Lecture Three: Ideology, Truth and Perversion PDF

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Lecture Three: Ideology, Truth and Perversion
Prof. David Bates...

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Lecture Three: Ideology, Truth and Perversion Fr om Mar xt oŽi žek •Ži ž ek:Wear eal l i deol ogi c al ,i fweputongl as sesweseet hewor l df orwhati ti s. Whati si deol ogy-‘ …” i deol ogy”us ual l yass umesapej or at i v et one.Tohav eani deol ogyi s t obedi st or t edandst ubbor ni none’ st hi nki ng,i nt ol er antofopposi ngpoi nt sofv i ew,f or cef ul i nasser t i ngbel i ef s,wi l f ul l yi gnor antofc ont r ar yevi dence. -Possi bl yt hepoi ntofvi ewf or someonewhodoesn’ tseet hemsel vesasi deol ogi cal .Pol Soc ???� Ar eyoui deol ogi cal ? ‘ I deol ogyi st hemostel usi veconcepti nt hewor l dofsoci al sci ence.Fori tasksaboutt he basesandv al i di t yofourmostf undament al i deas.Assuch,i ti sanessent i al l ycont est ed concept ,t hati s,aconceptaboutt hev er ydefi ni t i on( andt her ef or eappl i c at i on)ofwhi c h t her ei sacut econt r ov er s y’ . ( Mc Lel l an,1996,2) Mar xoni deol ogy: •‘ Ther ul i ngi deasi nanyepochar et hei deasoft her ul i ngc l as s. ’ ( Mar x) •Engel sequat esi deol ogywi t h‘ f al secons ci ous nes s ’ •Mar x’ sv i ewmor ecompl ex–seebas esuper st r uct ur emodel ,andt hec oncept i onof f et i s hi s m I deol ogi calSuper st r uct ur e•LEGALandPOLI TI CALSYSTEM ofasoc i et y( s t at ut esandt hepr ocess est hr oughwhi c h s t at ut escomei nt obei nget c. ,s y s t emsofc odi fiedpr oper t yr i ght set c. )DETERMI NEDby RELATI ONSOFPRODUCTI ON,andul t i mat el ybyFORCESOFPRODUCTI ON. •I deassecondar yt oeconomi cs . Pol i t i csandCul t ur e•Pol i t i cs :aneffectofec onomi cr el at i ons •Cul t ur ear eflect i onofec onomi ci nt er est s •Rel i gi onar eflec t i onofcl assr el at i ons •St r uggl esar oundi dent i t y -secondar yt oec onomi c( c l as s)s t r uggl es ? Tat eModer nandt heflat s-r ef usal ,r esi st ance,‘ don’ tl ookatme,LOOKATME’ Fet i shi sm asI deol ogy •Theappear anc et hatt hi ngshav eVALUEi nandoft hems el v es ,r egar dl es soft hel abour best owedont hem.( SeeCohen,1978, )“ MyMar xi s m and‘ bul l shi t ’ Mar xi sm”

