Less
VERSO
london
II
New York
First published by Verso 2012 © Slavoj Zizek All rights reserved The moral rights of the author have been asserted 13579108642
Verso
UK: 6 Meard Street, London W1F OEG US: 20 Jay Street, Suite 1010, Brooklyn, NY 11201 www.versobooks.com Verso is the imprint of New Left Books ISBN-13: 978-1-84467-897-6
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data lilek, Slavoj.
Less than nothing: Hegel and the shadow of dialectical materialism / by Slavoj iIlek. p.cm. Includes index. ISBN 978-1-84467-897-6 -- ISBN 978-1-84467-889-1 (ebook) 1. Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich, 1770-1831. 1. Title. B2948.Z552012 193--dc23 2011050465 Typeset in Minion Pro by MJ Gavan, Cornwall, UK Printed by in the US by Maple Vail
Contents
Introduction: Eppur Si Muove
PART I. THE DRINK BEFORE
1
1
"Vacillating the Semblances" What cannot be said must be shown Idea's appearing From fictions to semblances Dialectical gymnastics? No, thanks! From the One to den "Nothing exists" Gorgias, not Plato, was the arch-Stalinist! "Where There Is Nothing, Read That I Love You" A Christian Tragedy? The big Other The death of God The atheist wager "Do not compromise your desire" Lacan against Buddhism
23
23 33
42
48
53
60 69 79 80 86 96
112
2
121
12 7
3 Fichte's Choice From Fichte's Ich to Hegel's Subject The Fichtean wager Anstoss and Tat -Handlung Division and limitation The finite Absolute The posited presupposition The Fichtean bone in the throat The first modern theology
PART II. THE THING ITSELF: HEGEL
137 140
145 151 156 160 168
171
179
4 Is It Still Possible to Be a Hegelian Today?
Hegel versus Nietzsche Struggle and reconciliation A story to tell
193 194 199
207
VIII
CONTENTS
Changing the destiny The owl of Minerva Potentiality versus virtuality The Hegelian circle of circles
london
II
New York
First published by Verso 2012 © Slavoj Zizek All rights reserved The moral rights of the author have been asserted 13579108642
Verso
UK: 6 Meard Street, London W1F OEG US: 20 Jay Street, Suite 1010, Brooklyn, NY 11201 www.versobooks.com Verso is the imprint of New Left Books ISBN-13: 978-1-84467-897-6
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data lilek, Slavoj.
Less than nothing: Hegel and the shadow of dialectical materialism / by Slavoj iIlek. p.cm. Includes index. ISBN 978-1-84467-897-6 -- ISBN 978-1-84467-889-1 (ebook) 1. Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich, 1770-1831. 1. Title. B2948.Z552012 193--dc23 2011050465 Typeset in Minion Pro by MJ Gavan, Cornwall, UK Printed by in the US by Maple Vail
Contents
Introduction: Eppur Si Muove
PART I. THE DRINK BEFORE
1
1
"Vacillating the Semblances" What cannot be said must be shown Idea's appearing From fictions to semblances Dialectical gymnastics? No, thanks! From the One to den "Nothing exists" Gorgias, not Plato, was the arch-Stalinist! "Where There Is Nothing, Read That I Love You" A Christian Tragedy? The big Other The death of God The atheist wager "Do not compromise your desire" Lacan against Buddhism
23
23 33
42
48
53
60 69 79 80 86 96
112
2
121
12 7
3 Fichte's Choice From Fichte's Ich to Hegel's Subject The Fichtean wager Anstoss and Tat -Handlung Division and limitation The finite Absolute The posited presupposition The Fichtean bone in the throat The first modern theology
PART II. THE THING ITSELF: HEGEL
137 140
145 151 156 160 168
171
179
4 Is It Still Possible to Be a Hegelian Today?
Hegel versus Nietzsche Struggle and reconciliation A story to tell
193 194 199
207
VIII
CONTENTS
Changing the destiny The owl of Minerva Potentiality versus virtuality The Hegelian circle of circles