Ask Prof Wolff: Overdetermination - Freud & Marxist Philosophy

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A Patron of Democracy at Work asks: "How did you arrive at overdetermination as an ontological and epistemological theory for explaining the world (or at least part of the world)?"

This is Professor Richard Wolff's video response.

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“Marxism always was the critical shadow of capitalism. Their interactions changed them both. Now Marxism is once again stepping into the light as capitalism shakes from its own excesses and confronts decline.”

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[annmowatt]

Love all your programmes. You are a wonderful teacher with the amazing gift of explaining concepts so clearly. This was fascinating. A huge thank you and I hope your subscribers continue to grow exponentially.

[josephschaumberg]

Thanks now I realize why I feel overwhelmed by a torrent of stories.

[luvanime]

I suffer from PTSD, most notably manifested in violent nightmares that awaken me in fits of screaming and/or crying. I suffer from severe polyneuropathy, but after one nerve induction test during which I nearly assaulted the technician, I don't my neurologist that I cannot go through another one. Of course, anyone would say, what caused these things and are they related? My answer is yes, due to childhood torture and physical abuse. But from what you are saying, I gather, we cannot simplify it down to those factors (or other closely related factors) which is quite a bit to consider. My original psychiatrist passed a few years ago of old age and I think he would have been interested in exploring this with me, though unfortunately my nightmares manifested after his passing. I thank you and I plan to do some reading up on this subject.

[matthewkopp]

I choose the red sweater because I believe workers should seize the means of production.

[kd-mimi]

Fascinating discussion Prof Wolff. Please continue to do more videos on philosophy.

[alienpilled]

Very enlightening video. One of the many things the late great Michael Brooks did for me was introduce me to your channel.

[TankGump]

Awesome Prof. Wolff! Thx for patiently, humbly and sincerely sharing these carefully considered truths. Your dedication to mankind's well-being gives me hope for tomorrow.

[danahegna]

It drives me crazy-wild when you spew Philosophy at us, Prof!!! What an excellent DESCRIPTION of something that is so necessary for raising the thinking to a higher level, so that humanity will have a better future! I first read about it in Nietzsche's book, Twilight of the Idols, the Four Great Errors. 'nuff said. Except, thank you, sir.

[shadi.lahham]

This is somewhat similar to the Buddhist idea of Interdependent Origination. Given that Hegel and Engels were influenced somewhat by Buddhism this might be the cause of similarity. Anyways quite interesting and different. More of this kind of videos is appreciated

[cesarcalderonvalles]

Great post! It's been a pretty philosophical week with Putin's speech on top of it... I feel like reading Hegel again :) thanks a lot! ...Shared.

[groovalotfunk]

Because my red sweater was the only clean sweater that I had!

[kaden]

Thanks for answering my question! I suppose I'll have to read Hegel, Marx, Lenin, Lukács, Gramsci, Althusser to understand how and why they chose overdetermination too!

[iart]

Great food for thought, it does shift one's perceptions. Thanks !

[cheri]

I really appreciate your expertise on subjects that matter. Thank you Professor Wolff. ❤️

[rdg]

You always manage to fill in the blanks for me!

[lawsonj]

One of the things that drew me to the study of rhetoric is the fact that rhetoricians have been thinking about cause-and-effect, and especially what causes people to behave as they do, since at least 600 BC. Ancient rhetoricians took great pride in their ability to use symbol systems, language and stories above all, to transform the realities we live in. Plato hated rhetoric because he wanted to tell a story about a stable underlying Reality, and rhetoric challenges that idea; so rhetoric had no place in Plato's ideal Republic except as a sales tool, a means of propaganda. But rhetoric actually represents a way of knowing and interacting that resists platonic philosophy and rationalism. Unfortunately, Trump and Tucker Carlson and all sorts of other mountebanks and criminals utilize rhetoric to undercut rational thought--but in so doing, they prove its power: a lesson that Althusser in particular started to explore, and one that more thinkers on the left would do well to pay attention to.

[jacpratt]

it is the most comfortable sweater and it just happens to be red? the infinite causes of comfort or discomfort will leave you dead before you can account. So on what bases do we decide what to do?

[Mrgreenman]

Thank you Prof. Wolff! But I never would have believed that you basically share my philosophy...Thinking about individual causes does seem natural when we are not attuned to the ideas of natural possibilities and radical freedom...technically, every possible movement of every possible particle in your head or throughout society in your metaphors of the sweater and civil war create the "Probability" that an event will happen at a larger scale, but the scale must be accounted for both up and down the chain of cause and effect, creating exponentially more possibilities as scale shifts and interacts with it's constituent parts...

The universe is so complex that you would need a computer AT LEAST double the size of the universe to calculate all the possibilities...once we realize the illusion of self and the science of how nature operates, we understand that "Knowing" what the future holds or why the past occurred to any concrete degree is just beyond us as you mentioned, we just can't hold that many thoughts or get enough data to calculate precisely...that's why it's so fascinating to me, it's like we're ancient mariners, forever peering into the mists beyond our tiny ship of the senses, hoping we can discover just enough so that we don't wreck on a rock or reef...

[emiebex]

Overdetermination sounds like a symptom of Capitalism in which your raise to overachieve even if it's not required. 🤔

[Mohamed-sobq]

Thanks for this clear explanation. Which Hegel text would you recommend and how long did it take you to finish it?