Episode #198 - The truth is in the process. Zizek Pt. 3 (Ideology, Dialectics)
Episode #198 - The truth is in the process. Zizek Pt. 3 (Ideology, Dialectics)
This episode explores Zizek’s view of ideology as an invisible structure that shapes how people interpret the world and act within it, often without realizing it. It begins with a listener’s question about whether dismantling ideology is even worthwhile, given how much we rely on it just to function and do good. Zizek’s response complicates this by showing how ideology doesn’t just offer shortcuts—it can distort efforts, like fighting climate change, by keeping people focused on small gestures while ignoring deeper systemic problems. Through examples from politics, social institutions, and consumer behavior, the episode argues that liberal democratic capitalism has become so dominant that it frames nearly all thought and action, even those meant to oppose it. Drawing on dialectical thinking, Zizek challenges the idea that history is progressing toward an ideal system and instead emphasizes the constant tension and transformation that define reality. The episode ends by suggesting that even when people become aware of ideology, they still cling to it as a way of coping with the complexity and pain of the world.
Further Reading:
The Sublime Object of Ideology by Slavoj Žižek (1989)
Zizek's Politics by Jodi Dean (2006)
Slavoj Žižek and Dialectical Materialism edited by Agon Hamza and Frank Ruda (2016)
See the full transcript here
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