Zero Point

by Slavoj Žižek

The essays in Zero Point ask how we distinguish defeat from disaster, and how we confront despair without collapsing into it - questions never more pertinent than the current moment in the wake of electoral victories for authoritarian populists and unceasing news of violent atrocities.

The 'zero-point' of the title is ground level, rock bottom, the place to which one retreats and where one regroups. Taken from Vladimir Lenin's 1922 piece 'On Ascending a High Mountain, in which Lenin considers the complexities of how one 'retreats' while keeping faith in the cause, the central simile of the climber offers a blueprint for resilience, flexibility, and the persistence of hope. This is the revolutionary as living out the Beckettian 'Try again. Fail again. Fail better.' In Žižek's hands, this becomes the formula for confronting the antagonisms of existing world order. With a particular focus on the Middle East -the point at which all our tensions threaten to explode – Žižek argues nothing can be addressed meaningfully without such a confrontation.

The consequences of eschewing apolitical acts of solidarity and choosing to attempt to speak truth to power are reckoned with in the second half of Zero Point. In a unique piece assembled chronologically from unpublished writings, Žižek wrestles with the fallout from his controversial speech at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October 2023 - a speech which saw him interrupted, condemned and accused of anti-Semitism. The reader bears witness as Zizek processes the criticism, evolves his thinking and explores the full ethical, political and personal ramifications of the When is the right time to speak?

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Essays, Theory

148 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 20, 2025

About the author

Slavoj Žižek is a Slovene sociologist, philosopher, and cultural critic.

He was born in Ljubljana, Slovenia (then part of SFR Yugoslavia). He received a Doctor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Ljubljana and studied psychoanalysis at the University of Paris VIII with Jacques-Alain Miller and François Regnault. In 1990 he was a candidate with the party Liberal Democracy of Slovenia for Presidency of the Republic of Slovenia (an auxiliary institution, abolished in 1992).

Since 2005, Žižek has been a member of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts.

Žižek is well known for his use of the works of 20th century French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan in a new reading of popular culture. He writes on many topics including the Iraq War, fundamentalism, capitalism, tolerance, political correctness, globalization, subjectivity, human rights, Lenin, myth, cyberspace, postmodernism, multiculturalism, post-marxism, David Lynch, and Alfred Hitchcock.

In an interview with the Spanish newspaper El País he jokingly described himself as an "orthodox Lacanian Stalinist". In an interview with Amy Goodman on Democracy Now! he described himself as a "Marxist" and a "Communist."

Reviews

[Jonfaith · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I feel your pain" is the ultimate form of hypocritical fake. There is a secret jouissance in every compassion, in every sympathy for a victim.

Yes, Slavoj, to contain two pains is an admirable stance. I commend public intellectuals who ask questions and incur wrath from all sides.

The focus here is narrow and nuanced. Perhaps I had hoped for a broader array of subjects. There isn’t as much Hegel and Lacan as one would guess. Several of the citations are from secondary sources and apparently there was a haste in publishing this. A few shocking typos could be possibly painted as the Freudian slips alluded to in his general critique.

The title refers to a symbol Lenin used to describe the backtrack of the NEP during the rough period of privation. Zizek assumes such is a familiar posture during these demoralizing times.

Much of this book addresses the fallout from his speech at 2023 Frankfurt Book Fair.

4.2 stars

[Nicholas Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zero Point is a very interesting concept in Zizek's work that hasn't been directly explored until now. Zizek really narrows in on how the changes in the world in 2024-5 have shifted from the usual talk of apocalypse to the actual reduction of things to a zero point where what resets is something new, and not for the better.

Zero Point isn't as lively as Against Progress (which is where one should still start). The politics in question don't liven he imagination, but this is where we are.

The collection of his thoughts on Gaza carefully shows the descent of our situation today. There's mourning to the writing. The clearest contrast is Zizek's earlier writing on Sarajevo, which shows how we're ideologically built up by the constant violence that's fantasmatically held off elsewhere. Regarding Gaza, the very foundations of such discourse are undone, the obscene underside is on display. And Zizek makes absolutely clear how one can be rent in two over the situation--condemn opposed evils without being the 'beautiful soul'.

