Emancipations Podcast

We are joined by Dr. Vincenzo Di Nicola to discuss modern psychiatry and his work on trauma, family therapy and the philosophical underpinnings of psychiatry. We discuss the prevalence of trauma discourse, the philosophy of Alain Badiou, why social dynamics are often ignored by modern psychiatry and psychology, and we examine the history of the "anti-psychiatry movement" with special focus on R.D. Laing, Jacques Lacan and Frantz Fanon. Vincenzo Di Nicola is an Italian-Canadian psychologist, psychiatrist and family therapist, and philosopher of mind. Di Nicola is a tenured Full Professor in the Dept. of Psychiatry & Addiction Medicine at the University of Montreal, where he founded and directs the postgraduate course on Psychiatry and the Humanities, and Clinical Professor in the Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at The George Washington University, where he gave The 4th Annual Stokes Endowment Lecture in 2013.

We sat down with French philosopher Mehdi Belhaj Kacem who the late David Graeber praised as one of the most important philosophers living today. In this interview, we discuss Kacem’s reading habits, what inspires him in the world of thought, how he derived his philosophical concepts, what qualifies as truly radical in our age and why he broke up with his former mentor Alain Badiou. Kacem is, similar to Giorgio Agamben, a major critic of the way the ruling class is managing the pandemic and he is not shy to share his views. In this wide-ranging conversation, we catch a glimpse of a deeply inventive and creative mind and we get advice for how to do philosophy outside of conventional institutions.   This interview was conducted on Thursday December 9th, 2021, by Daniel Tutt. Translation and interpretation assistance provided by Saad Boutayeb. To read the English transcripts of this interview which include two additional questions not covered in the podcast go here to download. For the transcriptions in French please go here to download.  Music: "Banned in D.C." by Bad Brains

We are honored to be joined by Nadia Bou Ali, practicing psychoanalyst and Assistant Professor at the Civilization Studies Program at the American University of Beirut. We discuss Nadia's new work Psychoanalysis and the Love of Arabic: Hall of Mirrors - a work of Lacanian theory, comparative literature and political theory. We discuss the main themes of this work and raise questions about Lacan's contribution to the study of literature, psychoanalysis and liberalism, tolerance, the birth of Arab modernity and the two fascinating literary figures that she analyzes in this work: Ahmad Faris Shidyaq (1805-87) and Butrus al-Bustani (1819-83). This is a wide-ranging and fascinating conversation - definitely not to be missed! Interview and discussion conducted by Daniel Tutt To purchase this book please visit https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/...

We are joined by philosopher Carl Sachs, Professor of Philosophy at Marymount University and all around great human being. Carl did his Ph.D. on Nietzsche and has spent a great deal of time with Nietzsche's thought over the years. In this discussion, we analyze the achievement of Domenico Losurdo's massive book Nietzsche, the Aristocratic Rebel: Intellectual Biography and Critical Balance Sheet.  Will the world of philosophy embrace Losurdo's new perspective on Nietzsche? What does Losurdo say that changes our understanding of Nietzsche? Is Losurdo's perspective and analysis of the core of Nietzsche right? We discuss these questions and more in this very enlightening episode!  Carl Sachs is the author of Intentionality and Myths of the Given: Between Pragmatism and Phenomenology (Routledge 2015), Co-Founder and Vice President of the Wilfrid Sellars Society and Professor of Philosophy at Marymount University. Find him on Twitter at @carl_b_sachs.

