CovOps
 Location : Ether-Sphere
Job/hobbies : Irrationality Exterminator
Humor : Über Serious
 |  Subject: Jordan Peterson bitch-slaps intellectual-vegetable Slavoj Zizek, at sold-out debate  Sun Apr 21, 2019 2:43 am | |
| While Toronto sports fans were glued to screens to see how their beloved Leafs and Raptors did in playoff games Friday evening, a contest of intellectual heavyweights captivated a packed crowd at the Sony Centre.
Bestselling author and psychologist Jordan Peterson was debating "Happiness: Capitalism vs. Marxism" with Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek, in an event that was more than a year in the making.
Judging by the scowling faces displayed by both men in the event's promotional material, neither would seem particularly well suited to offer advice on the path to happiness. Indeed, both men have previously argued against the pursuit of happiness, with Peterson suggesting that people should instead seek meaning through personal responsibility, and Zizek arguing that the pursuit of happiness is pointless and ultimately elusive.
There were no fireworks between the two debaters. In fact, they often agreed — particularly on the subject of political correctness and identity politics — even if their supporters did not.
The event opened 20 minutes behind schedule with an introduction by moderator Stephen Blackwood, who pointed out how unusual it is to see "the country's largest theatre packed for an intellectual debate."
Based on early reaction from the sold-out crowd, Peterson enjoyed a hometown advantage as the crowd favourite.
He opened the night by saying a stagehand had just informed him that tickets for the night's event were being sold by scalpers for a higher price than Friday's Leafs-Bruins playoff game. "I don't know what to make of that," he said.
Wearing a navy blue, three-piece suit, Peterson began with a detailed takedown of Marx's Communist Manifesto, particularly the notion that owners of the means of production were inherently evil and workers inherently good.
"It's absolutely foolish that you can make an assumption about someone's moral worth by their economic standing," he said.
Peterson did not dispute that capitalism produces inequality. But it also produces wealth, he said, citing statistics on how extreme poverty has been reduced, even as wealth accumulates at the top of the economic food chain.
"The rich may be getting richer, but the poor are getting richer, too," he said. "The poor are not getting poorer under capitalism; the poor are getting richer under capitalism."
Peterson, a professor of psychology who is taking an unpaid leave from the University of Toronto, most recently authored 12 Rules for Life. He has become a cause célèbre for his many controversial opinions, and has been called a favourite of the alt-right.
Zizek, who is Peterson's direct opposite in style and manner, wore a rumpled, long-sleeve cotton shirt. The celebrated author and philosopher has written three books on Marxism and four on French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan. Like Peterson, he has been a public intellectual whose many utterances have been parsed and discussed over the years.
In February 2018, Zizek penned a piece in the Independent, titled "Why do people find Jordan Peterson so convincing?" in which he lambasted Toronto professor, writing: "His crazy conspiracy theory about LGBT+ rights and #MeToo as the final offshoots of the Marxist project to destroy the West is, of course, ridiculous."
In response, Peterson challenged Zizek on Twitter to a debate, saying: "If you wish to debate the validity of my 'apparently' scientific theories — or any of my other claims — then let me know, and we'll arrange it ..." Though Zizek is not on the social media platform, he accepted the challenge.
The tickets went on sale in March and quickly sold out, with resellers charging exorbitant fees — as much as $950 for a seat — and the debate was made available online at a cost of $14.95.
Past events involving Peterson — particularly on campuses — have sparked anger and protests, but there were none at the start of Friday's debate. Most of the people entering the theatre seemed excited to see the two thinkers go head to head, and while some came to support their favourite, many were keeping an open mind.
"I would say that I'm a fan of both, and I'd like to hear their different perspectives," said Anna Martin, 26, a teacher. "I'm really interested in seeing how they disagree, and how they deal with each other's disagreements, and what happens from there."
Zizek, who speaks with a thick accent, read primarily from handwritten pages during the debate and had less command of the crowd as a result.
"Happiness is a confused notion," he said, adding that people don't actually want what they think they do. "The worst thing that can happen is for us to get what we officially desire."
Zizek pointed out the ills wrought by unrestrained capitalism, particularly environmental degradation. He also pointed out how the global market is not in fact free, but is regulated in ways that serve some countries while exploiting others. "The market is already limited, but not in the right way."
Peterson countered that Zizek offered a criticism of capitalism, but no support of Marxism.
"I'm perfectly aware of the problems of capitalism," Peterson said, before paraphrasing Winston Churchill's famous quote about democracy. "It's the worst form of economic arrangement, other than all the other ones we have."
https://www.thespec.com/news-story/9293609-jordan-peterson-slavoj-zizek-each-draw-fans-at-sold-out-debate/ |
|
