the episode raises questions about the indiscernible nature of subjects, the unnameable consequences of event-oriented truths, and the tension between particularity and universalism within different truth procedures.
This week Cooper and Taylor read and discussed Alain Badiou's ethics. Fidelity to the event, the genesis of evil, and much more.
Support us on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/muhh
Twitter: @unconscioushh
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.
