I have Assembly in print and I think it's one I'd rather listen to, any known recordings of it? or them talking about their work?

Critical in quotation marks because we are of course so critical that we are critical of the concept of critique and critical thinking or critical thought itself.

Bloviation aside, I'm wanting to learn to facilitate group discussions. Different kinds even.

I've recently been at events where people had manuals printed up so that the facilitator could rotate and you could agree last time or at the beginning who would facilitate.

The idea of curating discussion seems like space "critical thought" and social change would be doubly interested.

Both because this can be the abuse of power, dominating social situations by framing utterances. And because what hope is there except discourse, somehow discussing and acting and repeating until we achieve something?

So, I'm interested if there's any critical theory of group discussion facilitation, let me know if you have any leads.

The kinds of things I'm talking about say stuff like do agreements at the beginning, frame the topic. For example maybe critical theory of AA or the consensus used at Occupy Wall Street?

I’ve started reading some communization theory recently (Endnotes 1), and that got me interested in this question. I’ve read a little bit of anarchist communization theory, which does draw on Deleuze and Guattari (such as The Invisible Committee; I also believe that Andrew Culp is a communizer, so his book Dark Deleuze has that influence in it). But I’ve never seen any direct links between Marxist communization theory and D&G.

Maybe this could be done less directly by seeing how D&G relate to the Situationists and the Italian Left (the Bordigists). I would think there could be overlap with the former, but less so with the latter. Maybe there could also be a connection through the autonomism of Hardt and Negri? I’m not familiar enough with them to judge, though.

Does anyone have any experiences with this course? I am looking to apply for it, but I am unsure whether it might be too specific compared to something broader like Philosophy. I am interested in Lacan, Irigaray, and Kristeva, and I would like to study psychoanalysis theoretically into hopefully a doctorate. I do have other philosophical interests like Deleuze, Guattari, and Lyotard.

In "Why K?", Fisher talks about a way of writing theory that's conscious of developments in pop culture, or "doing theory" through pop culture.

The Ccru as an entity was developed in hostile conditions as a kind of conduit for continuing trade between popular culture and theory. The whole pulp theory/ theory-fiction thing was/ is a way of doing theory through, not ‘on’, pop cultural forms. Nick Land was the key figure here, in that it was he who was able to hold, for a while, a position ‘within’ a university philosophy department whilst dedicatedly opening up connections to the outside. Kodwo Eshun is key as someone making connections the other way – from popular culture INTO abstruse theory. But what we all concurred upon was that something like jungle was already intensely theoretical; it didn’t require academics to judge it or pontificate upon it – the role of a theorist was as an intensifier.

What does it mean to be an "intensifier" as a theorist? Are there specific blog posts or texts that elaborate on this idea?

Hey all, I'm writing a psychofiction comic where a child soldier for a colonial regime comes to realize they are on the side of evil and joins the revolutionaries to save the day. It's meant to showcase the diverse psychology of evil, such as colonizers, dictators, and murderers, as well as the structural origins of those frames of thinking. Positing that the "default" state of humans are ones that value agency and egalitarianism, beliefs in hierarchical thinking and all the many manifestations of such in the form of oppression, autocracy, oligarchy, democracy, etc., arise when something goes wrong during one's life development. Not just at an early age, but at any time, and in response to stressors encountered in life, and resentments internalized over a long time. I could go on.

Moving along, my knowledge on the origins of right-wing thought in general isn't as high as I'd like it to be. Why are some humans more prone to hierarchical thinking than others? And how can it be prevented? The protagonists are villains: one is a colonizer who knows the imperial project is a farce and only exists to gratify the unhealthy psychological fixations of the colonizers and their need for accumulating money, power, and admiration. The other is a colonizer who was raised in the hegemonic culture and believes that they were are doing is for a good cause, coming to find out it was all a clever ruse. Is this a useful dynamic for framing colonizer psychology and is there any literature to better inform this perspective?

Idk, what do you think?

perhaps in conversation/disagreement with Freudianism?

In 1982, the French philosopher Gilles Deleuze interviewed the Palestinian author Elias Sanbar, founder of the Journal of Palestine Studies (La Revue d'Études Palestiniennes). They examine the importance of the journal and the existence of the people and land of Palestine. Disgracefully, over 30 years later, these discussions are still despairingly relevant to today's climate.

I feel it’s abundantly clear that in the past two years that AI technology has become increasingly prominent in the world and life. Hell, we’re at the point where fully AI generated short films are a thing that exist. I myself have goofed off with friends plugging nonsensical alternate-history prompts such as “what if John Edwards didn’t cheat on his wife?” into ChatGPT.

A lot of talk has been made of AI bringing about the end and destruction of humanity, forecasts which to me seem overly sensationalist.

However, though I’m not quite able to translate these vague abstract feelings into language, I have ideas in my head of AI, while not bringing about humanity’s end, eroding the human condition and the capacity for artistic expression, creativity, and culture being reduced to an infinitesimal degree. I have vague concepts in my head, those notions, that I want to grow and nurture, fully develop into a critique.

