The Joy of Resistance: Ep. 2 - You are Not A Resource

2,000 years ago Cicero warned us against the idea that other people are functionally prey from whom we extract the profit. Unfortunately, his arguments have been forgotten and we inhabit a society that insists that the exploitation of others is not only acceptable but necessary and admirable. As Deleuze and Guattari and others have demonstrated, this logic leads to an idea of the self that is entirely devoid of human sympathy. We think we are exploiting others but we are in fact re-conceptualizing ourselves as extraction/consumption machines that have no other values or functions. Within this context, caring for others as valuable and even beautiful is an act of resistance.

Books mentioned:

Cicero De Officiis Book 3 50-57

Deleuze and Guattari A Thousand Plateaus - Plateau 6

Delueze and Guattari Anti-Oedipus

Koran Al-Mutaffifin and Al-Isra (amongst many other passages)

Deluzism by Ian Buchanan particularly the last chapter.

Join Wes on Patreon for a deeper dive into the ideas we explore on the podcast. It’s a space for lifelong learners — with bonus lectures, course materials, peer discussion, and audio diaries from France. Wes is active in the community and often engages directly with listener questions.

Starting at $2/month: https://www.patreon.com/wescecil

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(234)

Taoism: Ep. 12 - Taoism and Tranquility

While Taoism emphasizes knowing and being nothing, it does have a positive value - tranquility. Virtually ignored as a value in the Western tradition with its powerful focus on “meaning” and “knowing”...

25 Sep 30min

No History For You! - Ep. 3

NO HISTORY FOR YOU!In my second lecture I explore the bizarre and necessary historical amnesia that besets American culture. For the first 200 years of American settlement, the Native American culture...

24 Sep 42min

The Joy of Resistance: Ep. 3 - Revolution is a Trap

The overriding narrative of revolution features a defined enemy inhabiting a defined space that we can, with courage, suffering and sacrifice, overthrow and inaugurate a new and better world. However,...

21 Sep 42min

Taoism: Ep. 11 - Taoism and Nihilism

Taoism posits that the meaninglessness of life is not a basis for Nihilism but for Joy and Liberty. The palpable despair imparted by the advance of science and the increasing awareness of the triviali...

18 Sep 27min

Q & A - What is an American? - Ep. 2

Q & A - WHAT IS AN AMERICAN?Wes and Jeremy take questions from listeners on Lecture I: "What is an American?" Apologies for the audio quality on this one—it improves as the series moves along.Sign-up ...

16 Sep 34min

Taoism: Ep. 10 - Socrates was NOT a Taoist

While Taoism emphasizes ‘not knowing’ it does so in a very different way than Socrates’s claim of knowing what he does not know. In Chapter 17 of Chuangtzu we encounter a classic example of both the l...

11 Sep 28min

What is an American? - Ep. 1

WHAT IS AN AMERICAN?In my introductory lecture I explore the uniquely powerful role America plays in the contemporary world and the history that underlies its global dominance. 250 years ago, the Unit...

9 Sep 53min