I was concerned that these small essay collections would just repeat what's been put out on Substack, but I'm happy to say that Zero Point definitely has the density and cohesion of a book. Instead of thought-in-progress Zero Point very much reflects on things in their totality.

[Knecht René · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zero Point is provocative and insightfull. With a blend of psychoanalytic insight, political critique, and philosophy.

This book is a defense of his controversial 2023 Frankfurt Book Fair speech. with his comments on the Palestinian situation where he showed empathy for the victims, which resulted in a backlash/selective criticism. (probably because of the timing)

But Žižek doesn’t shy away, unpacking the hypocrisy of the geopolitical landscape with brutal frankness. From Israel-Palestine to Iran, Africa, and the US, he maps out a world spiraling between ideology and catastrophe.

What drawed my attention: on page 79 is where Žižek articulates his view on the future of GAZA as a superposition of two seemingly inevitable outcomes. He writes:

“It’s not that we have two possibilities (catastrophe or recovery). ... What we have here are two superposed necessities ... It is necessary that the Gaza war will end in a global catastrophe, and our entire history moves toward it. And it is necessary that a solution will arise. In the collapse of these two superposed necessities, only one of them will actualize itself. ..... And there are no alternative possible futures since the future is necessary .... Whichever the new order will be, it will be retroactively posited as necessary.” (where he quoted Jean-Pierre Dupuy)

This conclusion avoids naive hope or cynical despair. It posits a reality where outcomes are not chosen but retrospectively justified—an unsettling but clarifying perspective. Žižek goes on to warn that “the greatest victim of the Gaza war will be Europe” which failed to voice a distinctive position, instead subordinating itself to the U.S.’s unconditional support for Israel.

On page 122, he turns to the role of compassion in public discourse:

" “I feel your pain" is the ultimate form of hypocritical fake. There is a secret jouissance in every compassion, in every sympathy for a victim."
==> which could be explained as: The goal of sympathy/charity/gifts ... is "to keep the other person at a safe distance from me".

==> This is a provocative but necessary observation. Žižek exposes how our supposed empathy often functions as a buffer, a fantasy to keep the Real at distance. Authentic pain exists—but we respond to it with symbolic gestures that protect us from its force.

As a reader fascinated by the tension between the Symbolic and the Real, this insight resonated more deeply in this work. The human psyche, Žižek shows in all his works, cannot bear the Real without Fantasy. That is why we need ideology, images, distance, empty gestures., ...

Finally: I love the conclusion/last paragraph about his crazy dream. (no spoilers)

[Adrian Corrales · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a lot to love here, the first half specifically is wonderful I appreciate his analysis of 'failure' (something I fear Im not fully comfortable expressing) Great remarks on the USSR but he just completely misses the mark on Palestine China and Ukrain. He calls Ukraine as the holder of fundamental right even with all of their 'drawbacks', consistently pointing to that as the ultimate international show for something that is clearly aggressive. What is bizarre however is his dream for a Palestinian show of poetic resistance, I understand the sort of tongue in cheek messaging he is outlining obviously this is one of his old perverted jokes. But I just cant get behind the heavy handedness of his treatment of Ukraine/Russia, where are the jokes there? Perhaps its not serious enough?

As I read more and filter my opinions on China I can appreciate this sort of cynical honesty of Ping's current international policy but I'm not sure its completely fair IDK. read this for the other stuff definitely, he is old and nice to read

[Filip Rosengren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Otrolig bok. Zizek förklarar världsläget på ett tydligt och konkret sätt som är förankrat i marxismen. Den är lätt att förstå utan att känns överdrivet förenklad. När jag läste vart jag såklart ledsen och arg över situationen i världen men jag kände samtidigt att jag kunde se saker och ting med klarhet. Rekommenderas varmt

[Emil Borgström · Rating 4 out of 5]

Först, en samling essäer som bryter ner olika uppfattningar eller idéer i samtiden. Sedan, en länge redogörelse utifrån det "kontroversiella" tal som Slavoj höll strax efter 7:e oktober-attacken.