Marxist theorist, literary critic, military leader and exiled opponent of Stalin, Leon Trotsky is one of the most important figures of 20th century Marxism. But how are Trotsky's ideas being lived out today by revolutionary socialists? To help us understand Trotskyism, its history and legacy today we are joined by Ian Parker, Lacanian psychoanalyst and revolutionary socialist. He has written over 25 books to his name and he works in the fields of critical psychology, Marxist psychology, and psychoanalytic theory.  Parker is a fellow of the British psychological society, Emeritus Professor at the University of Leicester, and the managing editor of the Annual Review of Critical Psychology. Parker is also a practicing psychoanalyst analyst. For those interested, you can see Ian Parker and his co-author David Pavón-Cuellár this Friday November 12th at 2 pm EST for a conference hosted by Study Groups on Psychoanalysis and Politics centered around their new work, Revolution: Critical Psychology for Liberation movements. Join us with speakers Isabel Millar, Gabriel Tupinambá and Nadia Bou Ali to discuss this work at 2 pm this coming Friday November 12th - RSVP (on Zoom): https://psychoanalysis-revolution.eventbrite.com In this episode, we discuss history of Trotskyism and its main ideas and how Trotsky’s ideas can help us address creeping fascism and build and world that has gone beyond capitalism.  Chip in $5 - $10 to support us and help keep us going: https://t.co/hBNOnpQKnp?amp=1

We are joined by philosophers Robert Boncardo and Bryan Cooke to discuss the philosophical and political thought of Alain Badiou. Boncardo and Cooke's research is shedding light on how Badiou's concrete political militancy from 1969 - 1981 shaped his first major work Theory of the Subject (1982).  We discuss the communist group Badiou was part of from 1969 - 1981 UCFML, the SONACOTRA Rent Strike, Badiou's relation to Maoism and how these more practical activities serve as a crucial backdrop for understanding the otherwise enigmatic concepts Badiou develops in Theory of the Subject. Enjoy!

We continue to probe Nietzsche and Nietzsche/anism, picking up on some problems and questions that were opened in our last interview with Geoff Waite. We begin with a reading of Nietzsche from two radically different positions: Georges Bataille and György Lukács. We then go on to discuss Nietzsche and Marx, consciousness, antihumanism, antiphilosophy, liberation, Nietzsche's politics and more. Does Nietzsche/anism address a real problem that Marxism can’t account for? Or must we work to discard all traces of Nietzsche/anism in order to champion a more liberated world and a more egalitarian version of philosophy?

We seek relief from our "Nietzsche fever" with Nietzsche scholar Geoff Waite, professor of German Studies at Cornell University. How does one go about reading Nietzsche? How does one get out of Nietzsche's system, and not fall into its abyss? The influence of Nietzsche is arguably more profound than even Freud or Marx. Nietzsche/anism has "won" in the sense that a world of rank order and capitalist exploitation is all around us. In that sense, Nietzsche/anism is the air that we breathe. It is necessary for the left to read Nietzsche because to do so is to understand the enemy, to understand the profoundly elusive and esoteric strategy he developed in his philosophy. In this conversation, we discuss the legacy of Nietzsche for today's left, how to read Nietzsche, the recent 1,000 page translation of Aristocratic Rebel by the Marxist historian and philosopher Domenico Losurdo, and Geoff's strategy for deciphering Nietzsche/anism.  Geoff Waite is the author of Nietzsche′s Corps/e Aesthetics, Politics, Prophecy, or, the Spectacular Technoculture of Everyday Life Warning: this may be a conversation for everyone and no one Music: "Your Red Dress" by Alaska in Winter and Mihâly Vig's music from Béla Tarr's film "A Torinoi Lo" (The Turin Horse) Photo: The "Yung Nietzsche" (without beard, lol) 

We are joined by writer and thinker Cynthia Cruz for a heartfelt and real conversation about the working class. Cynthia has written an incredible new book called The Melancholia of Class: A Manifesto for the Working Class (Repeater Books, 2021). We discuss the experiences of being working class, of leaving one's class roots, alienation, working class artists and the current status of the working class in America.  As Cruz writes, "to be working-class in a middle-class world is to be a ghost. Excluded, marginalised, and subjected to violence, the working class is also deemed by those in power to not exist." This conversation is not to be missed!!  Music: Joy Division "The Eternal" 

