LAND, ZIZEK, AND SINGULARITY
SEMINAR SERIES WITH MICHAEL DOWNS
Land, Zizek, and Singularity is a course taught by philosopher Michael Downs inspired by his book Capital vs. Timenergy: A Zizekian Critique of Nick Land. The course aims to introduce the basic idea of “technological singularity”, inspired by the cybernetic tradition and computational revolution. This concept is then further developed in relationship to contemporary interpretations inspired by accelerationist philosopher Nick Land, and Hegelian philosopher Slavoj Zizek, with a focus on both the unity of capitalism and artificial intelligence, as well as the possibility of wired brains (e.g. neuralink, brain implants, etc.). The course then seeks to offer a Zizekian critique of Nick Land’s notion of technological singularity as informed by the Lacanian notion of subjectivity and death drive, with a closure aiming to inspire reflection on our personal relationship between capitalism and timenergy.
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Meet Your Teacher
Professor Michael Downs
Michael Downs is a Militant Proletarian Snake-Handler, author of The Dangerous Maybe blog, as well as author of Capital vs. Timenergy: A Zizekian Critique of Nick Land. Downs works on the philosophy of “fault-line theory” which seeks to think with the tensions and antagonisms of contemporary underground theory, specifically at the intersections of the work of Nick Land and Slavoj Zizek. Downs interests at this specific fault-line orbit the relationship between Land’s notion of artificial intelligence and theory of technological singularity informed by an analysis of capitalism; and Zizek’s notion of the subjectivity as operating at the level of the Freudo-Lacanian death drive. Throughout Downs work his philosophy seeks to analyse the tension between capital-AI and subjective death drive in order to rethink issues in Marxism, psychoanalysis, and contemporary politics of capitalism around the notion of timenergy.
Session 1: Technological Singularity
Session 2: Landian Capital + Zizek’s Wired Brain
Session 3: Zizekian Critique of Nick Land
Session 4: Capital and Timenergy
Recommended readings:
(Readings available in PDF form in the private course portal)
Land, N. Xenosystems.
Chapter 3: Outsideness.
Land, N. Fanged Noumena.
Meltdown
Machinic Desire
Circuitries
CyberGothic
Zizek, S. Hegel in a Wired Brain.
Introduction: “Un jour, peut-être, le siecle sera hégélien”
Chapter 2: The Idea of a Wired Brain and its Limitations
Chapter 4: Singularity
Chapter 6: Reflexivity of the Unconscious
A Treatise on Digital Apocalypse
Bostrom, N. Superintelligence
Chapter 7: The Superintelligent Will
Kurzweil, R. The Singularity Is Near.
Chapter 6: The Impact…
Omohundro, S.M. ‘The Basic AI Drives’
Poliks, M. & Trillo, R.A. Exocapitalism.
Chapter 3: Lift (pp. 51-92)
Last, C. Global Brain Singularity.
Chapter 6: Global Brain and the Future of Human Society
Chapter 7: Global Commons in the Global Brain
Chapter 14: Dialectical Approach to Singularity
Downs, M. Capital vs. Subjectivity.
Zone 3: Capital
Zone 4: Accelerationism
Zone 6: Timenergy
Zone 9: Critique
Downs, M. & Nance, B. Enjoy Your Surveillance!: On Superegoic-Capitalistic Artificial Intelligence.
Check our reviews on
Start Today
Start Today
Two ways to access: purchase the course as a stand-alone seminar, or join The Portal as a monthly/yearly member
Philosophy Portal is an online education platform opening space for the next generation of great thought, and cultivation of future philosophical mind. Philosophy Portal members get access to The Portal live event spaces, free access to courses. Couples are encouraged get a 2 for 1 deal. All Sales Final.