Jack Semancik’s Reviews > Surplus-Enjoyment: A Guide For The Non-Perplexed > Status Update

Noting the “self-revolutionising” aspect of capitalism (i.e. incorporating non-capitalist elements into a capitalist framework to preserve the structure of capitalism), Zizek depicts a social disintegration. He details the Chinese state response (via Wang Zhen) to combat this phenomenon through neoconservative patriotism and capitalist reform (promoting small cap business interests, lowering working hours, etc.).

Critiques Marx for neglecting ecology, asserts that capitalism is self-revolutionising (e.g. in the transmogrification of the welfare state), charts the post-capitalist transition towards neo-feudal corporatism, examines the necessity of authoritarian controls for preserving capitalism (e.g. CCP), and begins to discuss social disharmony as a result of capitalism. This is a whirlwind of a few pages.

The book opens by outlining the topsy-turvy-ness of our world, especially as we face the simultaneous crises of our current times (climate catastrophe, political polarisation/violence, etc.). Žižek frames the subject of this book in terms of Lacan’s notion of surplus-enjoyment, wherein, for example, the repression of pleasure leads to more pleasure, and pleasure becomes inverted upon itself.