You are all cordially invited to to the next Critical Cultural Theory Seminar

Time: Wednesday 5 February, 16h00.

Location:Oude manhuispoort D.0.09

Filmscreening of ‘The Toxic Reigns of Resentment’ (directed and produced by Jürgen Schaflechner, Tim van den Hoff and Sjoerd van Tuinen)

Followed by an open discussion of the film with film director Jürgen Schaflechner and philosopher Sjoerd van Tuinen

Summary of the film
After the fall of the Soviet empire and the triumph of global capitalism, modernity appeared to keep its dual promise of liberty and equality. Only a few decades later, however, we witness an oppositional trend: A revival of nationalism paired with xenophobia, an increasing tribalization of politics, a public sphere oscillating between cruelty and sentimentality, and a Left caught up in wounded attachments. Social media, once the promise to give voice to the disempowered, link cognitive capitalism with a culture of trolling and hyper moralization. Algorithms programmed to monetarize outrage feed isolated information bubbles and produce what many call the era of post-truth politics.
How did we enter this toxic climate? Are these developments a response to the ubiquity of neoliberal market structures eroding the basic solidarities in our society? Has the spread of social media limited our ability to soberly deal with conflicting life worlds? And have both the left and the right given in to a form of politics where moralization and cynical mockery outdo collective visions of the future?

Featuring: Wendy Brown, Grayson Hunt, Rahel Jaeggi, Alexander Nehamas, Robert Pfaller, Gyan Prakash, Peter Sloterdijk, and Sjoerd van Tuinen

For questions contact Aukje van Rooden (A.vanRooden@uva.nl).