Tadas Vinokur | Goldsmiths, University of London (original) (raw)

Drafts by Tadas Vinokur

This essay will attempt to (re)define the terms of violence in order to produce a useful terminol... more This essay will attempt to (re)define the terms of violence in order to produce a useful terminology for the politics of resistance. This will be achieved in three main stages: 1. The proposal of the problem of violence; 2. Investigation of the problem of violence; 3. Solution proposal to the problem of violence.

1. The proposal of the problem of violence In the section The Problem of Violence I will introduce Žižek's distinction of subjective and objective forms of violence. Here I will characterize the main problem that burdens the philosophy of violence, namely, the glossary of violence suffers from inherently partisan and equivocal definitions of terms. In view of that, I will introduce Hobbe's and Freud's descriptions of violence as examples of analytical misrecognition of de facto violence. By discussing W. Benjamin's concept of divine violence I will then stress the philosophical requirement-and difficulty of describing a purely ontological form of violence, which is motivated neither culturally nor politically.

2. Investigation of the problem of violence In the section The Graph of Violence I will introduce a graph, which will allow me to superimpose Žižek's distinction of subjective and objective forms of violence onto Schmitt's distinction of the friend and enemy. This graph will maintain that the scholarly interpretations of violence are often very predictable and conceptually one-dimensional. The brief exploration of Fanon's and Arendt's descriptions of violence will further justify the architecture and terminology of the graph of violence.

3. Solution proposal to the problem of violence In the section The Graph of Affect I will introduce a contrasting graph, which will restructure the terms of violence by way of affect theory. Here I will show how Žižek's distinction between objective and subjective forms of violence utterly dissolves during major political events-effective circulations of affect. The term 'violence' will henceforth be exchanged for the term 'affect' as this will allow me to interpret violence as a form of affect, which is neither superior nor inferior to other forms of political affect-production. I will achieve this by following Massumi's, Bertelsen's and Murphie's descriptions of affect in politics. By focusing on the affect-rather than on violence-I will emphasize the necessity of managing tactical circulation of diverse sets of violent and nonviolent affects within the politics of resistance. The Problem of Violence When analyzing the issue of violence we are struck by the enormous misunderstanding as to what violence is. That is to say, the philosophy of violence lacks clear-cut systematization of specific

In this essay, Hardt and Negri’s theory of the multitude will be supplemented with an analysis of... more In this essay, Hardt and Negri’s theory of the multitude will be supplemented with an analysis of libidinal, psychic and aesthetic economies of the multitude. Herein lies the most important argument of this essay, namely, that all of the cognitive economies - political, libidinal, psychic, and aesthetic - are important to consider if the innovativeness of the multitude is to prosper.

The first part of this paper will explore the Realist school of IR. Here, it will be discussed ho... more The first part of this paper will explore the Realist school of IR. Here, it will be discussed how Realism accentuates the sovereign agency of nation-states by bolstering the inherent normativeness of anarchy. Following this, the Liberal theory of IR will be introduced as it entertains the potential of peace within the world of war. For the first time, anarchy will be understood as susceptible to cultural change. The appeasement of anarchy - however - is not sufficient. If anarchy is to be truly overcome, a shared component that transcends the differences between nation-states should be erected. To this end, the classical liberal doctrine of economy will be introduced. The myth of anarchy will - again - undergo a change, in that the free market economy will be understood as a unifying force that binds the nation-states together. The change in anarchy, however, can only come about by way of socio-political responsibility. Here, constructivism will be introduced as it emphasizes the political responsibility of making something out of anarchy. The myth of anarchy will - yet again - undergo a change, in that anarchy will no longer be understood as natural or inherent. This point is crucial, because a true change in anarchy can transpire only if political actors realize that they are responsible for a specific kind of anarchy. Finally, the notion of capitalism will be introduced. That is to say, the accrued knowledge of anarchy will culminate in the analysis of late capitalism. It will be argued that the canon of anarchy often forgets the internal organization of states and dismisses the vertical hierarchies of power that affect the international politics. Capitalism will - therefore - assume a more prominent role. It is the claim of this paper that the understanding of IR in terms of anarchy can be afforded solely to the victors of the new world order. Finally, the intention of this paper is to construct a road map for present-day political action. In the end, the discussion of globalization and neo-Marxist theory will compose exactly that - a map for action.