•I ncapi t al i stsoc i et i es ,t hecommodi t i eswhi chwebuy( DVDs ,cl ot heset c . )appeart ohav e v al uei nandoft hems el v es,r egar dl es soft hel abourwhi chhasbeenbes t owedont hem •Howev er ,i nes senc e,t hesegoodsar et hepr oductofhumanl abour Buthowi st hi sf et i shi sm pos si bl e ? •Bec ausei ncapi t al i sm t hel abourpr ocessi sanal i enat edone;wor k er scannotexpr es s t hemsel v esi nt hei rpr oduct i v eac t i vi t y •Peopl eonl yc onv er set hr ought hei rcommodi t i eswhi cht heydonotr ecogni s east hei r ownpr oduct s •Goodsbec omeper soni fiedbecaus ewebec omedehumani sed,goodsbecomet odomi nat eus Sci ence-Mar x •‘ Butal ls c i encewoul dbes uper fl uousi ft heout war dappear anceandt heessenc eof t hi ngsdi r ect l ycoi nc i ded. ’( Mar x ,1981,Capi t al ,Vol .I I I ,[ 18631883]956. ) •‘ Sc i ent i fi ct r ut hi sal way spar adox ,i fj udgedbydai l yex per i ence,whi chc at c hesonl yt he del us i v eappear anceoft hi ngs. ’( Mar x( ‘ Val uePr i c eandPr ofi t ’[ 1865] ) ,ci t edi nBhask ar , 1989,134. ) •Knowl edgemaybecont r adi ct or ybecaus et hewor l di scont r adi ct or y .‘ wec omet ounder s t andappear anc es ,notasmer eappear ances ,butasappear anceswhi chr ev ealt her eal i t ywhi chunder l i est hem andwhi chi smani f esti nt hem.Weunder st andt hem asappear ancesoft hi sr eal i t y . ’ ( Say er s ,1983,21) •Consequent l y ,t her ear e‘ noabs ol ut el yf al sei deas-al lbel i ef swhi c har egenui nel yent er t ai nedr efl ectandr ev eal s omeaspectofr eal i t y-i ti sonl yaquest i onofi nt er pr et i ngand under st andi ngt hem cor r ect l y . ’ ( Say er s ,1983,23) Kar lMannhei m-I deol ogyandUt opi a •Al l k nowl edge=soc i al l yl oc at ed,al l i deashav easoci al basi s •Tr ueahi s t or i cal f oundat i ont ot hought–pr obl emat i s ed. •I deol ogyapr oductofgr oupt hi nk . •‘ Ev er yf or m ofhi s t or i cal andpol i t i cal t houghti ses sent i al l ycondi t i onedbyt hel i f eandsi t uat i onoft het hi nk erandhi sgr oups. ’ ( Mannhei m,1960:p.111) ‘ Par t i alI deol ogy’ •Hal fcons ci ousdupesanddi sgui ses •Sel f decept i ons •Li es

•Spec i fi cact sofi nt ent i onal anduni nt ent i onal di s t or t i on. •Forex ampl e–t hel i eIt el l t omy sel faboutmy‘ r eal ’ mot i v at i ont odoX ‘ Tot al ’I deol ogy•I deol ogyofanage,orconcr et ehi st or i cal soc i al gr oup–e. g. ,cl as s,r el i gi on,et c •‘ Thec ase[ r egar di ngt hepos si bi l i t yofr at i onal di s cus si onbet weenr i v al per spect i v es ]i s di ffer entwi t ht het ot al conc ept i onofi deol ogy .Whenweat t r i but et oonehi s t or i cal epoc h onei nt el l ect ual wor l dv i ewandt oour s el v esanot herone,ori facer t ai nhi st or i cal l ydet er mi neds oc i al st r at um t hi nk si nc at egor i esot hert hanourown,wer ef ernott oi s ol at ed c asesoft hought cont ent ,butt of undament al l ydi v er gentt hought s y s t emsandt owi del y di ffer entmodesofexper i enceandi nt er pr et at i on. ’( Mannhei m,1960:p.51) •St r uct ur al –hol i s t i c–r at hert hanps y c hol ogi c al ori nt ent i onal appr oach Rel at i vi sm vs.Rel at i oni sm •Chal l enget oposs i bi l i t yof‘ obj ect i v e’ knowl edge •Rel at i v i sm –mi st ak enepi s t emol ogy–r ecogni sesal l t houghtboundupwi t hsoc i al l ocat i onoft hi nk er ,butr ef us est ogi v eupont hei deaofex t er nal abs ol ut e‘ f ac t ’ . •‘ Amoder nt heor yofknowl edgewhi cht ak esaccountoft her el at i onal asdi s t i nctf r om t he mer el yr el at i v ec har act erofal l hi s t or i cal knowl edgemus ts t ar twi t ht heas sumpt i ont hat t her ear enos pher esoft houghti nwhi chi ti sposs i bl et oconcei v eofabs ol ut et r ut hex i st i ngi ndependent l yoft hev al uesandpos i t i onsofsubj ectandunr el at edt ot hes oci al cont ex t . ’ ( Mannhei m,1960:pp.7071) •I mpl i cat i on–nosucht hi ngas‘ f al seconsci ousness. ’ •Thoughts y s t em i sal way scondi t i onedbyt hei deol ogyar oundus I deol ogyvs.Ut opi a •Ut opi ant hought= i ncongr uouswi t hr eal i t y -s eekst ogobey ondr eal i t yi nanunr eal i st i c way •‘ t hos eor i ent at i onst r ans cendi ngr eal i t ywi l l ber ef er r edt oasut opi anwhi ch,whent hey pas sov eri nt oconduct ,t endt os hat t erei t herpar t i al l yorwhol l y ,t heor deroft hi ngspr ev ai l i ngatt het i me. ’ ( Mannhei m,1960:p.173) •I deol ogi es=backwar dsl ooki ng–‘ pr ev entmanf r om adj ust i nghi msel ft ot hegi v enhi s t or i c al st age. ’ ( Mannhei m,1960,p.173) Thechal l engeofcont empor ar yMar xi sm ( Gr amsci ) •ForGr amsci ,t hebas esuper st r uct ur emodel ass etoutbyMar xi st oodet er mi ni st i c ,i n t hati tunder s t at est her ol epl ay edbyi deol ogy( t hati st hes uper s t r uct ur al l ev el )

