An Other World is Possible - or The Rising Tide of Insignificancy still?

Since the protest against the World Trade Organization in Seattle, 1999, grassroots activists have joined with more formally organized activists to arrange World Social Forum, and local offsprings like European Social Forum and national versions. These days, associated activists in Norway arrange the annual Globalization Conference.

The slogan of the fora: An Other World is Possible, captures the essence of Castoriadis's concept of autonomy, as conscious auto-institution. After 20 years of passivity, under the punch-line "There Is No Alternative" (to market capitalism), young and old leftists are now reawakening to the insight and belief in social change - major social change. They once again dare to think that other institutions and significations can be created.

The question is whether the Tide of Insignificancy, diagnosed by Castoriadis in the 1980's now is receding? Or does the event of the social fora merely signify that we, the subjects under global capitalism, have become "super-reflexive"; using our insights to do nothing, i.e. that we diagnose ourselves and leave it at that: cf. Zizek's "ideology with eyes open"-? In short, would Castoriadis's thought best be used to critique, or to affirm the "movement of movements" of the World Social Forum?

Κορνήλιος Καστοριάδης

Conditions for political creativity

What can be said of institutional conditions for political creativity? A well functioning public sphere, education for democracy, an open and investigative culture etc.? Or a clearly oppressive society? Is it not true that creativity, political and otherwise, thrives on restrictions and duress?

Thesis completed

A doctoral thesis on Castoriadis's philosophy - the first to critically interpret his ontological turn of the Imaginary Institution of Society and beyond - has recently been submitted by Suzi Adams at La Trobe University, Australia. Title: "Castoriadis and the Circle of Physis and Nomos: A Critical Investigation of his Philosophical Trajectory".
Supervisor: Professor Johann P. Arnason.

Congratulations, Suzi!

Ingerid S.

New anthology - Socialisme ou Barbarie

I received an email announcing this upcoming book, with hard-to-get, original texts. Read more in the comment, in French.
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Ingerid