Episode #199 - A conservative communist’s take on global capitalism and desire. (Zizek, Marx, Hegel)
Episode #198 - The truth is in the process. Zizek Pt. 3 (Ideology, Dialectics)
This episode explores how political labels like “left” and “right” oversimplify the complex and evolving ways people relate to society, especially in a globalized world. It uses this as a starting point to understand Slavoj Žižek, whose ideas don’t fit into traditional categories. Drawing on thinkers like Marx, Hegel, and Lacan, Žižek views identity as shaped by desire and contradiction, arguing that our sense of self is driven by what we lack and shaped by ideological systems we often don’t notice. He sees global capitalism not just as an economic model, but as a powerful force that teaches people how to desire, keeping them locked into patterns that feel like freedom but reinforce the system. While Žižek supports improvements like healthcare and housing, he believes democratic socialism only softens capitalism without challenging its core antagonisms. He calls himself a “moderately conservative communist” to express a cautious, deeply critical stance toward both capitalism and unexamined revolutionary thinking—urging people to think more clearly before rushing to change the world.
Further Reading:
The Sublime Object of Ideology – Slavoj Žižek (1989)
First as Tragedy, Then as Farce – Slavoj Žižek (2009)
Zero Point (Žižek's Essays) – Slavoj Žižek (2025)
See the full transcript here
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