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Battle of the smart guy

about 3,000 people were in the sold-out Sony centre in Toronto, Canada present on good Friday evening, two famous intellectuals met each other: the left one is

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Battle of the smart guy

about 3,000 people were in the sold-out Sony centre in Toronto, Canada present on good Friday evening, two famous intellectuals met each other: the left one is Slovenian philosopher and ideological critic, Slavoj Žižek, and the conservative-libertarian canadian psychologist and ideology critics of Jordan Peterson. A few more Thousand to be pursued in the Internet the live stream of the debate. For a sport competition between similar calibers the disastrous audience would pay; for a discussion on the topic of "Marxism vs. capitalism" you are remarkable, especially over the weekend, once again, well over a Million Youtube hits on the record came to it – even if it of course does not indicate how long each one was.

The sometimes slightly hysterical excitement in the days before the debate – it was the "duel of the century," the speech went fine. As at the end of the nearly 180-minute spectacle, which was already created attention economically pleasant uncompromisingly against the epidemic of digital impatience: To a direct discussion of the duelists, it came only after a good 90 minutes. Previously had, as arranged, first Peterson, and then Žižek is a 30-minute Statement, delivered, and thereafter each ten minutes to the inlet of the other answered.

"I don't question that now, to say in a polite way, that you are an Idiot.": Ideology critic Slavoj Žižek goes sharp words with Jordan Peterson.

Strange was the audience that was unmistakably a little too tight to be willing to provide an atmosphere in the carnival boxes, and already rejoiced, as in the case of the introduction by the Moderator Žižeks two doctorates were mentioned. The baser instincts that were there, were however, just a small, fun preview of what was afterwards formulated as quick as a flash and not so funny – on balance sheets. The fact that First thing in the perceived winner, the (Žižek) and the perceived loser (Peterson) had to be determined and more krampfig Boxing match vocabulary was sought ("In the right corner ..."), was not there but far from the worst.

The root of all Evil

no, the worst was that the debate at the end of abzumoderieren to wrong a sad example of this was the inability of our time to follow the discussion of a slightly more complex topic, and not a knee – jerk reaction to the first sticks and stick bite-and for the inclination, all the other arg.

then rushed to the obviously sub-optimal constellation of this dispute, which was planned as a battle of current world-views: Slavoj Žižek and Jordan Peterson are both sharp critics of identity politics of the left-liberal mainstream, whose representatives hold for the self-righteous moralists. In addition, the post-modern (or is that what you have carved up as a "post-modern", so unscrupulous Value relativism) for both the root of all contemporary Evil.

Or you reasoned to gloat – with a delivered Youtube-cuttings – that Peterson had no answer to Žižeks question of whether he could him, "name a single Marxist", the Peterson's favorite enemy the "cultural Marxists" was: "I question the now," says Žižek, "to say in a polite way, that you are an Idiot and don't know what you're talking about."

An enemy

Peterson is not steady in the saddle, was in Marxism is obvious, and his well-intentioned idea, to read for the entrance statement of Marx' and Engels' "the Communist Manifesto" again and to speak to him in ten points, was an absurd decision. Jordan Peterson, Marx was a stubborn Moralist; from the rock-hard economic analyst Marx, the author of the "capital" he had no idea.

Much more interesting is the seriousness and commitment was, however, with Žižek and Peterson most of the time languages. And in terms of content, the Key was not the academic Smarty-level combat, for those who are familiar with Karl Marx's best. It was, unfortunately, much more. Apart from that, so that you are both very happy even with a high-profile representative of the left-liberal mainstream would have been seen to argue (because present enemies heavier-so dressing, as one would like) – apart from the Central conflict of the contemporary politics beyond all populist provocations was in this debate is very nice and open.

The audience was unmistakable willing to create a mood like in the carnival boxes.

The conservative psychologist and Individualist Peterson, the self-help book "12 Rules for Life" last year, a world's bestseller managed, is of the view that the problems could not be solved if – as the Left-hand – man only to external reasons for his misfortune search and, thus, his life out of his Hand. Fittingly, he is of the view that the current Actions of the people, in particular, of course, in his role as an entrepreneur is much better than his left reputation. Capitalism is him orders, but only the best among the bad Economy. The ability of the people to be a fundamentally better, he looks appropriately skeptical. Already the idea underlying moralism, the people do not like, ultimately, all too easily into good and bad splits, it.

With the moralism is not get Slavoj Žižek, of course, is itself too soft and self-righteous. As he outlined his concept of equality, he already immediately to the left of the idealism assign, to formalize problems rather externally, which is always closer when it is of the view that the first Appearance (the conditions) prevents the people to realize its potential. Žižek says that equality for him means, "to create for as many people as possible a space in which their different potentials can develop". Capitalism, as we know him, not succeed in this, because he make us in the name of Profit and too many talents to destroy.

Obsession of the Alt-Right

Safer Žižek had in the debate of Toronto, where he with a clever ideology critical Trick to be able to read all the pages of the Levites: "The stories we tell ourselves about ourselves in order to justify what we do – and I ideology call – are a fundamental lie." Exactly so is it with the Obsession of the New Right in the USA, the "Alt-Right" – compared to the, what they call "cultural Marxism": "The Alt-Right rejects him, because she does not want to face the fact that the phenomena which they referred to as the effects of the cultural Marxist narrative – are the moral decline, sexual promiscuity, consumerism, hedonism, actually the direct result of capitalist societies." The "cultural Marxism" games for the same role, so Žižek, as once the anti-Semitism of the national socialists: "He is the scapegoat for systemic tensions."

"Trump is a fetish"

Likewise, a Liberal, asked but never seriously, such as the liberal society was a phenomenon such as Donald Trump give birth to: "Trump is a liberal fetish, so you don't have to worry about the real social tensions." The liberals spread all over, "how their own mistakes made the way for trump's Patriotic populism". Suitable way, Žižek is not affected, however, even triumphalis table, and only the one who was expected to be a Boxing match with a Knock-out, because he likes it so simple and so confrontational as possible, was able to escape.

in other words: How nice it would be if in this long-distance Format, with more on the intellectual duels in front of a large audience would take place – especially in Europe and Germany. It just can't be enough of it. Far too many of the basics of our thoughts and actions in question, not according to the narcissistic type talk show-ping-pong request, but after so long and serious discussions, as it was between Slavoj Žižek and Jordan Peterson in the core. If you wanted to listen to and seriously consider.

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 23.04.2019, 17:52 PM

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