Jag tycker det är ganska imponerande hur han kan avvärja kritik från båda hållen och hur dogmatiskt han får de båda politiska extremerna att framstå ibland. En viss mängd upprepning finns men det är svårt att klaga på när det som upprepas är så klartänkt.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of essays, mainly centered around the conflict in Palestine. As with "Against Progress" a more approachable way to read Zizek works.

[Tyler Wu · Rating 5 out of 5]

With “Zero Point,” Zizek plunges us into his twisting, cataclysmic, and severe rendering of the world in its current state. Through his literary lens, which balances the elevated meta-narration of a philosopher with the striking tangibility and deep involvement of an activist on the ground, one sees just how distraught the state of everything really is. This collection of essays illuminates all that is traumatic and contradictory in events across the globe, from the obscene and caricatural carnival of Trumpian US to the tragically Samsaric meat grinder that is the Middle East.

Weaving together various angles from the psychoanalytical to the philosophical, religious, and historical among others, Zizek maps meaning onto seemingly disparate happenings across technological outgrowth, modern consumer culture, and global political conflict. We see a deeply repressed anger and confusion now being let out in exhibitionist and perverse ways unlike anything we’ve seen before in culture. We see how such public misery is then taken advantage of by governments who use semantic tricks and faulty rationale to justify deeply carnal and malicious initiatives. And underpinning all of this is a deep spiritual yearning for a new way to see the world, giving rise to populist and traditionalist movements that push a “return to values,” which in fact is actually a masking of even more outgrowth and protuberance of the modern man’s insatiable ego.

I myself derived great value from how the essays connected my daily experience in our technology-driven culture today with the obtuse and disjointed macro-political and sociological landscape, bridging various siloes of information in my own mindscape. For all of the irony, perversion, and esotericism that his public perception casts over him, what strikes me most about Zizek and his thinking is his compassion. And I mean “compassion” not in an empathetic, soft-spoken prose kind of way (he even states outright that he is not for compassion but action), but a more foundational compassion that is embedded in the very fabric of his thinking: a seeking to map and analyze the story of every party before casting judgement, refusing to fall towards one extreme even when under fire by powers that be, and clear-sightedly locating within the fray a psychological or spiritual ground that gives rise to both ends of a conflict.

In my view, Zizek is not a “moderate” in his views as some pin him as (he is, in fact, a self-proclaimed conservative-leaning communist), but more so someone whose platform cannot be plotted on today’s spectrum of political, moral, and spiritual decay. On a micro and macro level, the world strains under the swelling, gluttonous deformity that is late stage capitalism, splintering into factions and reverting back to more fundamentalist ways of seeing the world, and against this backdrop, Zizek fights to stay afloat, sharing a perspective that is, at the end of the day, more reasonable than it is anything else, and most importantly, oriented towards creating a better future. In reading his work, I feel inspired to do just that.

[Hjortronhyllan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zero Point är den första bok jag läser av Slavoj Žižek, även om jag länge snubblat över honom via algoritmernas eviga flöde och diskussioner med vänner. Att ta sig an en hel bok är dock något annat. Här möter jag en filosof som tar samtidens kriser på allvar. Allt från Ukraina och klimatet till den tilltagande politiska polariseringen och försöker visa att vi inte bara står inför tillfälliga motgångar utan vid en verklig nollpunkt, där grunden för vårt sätt att leva och tänka riskerar att rämna.

Žižek är en slovensk filosof och kulturkritiker, känd för sin förmåga att väva samman hög teori med samtidens politiska konflikter.

