Emancipations Podcast

We are joined by philosophers Robert Boncardo and Bryan Cooke to discuss the philosophical and political thought of Alain Badiou. Boncardo and Cooke's research is shedding light on how Badiou's concrete political militancy from 1969 - 1981 shaped his first major work Theory of the Subject (1982).  We discuss the communist group Badiou was part of from 1969 - 1981 UCFML, the SONACOTRA Rent Strike, Badiou's relation to Maoism and how these more practical activities serve as a crucial backdrop for understanding the otherwise enigmatic concepts Badiou develops in Theory of the Subject. Enjoy!

We continue to probe Nietzsche and Nietzsche/anism, picking up on some problems and questions that were opened in our last interview with Geoff Waite. We begin with a reading of Nietzsche from two radically different positions: Georges Bataille and György Lukács. We then go on to discuss Nietzsche and Marx, consciousness, antihumanism, antiphilosophy, liberation, Nietzsche's politics and more. Does Nietzsche/anism address a real problem that Marxism can’t account for? Or must we work to discard all traces of Nietzsche/anism in order to champion a more liberated world and a more egalitarian version of philosophy?

We seek relief from our "Nietzsche fever" with Nietzsche scholar Geoff Waite, professor of German Studies at Cornell University. How does one go about reading Nietzsche? How does one get out of Nietzsche's system, and not fall into its abyss? The influence of Nietzsche is arguably more profound than even Freud or Marx. Nietzsche/anism has "won" in the sense that a world of rank order and capitalist exploitation is all around us. In that sense, Nietzsche/anism is the air that we breathe. It is necessary for the left to read Nietzsche because to do so is to understand the enemy, to understand the profoundly elusive and esoteric strategy he developed in his philosophy. In this conversation, we discuss the legacy of Nietzsche for today's left, how to read Nietzsche, the recent 1,000 page translation of Aristocratic Rebel by the Marxist historian and philosopher Domenico Losurdo, and Geoff's strategy for deciphering Nietzsche/anism.  Geoff Waite is the author of Nietzsche′s Corps/e Aesthetics, Politics, Prophecy, or, the Spectacular Technoculture of Everyday Life Warning: this may be a conversation for everyone and no one Music: "Your Red Dress" by Alaska in Winter and Mihâly Vig's music from Béla Tarr's film "A Torinoi Lo" (The Turin Horse) Photo: The "Yung Nietzsche" (without beard, lol) 

We are joined by writer and thinker Cynthia Cruz for a heartfelt and real conversation about the working class. Cynthia has written an incredible new book called The Melancholia of Class: A Manifesto for the Working Class (Repeater Books, 2021). We discuss the experiences of being working class, of leaving one's class roots, alienation, working class artists and the current status of the working class in America.  As Cruz writes, "to be working-class in a middle-class world is to be a ghost. Excluded, marginalised, and subjected to violence, the working class is also deemed by those in power to not exist." This conversation is not to be missed!!  Music: Joy Division "The Eternal" 

Daniel (@danieltutt) and Mike (@mcrumps) are joined by Bonni Rambatan (@bonni07) and Jacob Johanssen (@Jacob_PhD) to discuss their forthcoming book Event Horizon: Sexuality, Politics, Online Culture, and the Limits of Capitalism.  We discuss Bonni and Jacob's theory of online culture, a Lacanian analysis of social media, trolling, incels, and a theory of why the Internet is all about cuteness. Music: Alice Coltrane - "Reflection on Creation and Space" (A Five Year View) LP 1973  

Join us for an in depth and heartfelt conversation on contemporary Islamic spirituality and politics with Dr. Walaa Quisay, Ph.D. University of Oxford. Dr. Quisay's research looks at the Neo-Traditionalist Islamic movement, one of the most prominent Islamic intellectual and spiritual movements in the west. In this interview, co-host Daniel Tutt (@danieltutt) and Dr. Walaa Quisay examine how this movement thinks politics and justice, the origins of Islamism, how it differs from Neo-Traditionalism, whether Neo-Traditionalism is primarily a western movement, how it understands Marxism and Islamist movements, and how younger Muslims that are drawn to this movement are grappling with their subjectivities and with the political realities of the world. We also discuss Walaa's new research on Egypt post-Arab Spring.  Enjoy! *Music: "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan

Daniel and Mike are joined by poet and philosopher Tim Lavenz (https://fragilekeys.com) to discuss the mysteries of poetry. What exactly is the 'old quarrel' between philosophy and poetry? What is the mystery of poetry? What are poetry's limitations: what can't it do or decide? Bio for Tim Lavenz: Tim has many creative essays on the topic of poetry (and much else) on his website, fragilekeys.com, and runs a YouTube channel called Experimentum Vocis, which houses his poetry readings and talks. He began writing poems as a teenager thanks to an online rap battles forum. His inquiry into the essence of poetry began at the Iowa Writer's Workshop circa 2007 and has intensified since. The readings mentioned in the episode can be found here. Alain Badiou "Language, Thought, Poetry" Jean Paulhan "Key to Poetry" Handout with excerpts from John Keats and Hart Crane. *Music: "Caledonia Soul Music" by Van Morrison 

Daniel interviews Daniel Lopez, Jacobin Editor and author of Lukács: Praxis and the Absolute https://brill.com/view/title/56328 Topics of Discussion Include: Who is Lukács, and his revival, introductions. Lukács the Worldview Marxist (also what is Worldview Marxism?), The proletariat today, A bio of Lukács, Faith and Praxis, Reification, Moralism, Tragedy, Lukács and Marx, Antimonies, Trotsky, Nietzsche, future projects and much more   Music: Big in Japan by Tom Waits

.@mcrumps and @DanielTutt meet in the Vampire Bunker for an episode of catching up and chatting. Chatting about what? Well, the ruins of the Trump era, covering everything from the public sphere, the potential end of austerity, Bernie's Mittens, and the absolute state of the right, to how posting has changed and how it has changed us (or not), class in contemporary capitalism, and what a break between american socialism and liberalism would look like. Music: 'Canticle' by Les Hommes

Mari Ruti, a renowned philosopher and author known for her accessible exploration of complex ideas, joins the hosts to unpack profound themes. They delve into the nuances of Lacanian theory, discussing how love and desire intertwine with our inherent imperfections. Ruti critiques self-help culture and champion the importance of embracing psychological struggles. The conversation also highlights the therapeutic potential of trauma and the creative process, emphasizing a life driven by calling as a pathway to personal vitality. Prepare for a thought-provoking discussion that bridges philosophy and everyday experience!