Renata Salecl is a philosopher and sociologist whose work delves into the intricate ways societal pressures and psychological mechanisms shape our choices and sense of freedom. She critically examines contemporary issues, focusing on themes such as anxiety and the overwhelming nature of choice in modern life. Through her insightful analysis, Salecl uncovers the hidden forces influencing our decisions and personal relationships. Her writing offers a profound exploration of the complexities of the human condition.
"Drawing on philosophy, social and psychoanalytic theory, popular culture, and her own experience, Salecl explores how the passion for ignorance plays out in many different aspects of life today, from love, illness, trauma, and the fear of failure to genetics, forensic science, big data, and the Incel movement--and she concludes that ignorance is a complex phenomenon that can, on occasion, benefit individuals and society as a whole"--
Warum es eine Zumutung ist, sich anhaltend entscheiden zu müssen
Kaffeesorte und Karriere, Kinderwunsch und unser Körper – alles eine Frage der richtigen Entscheidung? Renata Salecl entlarvt eine gefährliche Illusion Es ist das große Versprechen der Gegenwart schlechthin: Wir sind frei, unser eigener Herr, unseres Glückes Schmied, die Bildhauer unserer eigenen Identität. Doch die Ideologie der grenzenlosen Entscheidungsfreiheit hat gravierende Mängel. Renata Salecl legt dar, wie diese vermeintliche Freiheit zur Tyrannei wird: Zu viel Auswahl überfordert, produziert Stress, sorgt dafür, dass einmal getroffene Entscheidungen laufend hinterfragt oder ewig aufgeschoben werden. Die totale Verantwortung für das eigene Glück lastet Menschen jede Enttäuschung, jeden Missstand persönlich an, sie macht sozialen Wandel undenkbar und erzeugt einen neurotischen Menschen, der nicht in Freiheit lebt, sondern unter Zwängen leidet. In ihrem mitreißenden Essay blickt Renata Salecl mit dem Gespür einer Philosophin und dem Fokus einer Psychologin tief in die Seele der konsumkapitalistischen Gesellschaft.
A brilliant study on the nature of choice and how limitless freedom can lead to despair.
Drawing on vivid examples, Renata Salecl argues that what really produces anxiety is the attempt to get rid of it. Erudite and compelling - essential reading for anyone interested in philosophy, psychology and the cultural phenomenon of anxiety.
In (Per)Versions of Love and Hate, Renata Salecl explores the disturbing and complex relationships between love and hate, violence and admiration, libidinal and destructive drives, through investigation of phenomena as diverse as the novels The Age of Innocence and The Remains of the Day, classic Hollywood melodramas, the Sirens' song, Ceausescu's Romania, and the Russian performance artist Oleg Kulik, who acts like a dog and bites his audience. For Salecl - who questions the legitimacy of the calls for 'tolerance and respect' by multiculturalists - practices such as body multilation are symptoms of the radical change that has affected subjectivity in contemporary society.