Oddly enough, through the latter part of my upbringing, I became quite familiar with Wilhelm Reich and his ideas about orgones. It's always fun to meet other people who "know about orgones" and compare notes.
So, naturally while I was enjoying some Chianti and Easy Mac, looking for a full text online verson of Debord's "The Society of Spectacle" and came across this article, I thought I ought to pass it along.
3 comments:
Ah, those nurture-versus-nature, behavior-modification-worshiping, dog-ate-my-homework responsibility-avoiding situationists ... *s*
This observation struck me:
"Later, pamphlets appeared in the United States which attempted to rehabilitate Reich from a situationist standpoint. Ken Knabb, in a touching pamphlet published in 1973, titled Remarks on Contradiction and its Failure, evaluated his own participation in an American pro-situ group ("Contradiction") from the standpoint of Reich's character analysis. This was Reich's novel technique of therapy which identified the petrified role played by the neurotic, at the service of defending him or her from total contact with life. It focuses specifically on the resistance to analysis, and uses deep breathing along with the physical release of muscular holding (character armor) to restore health.
[Ed.: Okay, so far so good ... armor, after all, is BOTH a blessing -- protection -- and a curse -- limiting real happiness ...]
"The members of Contradiction might well have confronted their dilemma by enlisting that fundamental tactic of breaking the impasse by concentrating precisely on the resistance to analysis. This would have pointed not only to the basic collective organizational errors I have outlined in "Remarks," but also to our individual resistances, that is to say, our characters...Suffice it to say, for now, that if it is indisputable that the practice of theory is individually therapeutic, it seems to me equally true that an assault on one's own character is socially strategic, a practical contribution to the international revolutionary movement.
[Ed.: AAANK!, situationists. Reich was all about the INDIVIDUAL, not the collective. Tsk, tsk.]
"The character of the pro-situ is objectively reinforced by the spectacle (which character, of course is most evidenced by his inability to recognize its existence, other than as a "banality," until excessive symptoms, perhaps visibly inhibiting his social practice, force his attention there).
Sigh. In attempting to understand personal armoring, they engage in thickening it even further!
And, notice in previous paragraphs, the enthusiasm with which they seemed to embrace the "it's all about sex" thing. Cue the 1960s, and hedonism uber alles.
A further kernel of truth can be found here:
"From 'The Mass Psychology of Fascism,' Brinton draws on Reich's analysis of 'the various methods whereby modern society manipulates its slaves into accepting their slavery.'"
Brinton was attempting to pigeonhole fascism into this fundamental concept, but the fact is, it's germane to ANY social construct, especially -- if I may say so -- socialist/collectivist.
EXCELLENT analysis. Nice find :)
I think that the Situationists have some genuinely compelling ideas, but I agree that it gets to be a bit much.
I've been reading Debord and Adorno (who's not really a situationist, but is pretty much as bad) for my thesis. Between the two of them, there isn't much left in life that hasn't been totally demonized.
Yep, like other theorists, they DO tend to go off on tangents. In cases like that, I tend to call on my old pal William of Ockham and the famous "Occam's Razor." (Essentially, strip things away to their bones -- less is best -- kinda thing)
If you ask me, the Situationists are attempting to define (and thus) pigeonhole everything in life, including their own behavior -- for which it sounds like they're making excuses. "Oh, it's all socialized." Mmm-hmm.
And demonizing things -- iconoclasty -- is priority one. Hey, you don't have to be afraid of something you've soundly deconstructed, right? (Mmm-hmm) This is a favorite tactic of atheists. Of course, whenever I encounter one, I send them here:
http://www.amazon.com/Living-Energy-Universe-Fundamental-Transforms/dp/157174455X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267196941&sr=1-1
(Pretty much proves, scientifically yet! that God exists. Way cool :) I'll get you a copy, one of these days)
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