Why Theory

Latest Episodes:

Mourning and Melancholia Jul 23, 2022

Show notes

Ryan and Todd are joined for the episode by James Godley, who recently organized a conference on mourning and the pandemic, entitled "In the Wake of the Plague" (which one can access here: https://sites.dartmouth.edu/wake-of-the-plague/), to discuss Freud's "Mourning and Melancholia." They probe the cultural resonances of the text and question the reasons for its massive popularity among Freud's writings.

Wild Psychoanalysis Jul 09, 2022

Show notes

Ryan and Todd analyze Freud's essay "Wild Psychoanalysis" and delve into the problem of treating symptoms with knowledge rather than addressing the enjoyment that they offer. Even though this is a minor Freud essay, it provides one of the pillars for a psychoanalytic approach to politics.

Abortion Theory Jun 25, 2022

Show notes

In this special episode, Ryan and Todd address the newly minted US Supreme Court decision that overturns the nationwide right to abortion access. They delve into the history of the famous decision granting abortion rights and theorize what has changed. During this discussion, they use the so-called abortion episode from the television series "Maude" as a reference point. The works referenced in the episode can be found here: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6e2rff and here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv1bmY4Wd34

Quilting Point Jun 11, 2022

Show notes

Ryan and Todd investigate the concept of the quilting point (point de capiton), as originally coined by Jacques Lacan and then in additional permutations. They attempt to develop this concept in further directions that challenge Lacan's original theorization of it in order to uncover its political efficacy.

Lacan's Seminar 3: The Psychoses May 29, 2022

Show notes

Ryan and Todd provide their reading of Jacques Lacan's Seminar III devoted to the psychoses. They focus on the idea of the foreclosure of the paternal signifier while also addressing the role that Lacan theorizing the imaginary having in psychosis. They also outline the theory of the signifier that Lacan articulates in this seminar and how it relates to his later theorizing.

Hamlet May 14, 2022

Show notes

Ryan and Todd address the history of psychoanalytic interpretations of Shakespeare's Hamlet, devoting time to both Freud and Lacan's reading. They then delve into the play as a work of modernity, seeing in it the modern project that attempts to reject the authority of tradition and of the father. Ryan's article on seriality and binge mentioned in the episode is located here: https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10092/103108/22%20Engley.pdf?sequence=3

Streaming May 01, 2022

Show notes

Ryan and Todd question the theoretical implications of the development of streaming for narrative, spectatorship, and politics. They look at the changes that streaming ushers in and the hidden continuity between streaming and earlier aesthetic forms.

The Woman Doesn't Exist (Aphorism 8) Apr 17, 2022

Show notes

Ryan and Todd explore Lacan's late aphorism, "The Woman doesn't exist." They address the importance of this statement for psychoanalytic feminism and the complications that have arisen from it. The relation between signifying logic and the sociocultural situation becomes a central part of their discussion.

Film Noir Apr 03, 2022

Show notes

Ryan and Todd explore theories of film noir and try to account for its success as a cinematic movement. They discuss films such as Out of the Past, Double Indemnity, and The Third Man, as well as figures such as the femme fatale and the hard-boiled detective in an effort to understand what gives film noir its radicality.

Dualism & Multiplicity Mar 19, 2022

Show notes

Ryan and Todd investigate the possibility of thinking about all competing philosophies under the headings of dualism, multiplicity, and dialectics. They take as avatars for each position St. Paul, Gilles Deleuze, and Hegel. Rather than serving as a reductive matrix for dismissal, this model becomes a way to think about relationality between different thinkers and systems of thought.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected