Name: Symbolic Castration by Why Theory
Duration: 1 h 31 min 50 s
Description: Ryan and Todd consider the concept of symbolic castration as it develops in psychoanalysis and as it bears on both politics and culture. They relate symbolic castration to some of the key concepts in psychoanalytic theory, including fetishistic disavowal and the phallus.

I remember going to a yoga class that was taught by someone that had transitioned ftm, and for whatever reason, they seemed to have packed their phallus into their sweatpants, which was pretty noticeable. I had this deep sense of like, "huh, I guess we ALL wonder about where we fit in, and also maybe appearing to have a massive erection while you teach a yoga class really subverts the 'uniting' or 'yoking' aspect of yoga practice."

Please dedicate an episode to analysing the wire, i heard you guys float the idea during the breaking bad episode. i would be over the moon. best wishes from over in the netherlands!

41:00 This idea of “If Science says something is the case, only to say that it isn’t the case, then we can’t trust scientists” made me think of that line from the Phenomenology: “ a truth cannot lose anything by being written down”

So the mainstream rendering of accepting symbolic castration would be Imposter Syndrome. The difference being that people think of imposter syndrome as a lack of self confidence/esteem and so the solution to that is strengthening the ego, “you’ve got to realize that you’re just as good as those other people- You belong there.” in other words “yes they have the phallus, but so do you.” Whereas accepting symbolic castration is like “you feel like you don’t belong- you’re right. But no one here belongs here, which is what brings us together.”

This episode is the fourth in a series of episodes that Ryan and Todd are devoting to Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit. Here, we go through what Hegel understands by the term "reason" and how it develops in this major section of the book.

Hegel's Reason

Ryan and Todd attempt to show why the term "poststructuralism" is inapt for describing any of the thinkers that it usually is thought to indicate. They go through the major theorists known under this moniker and reveal why poststructuralism doesn't exist.

Poststructuralism

Ryan and Todd unpack Marx's concept of surplus value and explore its fundamental role in the interpretation of capitalist society. They discuss the relationship between surplus value and profit, while considering how we should think about the drive to amass surplus value.

Surplus Value

Ryan and Todd explore the idea of surplus enjoyment as the basis for a theory of capitalism. They consider the psychic hold that capitalism has in terms of the surplus enjoyment that it both promises and provides.

Surplus Enjoyment

Ryan and Todd discuss the generic development of science fiction cinema while also addressing its philosophical implications. They include a deeper analysis of Metropolis, The Thing From Another World, Forbidden Planet, and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

See:
Voyage to the Moon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLVChRVfZ74

Metropolis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_4no842TX8

Phantom Empire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qbf6KX8O98

Science Fiction Cinema

Ryan and Todd think through Ludwig Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations, focusing especially on the parallels with psychoanalysis and the work's political significance. They also address the ramifications of the private language argument that Wittgenstein formulates.

Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations

Ryan and Todd explore the working of the dialectical reversal, how weaknesses can turn into strengths, how successes can turn into failures. They look at this through a variety of everyday examples and a few choice filmic ones.

Dialectical Reversal

Ryan and Todd consider the concept of symbolic castration as it develops in psychoanalysis and as it bears on both politics and culture. They relate symbolic castration to some of the key concepts in psychoanalytic theory, including fetishistic disavowal and the phallus.

Symbolic Castration

Ryan and Todd begin their analysis of Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason by working through the prefaces to the first and second edition of the work. They focus on the radicality of Kant's breakthrough and the role that the limit plays in his philosophy.

Critique Of Pure Reason -- Preface

Ryan and Todd interpret David Lynch's Blue Velvet by paying special attention to the Kantian dimension of the film. They consider the film in terms of the thing-in-itself and the sublime.

Blue Velvet

Ryan and Todd analyze Slavoj Zizek's contribution in what may be his magnum opus--The Parallax View. They discuss how he builds on the concept of parallax as originally articulated by Kojin Karatani and its implication for Zizek's understanding of politics.

Parallax View

Why Theory brings continental philosophy and psychoanalytic theory together to examine cultural phenomena.

Symbolic Castration

Why Theory

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Ryley Alger-hempstead

Ryley Alger-hempstead

yes

Christian Lesniak

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