Mourning or Melancholia? Collapse of Capitalism and Delusional Attachments

The chapter looks at a potentially fertile connection between Žižek’s philosophical method and Lacan’s critique of the University discourse as articulated particularly in Seminar XVII. To what extent is Žižek’s critical work understandable through Lacan’s specific conceptualisation of knowledge as split between savoir (knowledge of the subject) and connaissance (knowledge of the ego)? And where does that leave us with regard to Lacan’s further specification of knowledge at work (savoir-faire)? Since the University discourse is a crucial point of reference to grasp Lacan’s view of capitalism as a system ruled by connaissance qua ubiquitous valorization, the chapter explores the ways in which Žižek, drawing on Lacan, can be seen to develop a critique of capitalism based on savoir.