In this podcast we focus on some notable qualities of our contemporary politico-philosophical prophets and their misconceptions. We argue that there indeed are few notable, yet quite unsavory, thinkers who correctly read the signs of the times, which gives them a significant edge over their opponents. However, their philosophical notions are based on – radically wrong – understanding of metaphysics as metapolitics.
In this video we analyze Slavoj Žižek’s proposition to reinvent the “divine violence” of “classical” revolutionary, laid out in his essay on Robespierre. We point out Slavoj’s rhetorical tricks by which he obfuscates his, rather blatant, appropriation of the thesis that Revolution (a.k.a. “Event”) without terror is “decaffeinated”, i.e. not really revolutionary at all. Also, we lay out Žižek’s proposal of “revolutionary subject” as an essentially “inhuman human” – a virtual being brought into existence by depersonalization – the proverbial “individuum” which, for some reason, pops up every now and then into our focus when we analyze ideas of postmodern totalitarians. We conclude by demonstrating how Žižek’s clown like demeanour and rhetorical tricks hide quite, if only potentially, dangerous man.
Alexander Dugin’s 4th political theory is a convenient cover for quite prosaic – albeit apocalyptic – political project, outlined to the best of his abilities in the Foundations of Geopolitics. However, there’s much more to it than that, even as an afterthought. In this video we’ll demonstrate how Dugin imagines that postmodernity should be beaten by postmodernity and consequences thereof. The most notable one is the subversion and further dissolution of those pre-modern principles he supposedly cherishes. As always, we’ll take a maximum advantage of his own words to demonstrate just what inherent destructive potential his ideas conceal.
Also, we point out the persistent mistake on behalf of Dugin’s mainstream critics of not getting him seriously and affirming that he builds his destructive project on quite correct assessment of our historical situation. Something they do at their own peril.
It is close to thirty years now from the fall of the Berlin wall. Yet have the implosion of real-socialist state really been complete? Is it really gone? In this podcast we’ll argue that this, for the most part, is not the case. If we try to understand what socialism really was, we end up realizing that as such, it is still present. The essence that survived the crumbling of political and economical system is that element of socialist project that informed the society – created a peculiar mentality shared by most if not all post-socialist nations: it’s clandestine services.
Alternative media … truth movement … citizen journalists … sounds good? Well … we’ll see about that. In this two part analysis we lay out what seems to be the true nature of alt media as a new form of propaganda – a veritable self-propaganda – ripe for internet age. The specimen we focus on are pro-regime pro-Syria activists and intellectuals and their understanding of reality as exemplified by their treatment of other historical events: in this case war in the aftermath of dissolution of Yugoslavia. We claim that the whole batch of alt media indicates to a rather sinister tendency – an attempt to erase the past; an attempt that, now that the means of virtualization are ready at hand, could just succeed.
It is time for periodical KT Q&A podcast. This time around we address reader’s questions on problem of intelligence and its opposite. What does it mean to be intelligent? Can extremely intelligent men be quite stupid at the same time? What does this mean and how it discloses what intelligence really is? Is intelligence one or many things? Can intelligence be quantified and can it really be tested? Why inability to discern the good in apparent total evil is a sign of stupidity …
The common notion of totalitarianism tends to present the broad canvas of all-power state from which we should be wary. Yet, as with all things, totalitarianism begins at home. In this video, we’ll depict how even housewives can develop the totalitarian mentality with no great effort; and how every argument for normalcy, on the contrary, requires supreme efforts.
Traditional metaphysical notion of causality seems like the most abstract thing in the world. In order to demonstrate the opposite, or rather qualify “abstract” in a quite different sense, we’ll take a look at two passages from supposedly the most abstract treatise on the subject: Elements of Theology by Proclus. Simultaneously, we’ll lay out how the notion of unity of cause and effect is quite obvious from the pinnacle moment of growing up from boy into man: a recognition of likeness between father and the son.
“How you identify?” “Oh, I identify as …” If you find this Q&A form peculiar, moreover, if you already noticed how it pervades the conversations, replacing the traditional “Who are you?” and “I am …”, invest some of your time into KT’s analysis of the strange cause that just could be underlying this novel, yet only seemingly insignificant, nuance in the form of Internet mediated conversations. It just might cast a peculiar new light on real motives why people seek identitarian movements, conspiracy theories and serial religious conversions.