Jag uppskattade den första delen av boken mest. Här riktar Žižek sin skarpaste kritik mot vår samtid, där han angriper Trump och hans MAGA väljare men också de nya ”heroes of the metaverse” aka techjättarna. Dessa som gärna poserar som förkämpar för den vanliga arbetaren samtidigt som de själva förstärker ojämlikheten. Han pekar på det absurda i hur vi riktar skam och moralpanik åt fel håll, medan de verkliga strukturerna som undergräver vår vardag, de ekonomiska system, digitala monopol, politiska manipulationer, ofta slipper undan. Zero Point är en påminnelse om att filosofin kan hjälpa oss se vilka problem som egentligen borde bära tyngden av vår kritik och åt vilket håll äpplen borde kastas.

Den andra delen kretsar kring Gaza-konflikten och Žižeks tal på bokmässan i Frankfurt 2023. Konflikten framträder som vår tids gordiska knut, där varje försök till lösning tycks skapa nytt trassel. Žižek återger sitt omstridda tal, där han vill skilja mellan kritik av staten Israel och antisemitism och samtidigt varna för hur våldet och hatet riskerar att låsa fast båda sidor i en ändlös spiral. Han betonar också faran i hur snabba anklagelser och stämplingar kan kväva den nödvändiga politiska diskussionen. Texten blir både ett försök att försvara yttrandefriheten och en reflektion över hur svårt det är att tala om just denna konflikt utan att omedelbart bli misstolkad av den andra sidan.

Trots det tycker jag att Zero Point är viktig att läsa. Filosofi och betraktelser som denna ger perspektiv i en tid där de politiska vågorna slår allt högre. Det är värdefullt att ta in olika röster oavsett vilken skål man lägger sin tyngd på i den politiska vågen. Även om det som i denna inte alltid ger tydliga svar. Jag kommer absolut läsa mer av Žižek snart, för det är i mötet med de skarpa, svåra tankarna man tvingas ompröva sin egen bild av verkligheten.

[Hannah Vliet · Rating 3 out of 5]

basically a collection of zizek’s substack from the last two years.

i find him most compelling when applying broader metaphors and philosophical ideas to our current moment, rather than when he tries to parse the gritty details of power dynamics and their media coverage, and then label them accordingly. in other words, i think i prefer the essays in the first half of the book.

for example, the zero point imagery, that sometimes one must climb back down the mountain to ground level in order to reset, regroup, and have any hope to reach the mountaintop, actually managed to give me hope! in the face of fascism, imperialism, etc. a people have no choice but to confront their political reality and try to figure out what they want to build from the rubble and how.

the second half of the book rings a bit defensive to me. in trying to negotiate his frankfurt speech i think his usual rhetorical playfulness (which rather than a stylistic flourish, i think is actually the access point to his most subversive insights) transforms sometimes into delineations of why a statement of his was correct. i’d be more interested in his analysis of israel’s genocide of the palestinian people without references to himself. though i certainly understand that how western powers silence or lambast thinkers who criticize israel is a key mechanization in keeping the genocide functioning, a preoccupation with his self-defense takes some flexibility and fearlessness out of his writing. i find him much more compelling when breaking down the “logic” of others: israeli officals, hamas, western zionists, the u.s., etc.

that being said i largely enjoyed this book. it’s the only long-form reading i’ve done about the current genocide in gaza. what i have always liked about zizek is that he does not fall into thought traps of liberalism and identity politics. he refuses easy narratives of victim and perpetrator, instead tracing marxist, anti-colonial, feminist struggle as a through line.

[Marie Belcredi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have long wanted to read Slavoj Zizk and I think this book was a good start.
In the first part of Zero Point, Zizek makes mainly points about politics today with an emphasis on Islam and Israel but all the time, his arguments are totally rational and thought provoking.
In the second part of the book, he concentrates mainly on his talk at the 2023 Frankfurt Book Fair where he was not allowed to finish and constantly interrupted. The book fair that year was already mired in controversy before Zizek even started and this has been the case even in Australia's art and literary gatherings.
In the second part of the book, I read with growing recognition that even I, thinking that I was looking at the situation in a rational unbiassed way still did not dare to think completely logically.
Why cant Palestinians have a right to their homeland the same way and even with more right than the Israelis? They were there before the Israelis.
The conflation of Palestinians with Hamas, is, of course, just propaganda and an excuse to kill. It's also odd that all discussions about the tragic situation that is occurring in Gaza has to be framed with a statement declaring that Israel has the right to defend itself. Lets face it. This is not just defense.
Finally, in his closing statement, he mentions a dream that he had which shows a softer side of him that I have not seen. before. Definitely a good and educational read.