Daniel (@danieltutt) and Mike (@mcrumps) are joined by Bonni Rambatan (@bonni07) and Jacob Johanssen (@Jacob_PhD) to discuss their forthcoming book Event Horizon: Sexuality, Politics, Online Culture, and the Limits of Capitalism.  We discuss Bonni and Jacob's theory of online culture, a Lacanian analysis of social media, trolling, incels, and a theory of why the Internet is all about cuteness. Music: Alice Coltrane - "Reflection on Creation and Space" (A Five Year View) LP 1973  

Join us for an in depth and heartfelt conversation on contemporary Islamic spirituality and politics with Dr. Walaa Quisay, Ph.D. University of Oxford. Dr. Quisay's research looks at the Neo-Traditionalist Islamic movement, one of the most prominent Islamic intellectual and spiritual movements in the west. In this interview, co-host Daniel Tutt (@danieltutt) and Dr. Walaa Quisay examine how this movement thinks politics and justice, the origins of Islamism, how it differs from Neo-Traditionalism, whether Neo-Traditionalism is primarily a western movement, how it understands Marxism and Islamist movements, and how younger Muslims that are drawn to this movement are grappling with their subjectivities and with the political realities of the world. We also discuss Walaa's new research on Egypt post-Arab Spring.  Enjoy! *Music: "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan

Daniel and Mike are joined by poet and philosopher Tim Lavenz (https://fragilekeys.com) to discuss the mysteries of poetry. What exactly is the 'old quarrel' between philosophy and poetry? What is the mystery of poetry? What are poetry's limitations: what can't it do or decide? Bio for Tim Lavenz: Tim has many creative essays on the topic of poetry (and much else) on his website, fragilekeys.com, and runs a YouTube channel called Experimentum Vocis, which houses his poetry readings and talks. He began writing poems as a teenager thanks to an online rap battles forum. His inquiry into the essence of poetry began at the Iowa Writer's Workshop circa 2007 and has intensified since. The readings mentioned in the episode can be found here. Alain Badiou "Language, Thought, Poetry" Jean Paulhan "Key to Poetry" Handout with excerpts from John Keats and Hart Crane. *Music: "Caledonia Soul Music" by Van Morrison 

Daniel interviews Daniel Lopez, Jacobin Editor and author of Lukács: Praxis and the Absolute https://brill.com/view/title/56328 Topics of Discussion Include: Who is Lukács, and his revival, introductions. Lukács the Worldview Marxist (also what is Worldview Marxism?), The proletariat today, A bio of Lukács, Faith and Praxis, Reification, Moralism, Tragedy, Lukács and Marx, Antimonies, Trotsky, Nietzsche, future projects and much more   Music: Big in Japan by Tom Waits

.@mcrumps and @DanielTutt meet in the Vampire Bunker for an episode of catching up and chatting. Chatting about what? Well, the ruins of the Trump era, covering everything from the public sphere, the potential end of austerity, Bernie's Mittens, and the absolute state of the right, to how posting has changed and how it has changed us (or not), class in contemporary capitalism, and what a break between american socialism and liberalism would look like. Music: 'Canticle' by Les Hommes

.@DanielTutt and @mcrumps talk brass tacks with Mari Ruti, philosopher and author of many books including ‘ Envy and Other Bad Feelings’ In this episode they discuss Ruti’s influences, her project more generally, Lacan, hurdles to teaching theory, Jordan Peterson, lack, the Sinthome, paranoid vs reparative modes of reading, the problem with self-help, ‘wild analysis’ and autodidacts, Chris Lasch, Eric Santner. Lacanian Psychoanalysis, protagonists of love, and upcoming works

@DanielTutt interviews Adam Bartlett, where they discuss- Ruminations on Australia and personal recollections, discussion on Adam’s book on Badiou and Plato: unpacking sophism, badiou’s reading of plato, representational thinking, the republic, ‘the event’, the allegory of the cave, Badiou’s Philosophy, and ‘neoliberalism’   Read "Badiou and Plato" by A.J Bartlett Music: Like  Like A Ship by Pastor T.L. Barrett

@DanielTutt and @mcrumps interview @FSmecker and @DrSeanWitters on the phenomena known as 'Qanon'. In this episode we discuss: alcoholics anonymous and alanon, Qanon as addicts, addicts as symptoms of capitalism, the anti-steps to success, anti anti-fascism, L Ron Hubbard, castration, Q and violence, and post trump bonapartism. As well, a ship gets built, we enter Mike’s comment zone, and take questions from the audience.

