First as Tragedy, Then as Farce
Book 9 of The Essential Žižek
Language: English
Publisher: Verso Books
Published: Oct 5, 2009
Words:
57940
Flesch:
47.98
DDC:
337.01
FAST Tags:
Influence (Literary; artistic; etc.),
Philosophy,
Globalization--Philosophy,
Capitalism--Philosophy
LCC:
HB501
Book Details
...
Description:
The leading philosopher of our time tracks the demise of liberalism through landmark events of the 21st century—from 9/11 to the farce of the financial meltdownBillions of dollars were hastily poured into the global banking system in a frantic attempt at financial stabilization. So why has it not been possible to bring the same forces to bear in addressing world poverty and environmental crisis?In this take-no-prisoners analysis, Slavoj Zizek frames the moral failures of the modern world in terms of the epoch-making events of the first decade of this century. What he finds is the old one-two punch of history: the jab of tragedy, the right hook of farce. In the attacks of 9/11 and the global credit crunch, liberalism dies twice: as a political doctrine and as an economic theory. The election of Donald Trump only confirms the bankruptcy of a liberal order on its last legs.First as Tragedy, Then as Farce is a call for the Left to reinvent itself in the light of our desperate historical situation. The time for liberal, moralistic blackmail is over.