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'BUDDHISM, HAPPINESS, AND SACRIFICE': A masterclass with Slavoj Zizek

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Venue: Online

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BUDDHISM, HAPPINESS, AND SACRIFICE

In the last decades, critiques of my reading of Buddhism abound – even those who are otherwise sympathetic to my general approach claim that I miss the point when I target Buddhism. So I'll try to clarify what I see as the radical difference between Lacanian position and Buddhism. Buddhism accepts the common view that the purpose of life is happiness (to quote Dalai Lama, “the purpose of our lives is to be happy“), it just defines this term differently – here are a couple of statements by Dalai Lama which make this difference clear: “Happiness is not something readymade. It comes from your own actions.” / “When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace.” / “Human happiness and human satisfaction most ultimately come from within oneself.” Following Freud, Lacan, on the contrary, asserts death drive as the basic component of our libidinal lives which operate beyond the pleasure-principle: what Lacan calls enjoyment (jouissance) emerges out of a self-sabotage of pleasure, it is an enjoyment in displeasure itself.

 

TWO CLASSES:

(1) Against Happiness

(2) Against Sacrifice

 

Literature: 

Why Lacan Is Not a Buddhist: A Belated Reply to My Critics - The Philosophical Salon

 

The masterclass will take place remotely using Blackboard Collaborate web conferencing system. It will consist of two live events with Professor Zizek. The first  session will be moderated by Prof Maria Aristodemou and the second one by the BIH Co-Director Prof Esther Leslie, with participants invited to submit questions and comments during the event itself.

Those who register will be given joining details.  Tickets can be purchased separately for each session of the two sessions which will run from 14:00-16:00 on both days. Each session costs £15 but there is also a combined ticket available to attend both days for £25.

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