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Pill Pod 15 - Critical Theory 1933/2020 (Exclusive)

We're calling this a mid-season reboot, as we reflect on the influence of Marx on the Frankfurt School, and the distinction of high and low entertainment for entertainment.

Matt would like to apologize to you all for his terrible audio quality and assures me it won't happen again.

Pill Pod 15 - Critical Theory 1933/2020 (Exclusive)

Comments

Hey there pod, catching up on the library and I love running across this old cast. You guys are awesome. If I can flesh out Adorno's love of Schoenberg and 12-tone music a bit, I think the terms dissonance and consonance are being mapped in a way that is maybe not applicable. The thought in the Second Viennese School was that the very notion(s) of consonance and dissonance were only possible because of inherited musical hierarchies. In a key, each note has a function, and that is to either create tension that needs to be resolved or to be a point of rest that needs no resolution. Then there are 3-5 notes from outside the key that simply don't belong. Schoenberg wanted to "emancipate dissonance" and create a music that operated without these imposed hierarchies. [NB: He also realized that this approach to music would eventually end the project of pitch-centric composition and speculated on a type of art music that would be realized (in a group that included Levinas's son) in the 70s called spectralism]. So while without context Erik is right it's super dissonant and pretty exhausting, listening to it as a constant subversion of expectation and a music that attempts no hierarchies makes it way more enjoyable than other unnamed boy bands. If not to listen to then at least to know as something that exists.

Brian Penkrot

What I don't get with the libs on the podcast is that Victor and Matt obviously know their shit but capitalism doesn't mean when markets (or commerce generally) exist. Markets have existed for way, way long than the 2-300 years capitalism has existed, so the latter is mostly defined by the private individual ownership of the means of production first. Also socialism has always meant worker ownership of the means of production, which is definitely not the same as state ownership. The definition got distorted by USSR and general ML propaganda, and something which Cuck Philosophy had showed that Marx never supported. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRXvQuE9xO4 Re living the same way, there's no real alternative, we live under a capitalist system and you don't really have a choice to not to. Not everyone can start a coop for similar reasons why you tell the right that not everyone can simply start a business. Deciding that capitalism is bad or good has no material impact on the fact that capitalism is here and you have no real choice whether to pay those bills or not. Just like right here your opinion on whether or not you agree with that jstor article being behind a paywall makes no material difference to the existence of that paywall. Otherwise, fantastic episode, incredibly interesting, you all keep heightening my interest in the Frankfurt school and critical theory in general. And god, I love the dynamic between all of you, with Erik absolutely killing it in the end, as usual. So yeah, the 'shooting the shit' format is definitely preferable and it makes things a lot more entertaining and endearing tbh. Pass this onto Victor before his lib ass gets cancelled ;) And yes, please livestream!

anacidcommie

Comrade Victor, you hit on the nail. Love the fact that you guys keep it loose & informal. It keeps the podcasts spicy.

Gennadios

I don't think a seminar would be necessarily bad, but you guys are doing great. And yes, Bollywood is shit. :)

Samhit Reddy

You guys have great chemistry. Shout out to Erik for his extra dirty mouth. Looking forward to seeing these in video format.

Wayne Ha

You could all have a microdose where you introduce your own field of specialization, since you were talking about doing individual things as well. For example, Eric could talk about semiology or psychoanalysis, Victor or Matt could discuss liberal cuckoldry etc. But for real, great job, all other philosophy podcasts are way too dry to listen to whilst doing something monotonous

Aaron Cardona

What is this Xmas Pills? New podcast + new video. Thank you and the team for all the hard work!

Matt H

Today, September 26, is the anniversary of Walter Benjamin's death...

Steve B


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