N.B. This play is without scenes or acts. The spectators will find the curtain closed. After the ... more N.B. This play is without scenes or acts. The spectators will find the curtain closed. After the play commences and the curtain is raised, spectators will see a bourgeois study-a room that contains a desk (directed at spectators), a carpet, couple of drawers and a clothing rack with a women's dress hanging on it. Most importantly, there is a box on the stage. The box is sufficiently big enough to comfortably fit a grown woman. On the wall, across the stage, there is a poster which says in neon letters: 'Georg is full of shit!'. The male actor sits at his desk. He is very well dressed. His looks should be immaculate, polished to the degree of male queerness within film noir. The model for the male actor's overall looks should be Johnny from the movie 'Gilda'. One of male actor's shoes is untied.

'This Epic play is without scenes or acts. In essence, the play ought to be treated as an unfoldi... more 'This Epic play is without scenes or acts. In essence, the play ought to be treated as an unfolding manifesto of an imminent life-form which is shackled by the classic notion of the subject. This subject is under erasure i.e., it perpetually relinquishes what it possesses, it dilutes its societal attributes and traits. This play begins to de-subjectivize drama.'

'This play is no charade. If one is to be presented with this play, that individual would incinerate and rage like he/she never did before. This would happen for a simple reason: this play is honest in its dishonesty/corruption. Throughout this analysis we will take a look at the play, which manifests personality in hesitancy, milieu in ubiquitousness, resistance in capitulation and drag-performance in everydayness. In the words of Dylan Thomas, this play will ‘not go gentle into that good night’, it will ‘rage, rage against the dying of the night’.'

'Yet another piece de resistance of this play is manifested through the evocation of Biopolitics. Biopolitics as a field of thought is gaining more and more clout amidst contemporary scholarly research. Since we had established that this play is political to begin with, it is fitting that as a theoretical bedrock ‘Disarticulations’ utilizes Biopolitics - a field of study which analyses philosophical problematics of late capitalism.'

"Ezra Pound’s ‘Hugh Selwyn Mauberley’ summarizes poetry in 1920s London. He speaks about the ‘su... more "Ezra Pound’s ‘Hugh Selwyn Mauberley’ summarizes poetry in 1920s London. He speaks about the ‘sublime’ that is to be maintained, the dead art of poetry that is to be resuscitated. In the light of socratic interrogation, the cunning question arises: where is this ‘sublime’? Where are these real experiences kept, which render poet’s reminiscence evermore vivacious. In other words, there surely is such an experience, which validates the undertaking of a poet. Where is this dead art of poetry then - what kind of hogwash-anomaly is this?"

"Throughout the analysis of Ken Ueno’s techniques I have been referring to the real-encounter that I had with the composer. It was not mediated; i.e., two people were talking to each other. The intention of this paper is to show this experience - interview - as a motivation/catalyst for more interviews to be followed - more person-specific music to be performed. "

"Oscillatology is possible on the condition, which states that the plurivocity of logo-centric in... more "Oscillatology is possible on the condition, which states that the plurivocity of logo-centric interlocutions is nevertheless oscillating i.e., they are conveying. Oscillatology is consolidated upon the premise of us denominating ourselves as imago-particles, which oscillate so to irritate the space-time, in which new/old imago-particles will bestir. Oscillatology will operate at its best, when the oscillation itself is a priori in question."

"This text is therefore a pure-Ideology. It is an ideology brought to its uttermost limit. Ideology ought to look and see, dichotomize, differentiate between external and internal, marginalize, create hegemonies and subsequently it ought to die – loose acceleration – and keep it silent, just so to oscillate in ever more cunning form. Ideology calls the writer of this text to bear a name, contain idiosyncrasies as well as array of stigmas."

The following essay will look at the issue of neologisms and the ‘chains of Equivalences’ as well... more The following essay will look at the issue of neologisms and the ‘chains of
Equivalences’ as well as ways of attaining jouissance in James Joyce’s book “Ulysses”.

The vast amount of neologisms, syllogisms, allusions, which are utilized throughout this book raise a rather substantial issue, in that the meaning/comprehensibility of the text is constantly at odds apropos the execution - act of writing. The autonomous potential – literariness – of Ulysses’ language possesses a considerable freedom from referential restraint, while at the same time it makes it epistemologically highly volatile and fragile. Suffice to say that a single signifier is capable of launching intricate phenomenological repercussions, which ought to overcast the sentiment (i.e., considerations of truth and falsehood, beauty and ugliness, good and bad etc.) Moreover, the ‘word’ itself becomes merely a vicissitude/interchangeable with other signifiers. In other words, the Signifier word-sic and its grammatical omnipotence – literality - is perpetually trivialized and belittled by the contingency and arbitrariness of the mise-en-scene.