Скачать или смотреть Todd McGowan: Enjoying Right and Left

Talk at the Scottish Center for Continental Philosophy

Political struggles take place to determine what form of enjoyment will predominate. Although it initially seems distant from politics, when we recognize what’s at stake in enjoyment, such a claim becomes much less bizarre. We enjoy what is not useful, what is not good for our health or well-being. Enjoyment is pleasure taken to the point that it is ruinous for us. But at the same time, this experience of enjoyment provides a reason to keep going in life, a motivation to get out of bed in the morning and engage with the world. When we enjoy, we touch on what exceeds everyday life and find the secret sauce that makes this everyday life bearable. Enjoyment is always excessive—not just pleasing but also, crucially, disturbing. It manifests itself in the ecstatic religious experience, the devotion to a favorite sports team, the dedication to an unhealthy food, or the passion for a lover who portends certain heartbreak. The excesses of enjoyment don’t confine themselves to personal life but define the political field as well. We see this enjoyment in massive political rallies, vehement protests, and outbursts of revolutionary (or reactionary) fervor. This talk will explore how enjoyment divides the political field between Right and Left, conservative and emancipatory.