Select Page

Questioning multiculturalism: The critique of Slavoj Žižek in political philosophical perspective

by | Vol 30 (4) 2012

Nowadays, multiculturalism is the target of a lot of criticism. One prominent critic is the Slovenian philosopher and psychoanalyst Slavoj Žižek and this article will focus on the main points of his critique. The author examines the extent to which his arguments are valid when considered in the context of the full background of the multiculturalism debate. It will be argued that Žižek does not have a complete understanding of the vision of humanity underpinning the defence of multiculturalism. It will also be argued that Žižek’s plea for a revolutionary politics does not account for the importance of recognition.

Related articles

  • Mentalities of Political Catholicism in Austria

    Taking the actual political situation in Austria as her starting point, the author provides a psychoanalytical inspired historical reflection. Traditionally, it was religion that structured the inner and outer world of people. It is argued that in Austria this was possible due to the combined powers of Church and Dynasty. For more than five hundred years the Catholic Church and the court of Habsburg cooperated with success in establishing a reciprocal assurance of power. This determined people to a high…

  • Psychoanalytic Materialism. A Political-Philosophical Approach

    In these times of the increasing neurologisation of the person, the question is not only how psychoanalysis can or should relate to the neurosciences, but also how it should position itself in relation to psychology, as the latter has seemingly unproblematically aligned itself with the new hegemonious discourse. The author argues that philosophy, specifically political philosophy and ideology critique, that can bring clarity here. The central idea is that where neurologisation and psychologisation merge, psychoanalysis shall have to clarify its…

  • The plague: Freud, Lacan & the crisis of critique

    During its long history, psychoanalytical theory has developed a criticism dealing with almost the entire domain of human culture and civilization. That theory lays bare the unconscious motives and structures which, on the conscious level, can have all kinds of pernicious effects. The weak point of that criticism, however, consists in its awareness that the unconscious motives and structures it brings to consciousness, after its critical analysis, will remain unconscious and repressed. In that sense, psychoanalytical theory performs a critique…