[Salvador Ramírez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este es un libro corto de ensayos recientes de Slavoj Žižek, los cuales había publicado en su Substack y varios de ellos publicados en algunos medios. Estos ensayos son una versión extendida de estos textos que tratan sobre situaciones políticas contemporáneas.

Esta dividido en dos partes, la primera parte de ensayos toca temas globales contemporáneos como la reelección de Trump; la guerra de Israel en Gaza y el proyecto Europeo; la invasión de Rusia a Ucrania; la idea del neofeudalismo y los capitalistas de Silicon Valley, el anti-imperialismo y la necesidad de teorizar a China. Así como la urgente necesidad de salvaguardar el proyecto de la ilustración europea. Detrás de todos estos temas hay una crítica al capitalismo, desenmascara la ideología de derecha, y especialmente menciona que estamos en una situación desesperada. Un "punto cero" , que hace referencia a un punto que no es exactamente el fondo (las cosas aún pueden empeorar). Sino a una situación, a una espiral descendiente, desde no se percibe salida alguna.

Por ello, Žižek recupera la idea de Lenin, hacer una retirada oportunista sin abandonar la causa. Fallar mejor, fallar de nuevo, es el lema. En especial cuando la izquierda es cada vez más incapaz de movilizar a las masas.

En la segunda parte del libro, es una serie de escritos que son una respuesta a la invasión de Gaza por Israel, así como una respuesta a los críticos de Žižek que lo han acusado por igual de antisemita, como de islamofóbico. Esto a partir de su discurso dado en la feria del libro de Frankfurt y que fue atacado por funcionarios locales, tratando de interrumpirlo o posteriormente mediante descalificaciones. Destacando, que este conflicto es el punto cero más importante hoy día y que ha demostrado que el "occidente civilizado" es pero que el "oriente bárbaro".

Un libro necesario para discutir la situación actual mundial y generar estrategias nuevas para la izquierda, y salir del punto cero.

[AmamiyaYuuko · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an utterly tedious book—little more than Žižek's tired old talking points recycled and applied to the latest political headlines, resulting in shallow commentary on current events. But the most absurd and amusing aspect of this book lies in the fallout from Žižek's 2023 speech at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
At the book fair, Žižek delivered what can only be described as a sophistic, dialectically abusive speech that sheepishly betrayed leftist principles. In it, he criticized Israel's genocide in Gaza while simultaneously condemning Hamas's terrorism—a position quite distant from Fanon's revolutionary stance. This is the first layer of absurdity.
German media immediately pounced on Žižek in panic mode, claiming that his failure to unequivocally side with Israel and condemn Hamas constituted antisemitism. This is the second layer of absurdity.
The book's editor writes in the preface that two years later, Israel's genocidal actions have only proven Žižek right—right and right again, endlessly right, endlessly winning. This is the third layer of absurdity.
And here lies the most fascinating aspect of this book: Žižek himself remains silent, letting his identity as a comedic performer do the talking for him.

[Peter Banachowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of essays is short and sweet, but the last half of essays basically all revolve around Israel/Palestine where it just gets a bit repetitive. The essays on Trump, feminism, capitalism, and so on were all good.

Some noteable quotes;

"One should never forget that our true enemy is the global capitalist establishment and not the new populist Right which is merely a reaction to its impasses."

"yes, no society is perfect, there are many horrors committed in the West; however, compared to other civilizations, Western values of freedom, democracy and human rights are nonetheless by far the best we have, and we should fight for them whenever they are under threat. Even when we criticize the West, we should bear in mind that we are doing it on behalf of the Western values themselves"

"This is how you deal with the trauma which cannot yet be properly mourned and symbolized... you turn it into a joke."

