Then & Now: Philosophy, History & Politics

Explore the profound contributions of French thinker Rene Girard as he delves into mimetic desire, scapegoating, and culture emergence. Unveil the impact of storytelling in shaping cultural beliefs and community dynamics. Dive into the significance of sacrifice in maintaining societal order and deterring revenge.

In this video I look at the second part of Adorno and Horkheimer’s Dialectic of Enlightenment on the Culture Industry. They write, ‘culture today is infecting everything with sameness. Film, radio, and magazines forms a system. Each branch of culture is unanimous within itself and all are unanimous together. Even the aesthetic manifestations of political opposites proclaim the same inflexible rhythm. The decorative administrative and exhibition buildings of industry differ little between authoritarian and other countries.’For all of the Critical Theorists of the Frankfurt School, the individual lives in a world dominated by highly concentrated capital. The critique has more flexibility that orthodox Marxism, but the emphasis is the same: the drugs that save our lives, the manufacturing plants that build our products, the routine of the worker and the consumer, are dominated by the profit motive and the power of capital.The culture industry is no exception:‘All mass culture under monopoly is identical.’They say that the defenders of the culture industry argue that they are driven by the demand of their customers: They demand cheap, reproducible products that can be accessed easily and everywhere.The effect though is mass standardization: ‘Something is provided tor everyone so that no one can escape; differences are hammered home and propagated.’They argue that the culture industry supports the tiring workday. Rather than think about their positions at the end of day, its much easier to switch off. To consume the same libidinal routines of enjoyment without considering the possibility of difficult change.To be creative, to read something new, to follow a new plot, to take the time to enjoy completely new music is laborious.The culture industry organizes free time in the same way capital organises work time. Everything is defined you without room for individual creativity and difference.Then & Now is FAN-FUNDED! Support me on Patreon and pledge as little as $1 per video: http://patreon.com/user?u=3517018 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The discussion dives deep into the paradox of Enlightenment, revealing how the pursuit of reason can lead to new forms of oppression. Mythology and Enlightenment are intertwined, with Odysseus symbolizing the struggle between individualism and societal constraints. The critique of instrumental reason raises questions on how beauty and art are reduced to mere utility. Fascinating insights connect historical figures like Nietzsche and de Sade to the philosophical roots of totalitarianism, highlighting the darker implications of Enlightenment ideals.

The podcast dives into Pierre Bourdieu's theories on cultural capital, illustrating how our tastes in art and music are shaped by social background. It discusses the intersection of culture and identity, revealing how marginalized communities, through hip-hop and grime, redefine cultural norms. The importance of equal access to cultural institutions is emphasized, promoting recognition of diverse expressions. Listeners explore how cultural knowledge functions as a currency in society, impacting social dynamics and mobility.

Explore the fascinating concept of 'habitus' and its profound impact on human behavior and societal dynamics. Discover how ingrained patterns and social structures shape individual choices, affecting everything from social mobility to health inequalities. Reflect on the interplay of personal experiences with larger forces in society and gain insights into breaking free from limiting patterns for personal growth. Delve into the debates surrounding structuralism, existentialism, and postmodernism through the lens of Bourdieu's transformative ideas.

Dive into the fascinating world of Baudrillard, exploring how his thoughts evolved from Marxist roots to ideas about the hyperreal. Discover the concept of sign-value, which critiques material reality in favor of simulations. Unpack how modern culture, driven by reality TV and entertainment, distorts perceptions of authenticity. The podcast also addresses the impact of media on our understanding of history, urging a reclamation of genuine creativity in a world dominated by hyperreality.

Dive into the intriguing world of Gilles Deleuze as this discussion unpacks his seminal work, exploring the profound ideas of difference and repetition. Discover how Deleuze's philosophy intersects with Spinoza and Kant, challenging traditional notions of stability and creativity. The concept of the virtual and multiplicity emerges as key themes, revealing connections to contemporary issues. Plus, get a taste of how his theories set the stage for later thinkers like Foucault and Derrida, making complex ideas accessible and engaging.

In this introduction to Foucault I look at the poststructuralist philosopher’s influences and context (Nietzsche, Levi-Strauss & Sartre, among others), and summarise his position through his three most influential works, The Order of Things, Discipline and Punish, and The History of Sexuality. Foucault’s thought takes two approaches that are loosely related – the archaeological and the genealogical. The most important concept is that power and knowledge are intimately linked.For Foucault, different time periods – what he calls epistemes – have different underlying assumptions, codes, and rules, mostly unconscious or at least structural, about how to think about things in the world.Foucault analyses the way we're discipline by power in the same way. In her introduction to Discipline and Punish, Lisa Downing puts like this: Foucault analyses the ‘means by which the body is made to conform to the utilitarian ends of social regimes thanks to the operations of disciplinary power.’Finally, the central question outlined in vol. 1 is that of the ‘repressive hypothesis'. The narrative dominant in the 70s argued that where Westerners were once sexually oppressed, we have become slowly more liberated, more liberal. Is it really that simple? Like the rest of his work, Foucault questions this progressive, teleological narrative. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this video, I take an introductory look at the philosophy of Jacques Derrida and Deconstruction. I look at the basic tenets of Derrida's thought, and his relationship with Ferdinand de Saussure and Jean-Jacques Rosseau in Of Grammatology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An introduction to John Stuart Mill's Utilitarianism Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.