@DanielTutt interviews Ishay Landa, author of The Apprentice's Sorcerer: Liberal Tradition and Fascism, Fascism and the Masses: The Revolt Against the Last Humans, The Overman in the Marketplace: Nietzschean Heroism in Popular Culture and player of the harmonica! Part 2 of this 2 part episode focuses on Landa’s work on Nietzsche, Nietzsche’s politics, Nietzche’s connection to 20th century fascism, left Nietzscheanism, Badiou, and future projects. Song: "Full Moon" by Eden Ahbez

@DanielTutt interviews Ishay Landa, author of The Apprentice's Sorcerer: Liberal Tradition and Fascism, Fascism and the Masses: The Revolt Against the Last Humans, The Overman in the Marketplace: Nietzschean Heroism in Popular Culture and player of the harmonica! Part 1 of this 2 part episode focuses on Fascism and liberalism, neoliberalism vs liberalism, discourse of fascism- identity and race, contemporary crisis of liberalism, the 4 myths of fascism, individualism, origins of fascism, and fascism today. Song "Simba" by Les Baxter

@DanielTutt and @mcrumps interview author Phil Neel on his book ‘Hinterland’, talking about his life, experiences and the process that led to writing ‘Hinterland’. Part 3 of this 3-part special focuses on- The Party of Anarchy, Badiou, what it’s like to be a communist in public, and life in the Pacific-Northwest Song: "Nighttime in the Switching Yard" by Warren Zevon

@DanielTutt and @mcrumps interview author Phil Neel on his book ‘Hinterland’, talking about his life, experiences and the process that led to writing ‘Hinterland’. Part 2 of this 3 part special focuses on the impossibility of Red-brown alliance, the composition of the hinterland, generational conflict, the 'Neel framework' and Camatte, and 'feral insurrectionaries' Song: 'Concrete and Clay' by Unit 4 Plus 2

@DanielTutt and @mcrumps interview author Phil Neel on his book ‘Hinterland’, talking about his life, experiences and the process that led to writing ‘Hinterland’. Part 1 of this 3 part special focuses on comparing the Chinese and American hinterlands, the meaning of hinterland, the new suburbs and the proletariat, the logistics economy, and the far right and third positionism in the exurbs. Song: 'Suburbs' by Arcade Fire

We discuss the anti-woke/class first(and only?) left, tearing down the statues, Floyd Protests and Solidarity, the Harper's letter, and the Biden campaign. Music is 'What a Fool Believes' as covered by the band 'Self'

History repeating itself again, life on other planets, science fiction, vampires?! Is this an episode of the twilight zone? No, it’s Jouissance Vampires, back at it again, this time in an interview with Laurence Rickels, literary and media theorist and author of Psychoanalysis as well as the upcoming work Critique of Fantasy.

Originally recorded during the Jouissance Vampires twitch stream featuring commiseration over Sanders loss, the machinations of our political class, featuring our first guest the incredible Gabriel Tupinambá (@gtupinamba) who answers your questions, and gives his perspective of psychoanalysis and Lacanian thought.

Daniel interviews supporters, undecideds, members of the press and… Matt Taibi (8th interview in), Ilhan Omar rallies the crowd, Bernie stumps for himself, and we run into a genuine bonafide listener of the pod.

He could win it, maybe.  Episode Covers: Obama, Nevada, McGovern vs Bernie or is it Mondale, the cold war, the ultraleft, warren, alt right and cucked discourse, Bloomberg, the revolutionary feeling, and what are we reading

Who's Obama again?

Now what?

JV Squad talks about the Current Affairs (s)hit piece on Zizek