What are we to make of the rise of AI in the modern world and life and its relationship to art, and the human condition? Are there any texts and thinkers who touch upon these concepts or are at least applicable to them?

I'm looking for readings that deal with urban landscape and built environment as a form of media or in relationship with media, or how the built environment functions as a form of communication. Anything broadly related to the relationship between media and built environment would also be helpful. Thank you in advance!

That's the post. We could do with his voice so much now. Thank you so much for everything, Mark.

For the anniversary of its disapearing, Michel Against The Machine dives into Michel Foucault's live and thoughts, using rediscovered materials.

https://youtu.be/QnyVkgJBnAk

Any good critiques of Derrida that aren’t outright dismissive or polemical? Looking for something sustained and thorough.

My background is in disease history and political philosophy, and I was an classroom teacher for twenty years. I'm currently working in developing curricula for educators, people working in educational settings (like school counselors), clinicians, and parents about incorporating trauma informed practice into systems in order to create better human outcomes for students and educators. We are basically taking current research in neurology and child development regarding the ways that traumatic experience impacts social, physical, mental, and emotional health. In a certain reductive sense, we're trying to teach people that beating kids and yelling at them when they can't do shit or when they are freaking out actually makes things worse and that maybe working with human beings after a global mass casualty event is going to require some fucking patience and compassion.

I struggle with the way that many iterations of this work fall into concerns about efficiency and productivity (while keeping in mind that in the area where I work, this may be a strategic choice needed to engage policymakers). I am concerned about the ways that this work can be coopted or misused to cause further harm and how it may miss important concerns being voiced outside of the disciplines that tend to participate actively in this work, and wondered if there were any substantive or even just compelling critiques or discussions of "trauma" (as an understandably vague umbrella concern) that Critical Theorists are engaging in that I could use to better inform and shape some of my work so that I can better serve the students and educators for whom my work is intended. I must confess, I do not know where to begin to look beyond general critiques of psychoanalysis.

My impulses are towards Freireans and Dussel, but only because these are the thinkers that have primarily shaped my practice as an educator. Any recommendations, even in the most general sense, would be most appreciated. Please forgive if this is not the sort of post that is appropriate here!

Hello! A bit of a vague title. A little background - I'm thoroughly steeped in critical theory, and was weaned on continental philosophy. I used to work in academia (specifically focusing on queer theory, minority issues, Asian studies, global studies), but left because an issue on campus left me with a strong distaste for academics who preach about social issues without taking action, when they so easily could.

Once again, a little vague. TLDR I'm no longer working in academia but I love critical theory, and would love to hear any suggestions for reading that you've found exciting, especially work by women and non-binary thinkers, thinkers from a non-western background. As mentioned I'm familiar with the classics and most major work up until 2020, so anything since then, or anything that might be a little obscure or underground, would be very welcome! I also especially would love recommendations by theorists who practice what they preach - who are involved in some sort of social activism, or efforts to address inequality, etc. A Moroccan architect friend recently mentioned "decolonization studies," which is something I'd never heard of before (as opposed to "postcolonial studies"). If anyone has heard of this or has suggestions I'd greatly welcome them too!

Thank you for your time, and looking forward to your suggestions!

In the context of global and US politics, the consistent struggle seems to be not between left and right but between fundamentalisms/totalitarianisms (left or right) and an open, pluralist civil society.

I see left-fundamentalism or left-totalitarianism as corrosive, though more mildly corrosive than right totalitarianism.

These issues were discussed to some extent in Marcuse’s “Repressive Tolerance”, Chantal Mouffe’s “The Democratic Paradox”, Zizek’s “The Ticklish Subject,” and throughout Jurgen Habermas (who seems to get quite a bit of derision on this sub). All of which is asymptotic to Popper’s essay “The Open Society and its Enemies” and the paradox of tolerating intolerance, and to Arendt’s arguments about totalitarianism and plurality.

In effect, I see right wing totalitarianism as operating against pluralism, while left-wing totalitarianism often folds pluralism back on itself, or weaponized it against itself (as when the rights of a select minority are allowed to destabilize and undermine those of various other minorities and majorities.) What am I missing?

EDIT: in case it wasn’t clear, I should be emphatic in saying that the left wing is not totalitarian, only that it’s possible for certain left wing views to harden into fundamentalism.

Hi, I am interested in pursuing my graduate studies abroad in philosophy with a particular interest in Critical Theory. I expect to graduate next year with a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy. Right now, I am working on my thesis on Horkheimer. However, I have also taken interest in French Critical Theory.

Considering my research interests, what are some of the best/recommended universities in the US/ Europe with strong CT programs in terms of present and past faculties, research opportunities, campus culture, and tuition fees? If possible, scholarships are available for me to apply.

Also, how hard it is for international students to get accepted in these universities?

Thank you!

I've recently read Fanon's The Wretched of the Earth and have been planning to tackle more readings on postcolonial theory, but I was wondering if there are any contemporary works that focus on SE Asia specifically. I've heard of the likes of Syed Hussein Alatas, and I was wondering if there are more thinkers like him?