Held September 27, 2018 at Oregon State University. Moderated by Andony Melathopoulos.
Speakers (in order):
- Mika Goodwin - Democratic Socialists of America (Corvallis)
- Paige Kreisman - Communist Party of Oregon (CPUSA)
- Douglas Lain - publishing manager Zero Books, author of Bash Bash Revolution
- Christopher Nichols - History Department, OSU, author of Promise and Peril: America at the Dawn of a Global Age
Panel Description:
The term âsocialismâ appears to be enjoying a resurgence of public interest - both favorably where it is self-prescribed and pejoratively where it is meant to degrade the respectability of public figures. From early 2016 at the height of Bernie Sanders's campaign for the Democratic Party nomination to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezâs victory over Joe Crowley in June, the term âsocialismâ appears to be gaining some level of purchase and a whole lot of press. In many instances, âsocialismâ is commingled with terms as varied as âsocial democraticâ, âcommunistâ, âmarxistâ, âanarchistâ, etc. As such, we view this is as an opportune moment to ask, âwhat is socialism after all?â What do public figures mean when they identify as socialists or any one of its varied strains? What do their opponents think it means? What does it mean and what can it mean? And perhaps, most important of all, what did it mean in the past?
On this episode of SPS, we sit down with Jacobin contributor Alex Hotchuli and discuss Brazil's upcoming, presidential elections. With Audrey Crescenti, we take up Afro-futurist aesthetics, with clips from artist Frances Bodomo, the Nation of Islamâs Elijah Muhammad, Sun Ra, and Terence Nanceâs new HBO show, Random Acts of Flyness.
Alex Hotchuli on the Brazilian elections for Jacobin
jacobinmag.com/2018/09/brazil-elâŠboulos-corruption
Mark Dery, "Black to the Future: Interviews with Samuel R. Delany, Greg Tate, and Tricia Rose" (1994)
tinyurl.com/y9wulgbk
Hosted by Pamela N & Laurie Rojas.
Held on September 8, 2018 at New York University. Moderated by Wentai Xiao.
Panelists:
- A.M. Gittlitz, contributor to the New Inquiry and co-host of the Antifada Podcast
- John Garvey, Editor of Insurgent Notes
- Richard Wolin, Professor of History at the CUNY Graduate Center
Description:
The term âsocialismâ appears to be enjoying a resurgence of public interest - both favorably where it is self-prescribed and pejoratively where it is meant to degrade the respectability of public figures. From early 2016 at the height of Bernie Sanders's campaign for the Democratic Party nomination to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezâs victory over Joe Crowley in June, the term âsocialismâ appears to be gaining some level of purchase and a whole lot of press. In many instances, âsocialismâ is commingled with terms as varied as âsocial democraticâ, âcommunistâ, âmarxistâ, âanarchistâ, etc. As such, we view this is as an opportune moment to ask, âwhat is socialism after all?â What do public figures mean when they identify as socialists or any one of its varied strains? What do their opponents think it means? What does it mean and what can it mean? And perhaps, most important of all, what did it mean in the past?
On August 11, 2018, Platypus members Jensen Suther, Richard Rubin, and Chris Cutrone, participated in a discussion of Marxism and philosophy and the stakes of this topic for Platypus at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. It was moderated by Teo Velissaris and Reid Kotlas.
Chris pre-published his prepared opening remarks for the event in the then-latest issue of the Platypus Review:Â
https://platypus1917.org/2018/07/30/ends-of-philosophy/
An essential chart of terms to consider:Â
https://platypus1917.org/wp-content/uploads/cutrone_beingbecomingimmanentcritique102217.pdf
The main background reading for our internal discussion is Karl Korsch's 1923 essay on "Marxism and philosophy."Â
https://platypus1917.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/korsch_marxismandphilosophy.pdf
The Platypus Review has published extensively on Marxism and philosophy, including several relevant articles by Chris C., and there are a couple of further essays by Korsch from circa 1923 that are useful for addressing this topic:
Further reading:Â
- Chris Cutrone, âBook review: Karl Korsch, Marxism and Philosophy (2008),â Platypus Review 15 (September 2009), available online at: https://platypus1917.org/2009/09/03/book-review-karl-korsch-marxism-and-philosophy/.
- Cutrone, âRejoinder on Korsch,â PR 20 (February 2010), available online at: https://platypus1917.org/2010/02/26/rejoinder-to-david-black-on-karl-korschs-marxism-and-philosophy/.
- Cutrone, âBook review: Gillian Rose, Hegel Contra Sociology (1981, 1995 and 2009): Gillian Roseâs âHegelianâ critique of Marxism,â PR 21 (March 2010), available online at: https://platypus1917.org/2010/03/15/gillian-roses-hegelian-critique-of-marxism/.
- Cutrone, âRevolution without Marx? Rousseau, Kant and Hegel,â PR 61 (November 2013), available online at: https://platypus1917.org/2013/11/01/rousseau-kant-hegel/.
- Cutrone, âWhy still read LukĂĄcs? The place of âphilosophicalâ questions in Marxism,â PR 63 (February 2014), available online at: https://platypus1917.org/2014/02/01/why-still-read-lukacs-the-place-of-philosophical-questions-in-marxism/.
- Cutrone, âBook review: Andrew Feenberg, The Philosophy of Praxis (2014),â Marxism & Philosophy Review of Books (February 14, 2015), available online at: https://marxandphilosophy.org.uk/reviews/7988_the-philosophy-of-praxis-review-by-chris-cutrone/.
- Cutrone, âBack to Herbert Spencer! Industrial vs. militant society.â PR 82 (December 2015 â January 2016), available online at: https://platypus1917.org/2016/01/12/back-to-herbert-spencer/.
- Karl Korsch, âMarxism and philosophyâ (1923), in Marxism and Philosophy (New York: Monthly Review Press, 1970 and 2008), available online at: https://www.marxists.org/archive/korsch/1923/marxism-philosophy.htm.
- Korsch, âThe Marxist dialecticâ (1923), available online at: https://www.marxists.org/archive/korsch/1923/marxist-dialectic.htm.
- Korsch, âOn materialist dialecticâ (1924), available online at: https://www.marxists.org/archive/korsch/1924/materialist-dialectic.htm.
On this episode of SPS, we discuss the confusion around "trans politics" & sexual emancipation and examine the limits of anti-Trump activism. Audrey Crescenti, Pam N & Berkeley member, Will Lushbough, sits down with comedian Will Franken, who lived as a trans woman for a brief time, to talk about sexuality & the state of stand-up today. Laurie Rojas talks to UK members, Rory Hannigan & PĂĄdraig Maguire about the recent anti-Trump protests in London. And Suzy V. drops by to discuss the Chicago queer scene and the difficulty of thinking about sexual emancipation today.
Articles mentioned:
(1) "The Word 'Cisgender': An Unlikely Semantic Revolutionary"
www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-worâŠ10913904.html
(2) "Why Scarlett Johansson â Or Any Cis Actor â Should Never Play Trans Roles"
www.them.us/story/why-scarlett-âŠer-play-trans-roles
From the Platypus archives on sexual liberation:
(1) platypus1917.org/2016/10/17/9-16-âŠteach-frankfurt/
(2) platypus1917.org/2014/06/01/sexuaâŠrum-2014-6-1-14/
(3) platypus1917.org/2011/02/01/whichâŠxual-liberation/
Hosted by Audrey Crescenti, Pamela N., Laurie Rojas.