"Playful obscenity is the way a Master figure enacts his fake solidarity with the common people while renouncing none of his actual power... the message of the playful joy of the underdogs is the exact opposite: it asserts their sovereignty even in their direst situation."

[Alan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfocused, sophistry, easy to disagree with. Riddled with typos and repetition and hastily scrawled/published and already out of date. But also sometimes makes total, clear sense.

Zizek is worst when he gets hung up on technical definitions of who’s a fascist, liberal, leftist etc. or drawn into pointless Oppression Olympics-style debates. Or cherry-picks obscure references/quotes from nobodies who exemplify his point, and cooks up fantastical conjectures and far-out thought experiments.

He’s best when current events are distilled into realpolitik elements to make a larger case for where we’re headed and how we got here. When he refuses to oversimplify or reduce a complex situation into a binary of options. To show that there’s an unexplored ground where you try to hold multiple truths and pains in your heart.

And when he offers a different lens for what may be driving the human psyche / turning the big wheel that’s looming over us (if it hasn’t started running us over already): among all those who vie for survival and resources, there are no angels

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

second in zizeks series of essays. i kinda bought this because i already have the first and now that i found out this is a numbered set i just wanna collect it.

you can tell zizek is getting old because this is not philosophical work anymore. its just throwing together his substack posts reacting to news events and calling it an essay collection. anyway its still fun to read because i like zizeks writing style but its really no more thorough than his public talks. i dont think he has a real book in him anymore

[Liv]

Took me months to finish bc it started really pissing me off but i really couldn’t focus on anything else i was reading it was always in the back of my mind. Finished to practice disagreement and critical thought obviously ample opportunity here. Always interesting and nice prose though. The idea of secular israeli Judaism as fetishistic disavowal really sticking with me… perhaps will revisit this review and write something actually thoughtful bc this shit was really thought provoking. Worth the read and struggle therein

[asha! · Rating 4 out of 5]

very very readable, if extremely poorly edited. the first extended collection of zizek’s ive read — the standout was definitely ‘what hysterics only dream about’, i found his positioning of shame as a weapon against fascism/cruelty very interesting
but like really, really poorly edited. what’s up with y eh typos man

[Keelan]

Piercingly honest and level-headed, the staunchest accusation one can level against Žižek here is that he is (at times), oxymoronically, “too moderate”—albeit never naively so…
Once again, there is urgency in this text, so read it soon and attentively, for it is not an exaggeration to say that History itself is at stake.

[Jacob biscuits · Rating 3 out of 5]

Žižek’s unique intellectual processes are perhaps better served by this type of glorified long form opinion journalism. It’s still eclectic and theoretically disorganised, but these are significantly more focused, practicable pieces of writing than are to be found in his more “philosophical” work. But it’s still too - astringent - for me.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less heavy on philosophy than his other books but has plenty well-considered commentary on current affairs. Particularly he came hard on the way pro-Palestinian voices are being silenced and how the middle ground has been quickly disappearing.

[Thomas Bergvinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is where we're at in 2025. What will the future hold? Who knows

[Moriah · Rating 5 out of 5]

influential piece

[Mulki Makmun · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's nice to read zizek point of view on the current state of Palestine-Israel. Although I don't really into some of his conclusion, such as putting flowers and fruits (???) to fight the oppressors

[karina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Saw him speak at the barbican this past spring and have been trying to get through this ever since…

Kindle

[Colin Cannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine. Zizek at his most average. His thoughts on Israel/Palestine are not particularly unique. He really shines in media and pop culture critique.

[Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't always agree with Zizek but I find his writing very engaging and thought provoking - it has a bunch of writings on the conflict in Palestine which is helpful to understand this conflict.

[Danae · Rating 1 out of 5]

Un señor que pasa mucho tiempo en internet opina sobre un montón de temas sueltos e inconexos.

[Chris M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Humor for philosophical context really helps the material go down.

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Besides a suprising spattering of typos, these essays are incredibly topical and add much needed nuanced to to our world that increasingly seems incapable of fathoming complexity.