•KeyGr ams ci anconc er nsi ncl ude: 1)St at e/ ci v i l s oci et y 2)Hegemony 3)TheRol eoft hei nt el l ect ual si ns oci et y •SLI DE2731mi s si ng TheRol eoft heI nt el l ect ual s •‘ Al l menar ei nt el l ect ual s… butnotal l menhav ei nsoc i et yt hef unct i onofi nt el l ect ual s… al t houghonec anspeakofi nt el l ect ual s ,onecannotspeakofnonei nt el l ect ual sbecaus e noni nt el l ect ual sdonotex i st …Ther ei snohumanact i v i t yf r om whi c hev er yf or m ofi nt el l ec t ual par t i ci pat i oncanbeex c l uded:homof aberc annotbes epar at edf r om homosapi ens . ’( SPN:9) >‘ Mant hemak er ’ cannotbes epar at edf r om ‘ mant het hi nk er ’ •Tr adi t i onali nt el l ect ual s:i nt el l ect ual sofpr ev i ouss oci al cl ass( Per cei v et hemsel v esas ‘ aut onomous ’ ) •Or gani ci nt el l ect ual s:I nt el l ect ual swhi c hemer geor gani cal l yf r om par t i c ul arsoc i al c l ass es( bour geoi s i eandpr ol et ar i atet c . ) •I mpor t anc eofwor ki ngc l assi nt el l ec t ual s •Sel f emanci pat i on( t he‘ par adoxofemanc i pat i on’ ) •Leni ni s m vs .Mar x i sm Obj ect i vi t y •At t ackon‘ naï v e’ Mar x i s ts t r esson‘ obj ec t i vi t y’ –t houghtcont ai ns‘ r el i gi oushangov er ’ •‘ Si nceal l r el i gi onshav et aughtanddot eacht hatt hewor l d,nat ur e,andt heuni v er s e wer ec r eat edbyGodbef or et hecr eat i onofman,andt her ef or emanf oundt hewor l dal r eadymade,cat al oguedanddefi nedonceandf oral l ,t hi sbel i efhasbecomeani r onf act of“ commonsens e”andsur v i v eswi t ht hesames ol i di t yev eni fr el i gi ousf eel i ngi sdeador as l eep. ’ ( SPN:441)...