Philosopher, cultural critic, and agent provocateur Slavoj Zizek
constructs a fascinating new framework to look at the forces of violence
in our world.
Using history, philosophy, books, movies, Lacanian psychiatry, and
jokes, Slavoj Zizek examines the ways we perceive and misperceive
violence. Drawing from his unique cultural vision, Zizek brings new
light to the Paris riots of 2005; he questions the permissiveness of
violence in philanthropy; in daring terms, he reflects on the powerful
image and determination of contemporary terrorists.
Violence, Zizek states, takes three forms--subjective (crime, terror),
objective (racism, hate-speech, discrimination), and systemic (the
catastrophic effects of economic and political systems)--and often one
form of violence blunts our ability to see the others, raising
complicated questions.
Does the advent of capitalism and, indeed, civilization cause more
violence than it prevents? Is there violence in the simple idea of "the
neighbour"? And could the appropriate form of action against violence
today simply be to contemplate, to think?
Beginning with these and other equally contemplative questions, Zizek
discusses the inherent violence of globalization, capitalism,
fundamentalism, and language, in a work that will confirm his standing
as one of our most erudite and incendiary modern thinkers.
