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Pill Pod 48 - Critical Theory is Conspiracy Theory (Patreon)

Published:
2021-08-05 00:00:05
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

Quarantine Agamben! He's at it again! This episode we got into it the kindred bond between critical theory and conspiracy theory, how states do and do not dominate in response to pandemics, and how Deleuze dominates Agamben in response to Foucaults.

Find Agamben's blog post here: 

https://www.quodlibet.it/giorgio-agamben-cittadini-di-seconda-classe

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Comments

Plastic Pills

Putting this up early because there are way too many responses on the video saying you are watching at work, in the car, while arguing with your mother-in-law on Zoom....so here's something to put in your ears, then please do me the favour of watching the video on a 1080p screen :D

WhaleyVillain

Yo my lucky day. Something interesting to get through the shift! Thanks for the double dose.

Zachary Manenti

so i guess u guys don’t use flowery language when u write? Just dry metaphors that stick to the arguments? In my opinion, Agamben is initially and perhaos formost

Zachary Manenti

a Heideggerean. it’s a good question whether any heideggerean, even if not conservative, could be called or call themselves a Leftist. know what i mean?

Zachary Manenti

the europeans r stuck in the ‘singularity’ of the holocaust. … denial of being settler culture that north americans can’t so easily deny.

Zachary Manenti

also, perhaps for context, or he has just gone off the deep end: Europe has its own concerns about the pervasiveness of authoritarianism. it slips in under every excuse. But, yeah, to ur point which is a good one, critical theory is conspiratorial theory , just with looser linkages, i.e., less psychotically paranoid. (thanks for giving me a space to respond…) 😵‍💫

Zachary Manenti

havent read Agamben’s latest , sorry to say, so forgive me. Can’t afford to buy books right now. i agree that if he is writing about the state in the way y’all describe, he’s gone back in time. i agree too that crit theory imposes its theoretical model on the ‘things’ it is claiming to investigate—problem with french theory from the 1990s onward, perhaps. Deleuze is much better on politics and a better philosopher. But i will say this much about your god, his books on cinema are ridiculous and wrong. So genius that he was, he is not perfect. Sucked at understanding movies.

Zachary Manenti

i agree homo sacer, which i did read, is a great book, and i would say is applicable to a class analysis in america… def applicable to poorer ppl ( i wd include myself) in the world, in general. Between too much regulations and arbitrary laws and the lawlessness of authority do we ‘exist.’

Zachary Manenti

poorer ppl, meaning, those who cannot afford to be ‘proper consumers.’ And those numbers r growing by the billions, globally.

Zachary Manenti

one thing, Docs, the blindnesses of ur privilege is really seeping thru. no offense. . And Agamben, who for all his flaws, it can be argued, speaks for the musselman ( the muslim man, translation), the lower wage workers u start screaming about but onviously are not urselves. That’s where i’d out the value if agamben’s theory—- on the growing class of have nots.

Zachary Manenti

in case u think there’s no state for the poor and disenfranchised……

Nimrod morgenstern

Thank you for this theme! A year ago, I had to write some piece on Orwell, I thought of reading it through Baudrillard and through Orwell's essay on the English language. It was very interesting to compare conspiracy theories and critical theory in terms of how PragerU and QAnon talked of Critical Theory in contrast to how the left viewed Orwell's novel with the same criticism on the media but about how it doesn't really engage with political events, and how ideological wars shaped our view towards capitalist realism and "end of history". This is an idea that should be discussed in terms of how different political sides engage with what is "brainwashing" and "orwellian" with the idea of what language hides and how symbols are constantly multiplying as simulacrums. I guess. IDK. Furthermore, I'd like to add an example from where I am from, in short with strawman: Some guy decided he read Gramsci and is now a genius, goes to news panels after bulding his reputation as a supporter of conservatism and religious orthodoxy. His misreading of Gramsci created a situation in which he actually blames the opposition for hegemonic oppression of middle class and certain ethnicities. His critique was on point, however, totally misdirected and understood as if one grabs their head through their ass. This created a weird situation in which a critical theory was manipulated into what ppl saw as conspiracy theory, because it was definetly taken the wrong way. However, some of his points were correct, but towards very vague political sections that are actually enforcing the hegemony, the government. Anyways, sorry for writing a ton, but this is a great topic. Great pod episode!

Theis Egeberg

Honestly, I know you guys advocate free thought. But I’m just outsourcing all my opinions to you. I’m really impressed by the depth and breadth you consistently bring. This is just praise. I don’t have anything to add 🤷‍♂️ but thank you!

anacidcommie

What a fun and interesting episode this was, I swear Pills and co just make putting out based content on the regular *look* easy. That Societies of Control essay just keeps looking more and more prophetic almost by the day, and the only thing more impressive than that is that he wrote that fucker in 1990. It's hard not to love Deleuze for one reason or other.

Shivering Fool

How could you not include Franco Berardi in that list of Italian theoreticians!