Crisis and Critique

Frank Ruda and Agon Hamza sit down with the Belgian cosmologist Thomas to discuss his current work, his collaboration with his PhD advisor and collaborator Stephen Hawking, cosmology, the nature of the Big Bang, the relation between physics and philosophy, Hawking's “Darwinian revolution in cosmology”, observation, history, the problem of origin, and many other (non)related things.You can listen to our podcast here: https://anchor.fm/crisisandcritiqueIf you like this and other episodes, please consider subscribing and supporting us at our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=71723553You can find our Substack here: https://crisiscritique.substack.com/Crisis and Critique Journal: https://www.crisiscritique.org/

Agon Hamza and Frank Ruda sit down with American cultural theorist Sianne Ngai to discuss her intellectual trajectory, political aesthetics, Fredric Jameson, ugly thoughts, ugly feelings, aesthetic categories, the gimmick in capitalism… and a lot of other things. You can listen to our podcast here: https://anchor.fm/crisisandcritique  If you like this and other episodes, please consider subscribing and supporting us at our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=71723553  You can find our Substack here: https://crisiscritique.substack.com/  Crisis and Critique Journal: https://www.crisiscritique.org/

Kim Stanley Robinson, American SF novelist known for the Mars trilogy and climate‑focused utopic realism. He talks about science fiction as realism for fast change. He explains proleptic realism and why long novels and trilogies suit huge historical shifts. He explores Mars as a utopian mirror, science versus capitalism, and writing about polar climate survival.

Avital Ronell, American philosopher known for work on deconstruction and books like America and Stupidity. She maps America’s nihilistic turn and the genealogy of rising authoritarian currents. She links mourning, violence, and psychoanalysis to political life. She traces European projections onto America, explores contagions of stupidity, and probes the politics of loser sons, dreaming, and attacks on universities.

Joshua Oppenheimer, American-British director and film professor known for probing mass violence, discusses his shift from documentary to narrative with The End. He talks about cameras as mirrors, blending fiction and documentary to reveal self-deception, apocalypse as revelation, capitalism’s role in limiting imagination, and how film can implicate viewers morally.

Agon Hamza and Frank Ruda sit with the French philosopher Jean-Jacques Lecercle to discuss his approach to language, philosophy on the internet, the violence of language, forms of interpretation, Althusser and interpellation, class struggle in the field of language, Noam Chomsky, Jürgen Habermas… and many other things.You can listen to our podcast here: https://anchor.fm/crisisandcritique If you like this and other episodes, please consider subscribing and supporting us at our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=71723553You can find our Substack here: https://crisiscritique.substack.com/Crisis and Critique Journal: https://www.crisiscritique.org/  

Jean-Pierre Dupuy, French philosopher and Professor Emeritus at École Polytechnique known for work on catastrophe and the metaphysics of time, joins to explore Borges-inspired intellectual vertigo. He discusses enlightened doomsaying, the looping of projected time, nuclear risk and deterrence paradoxes, and how economic futures shape violence and social order.

Slavoj Žižek shares his complex feelings about scholarly interpretations of his work. The discussion dives into 'Christian atheism' and the nature of evil, exploring the implications of a post-God world. The hosts analyze modern political discourse and how contemporary political correctness echoes historical fascism. They also uncover connections between quantum physics and ideological critique, while navigating political uncertainty and the need for practical approaches in today's disillusioned landscape. It's a thought-provoking conversation with layers of insight!

Agon Hamza and Frank Ruda sit with the American philosopher Todd McGowan to discuss the nature of comedy, perversion and hysteria,  psychoanalysis as a philosophical orientation, political nonbelonging, alienation, Hegelian philosophy.. and a lot more!You can listen to our podcast here: https://anchor.fm/crisisandcritique  If you like this and other episodes, please consider subscribing and supporting us at our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=71723553  

Adam Tooze, a renowned historian at Columbia University, dives deep into pressing contemporary issues. He explores the concept of polycrisis, examining how wars, climate change, and economic instability intertwine. The conversation then shifts to the challenges in American higher education, revealing the impact of political pressures on academia. Tooze also critiques historical narratives surrounding Nazi Germany and reflects on the evolving landscape of climate science and politics in the USA, blending serious insights with light-hearted commentary.