Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Alenka Zupančič discusses how knowing the truth means nothing if it is not followed by action.
Does the truth hold any importance in today's society?
Watch Alenka debate whether the self is part of the world or necessarily outside of it with Slavoj Žižek and Carlo Rovelli at iai.tv/video/the-self-and-the-world?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=alenka-zupancic
We fear being naive more than we fear catastrophe. We like to think knowledge changes behaviour, but in the age of social media and conspiracy theories, simply knowing the truth often does nothing. Alenka Zupančič argues that this is disavowal in action: the act of fully acknowledging facts while continuing our lives unchanged. Join Zupančič as she examines how disavowal shapes politics, fuels populism, and allows crises to persist unnoticed.
Interviewed by Oliver Adelson.
#philosophy #psychology #politics
Alenka Zupančič is a Slovenian philosopher whose work focuses on psychoanalysis and continental philosophy. A prominent member of the Ljubljana School of Psychoanalysis, Zupančič is best known for her rigorous and often provocative readings of Freud and Lacan, filtered through the lens of German Idealism and Nietzsche.
The Institute of Art and Ideas features videos and articles from cutting edge thinkers discussing the ideas that are shaping the world, from metaphysics to string theory, technology to democracy, aesthetics to genetics. Subscribe today! iai.tv/subscribe?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=https://iai.tv/video/alenka-zupancic
0:00 Intro
0:23 What is disavowal and why is it key for understanding our predicament?
3:30 Are those who acknowledge climate change but do nothing more harmful?
5:19 Does populism represent denial and disavowal?
5:45 Why has disavowal become so public?
9:02 How does social media play into disavowal?
11:41 If not their content, what are conspiracy theories about?
14:29 Is it possible to rationalise with conspiracy theorists?
17:56 Could we live without disavowal?
21:41 Where should the action be for actually solving these problems?
23:56 To understand psychology, should you be studying brain chemistry?
For debates and talks: iai.tv
For articles: iai.tv/articles
For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/courses
Alenka Zupančič discusses how knowing the truth means nothing if it is not followed by action.
Does the truth hold any importance in today's society?
Watch Alenka debate whether the self is part of the world or necessarily outside of it with Slavoj Žižek and Carlo Rovelli at iai.tv/video/the-self-and-the-world?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=alenka-zupancic
We fear being naive more than we fear catastrophe. We like to think knowledge changes behaviour, but in the age of social media and conspiracy theories, simply knowing the truth often does nothing. Alenka Zupančič argues that this is disavowal in action: the act of fully acknowledging facts while continuing our lives unchanged. Join Zupančič as she examines how disavowal shapes politics, fuels populism, and allows crises to persist unnoticed.
Interviewed by Oliver Adelson.
#philosophy #psychology #politics
Alenka Zupančič is a Slovenian philosopher whose work focuses on psychoanalysis and continental philosophy. A prominent member of the Ljubljana School of Psychoanalysis, Zupančič is best known for her rigorous and often provocative readings of Freud and Lacan, filtered through the lens of German Idealism and Nietzsche.
The Institute of Art and Ideas features videos and articles from cutting edge thinkers discussing the ideas that are shaping the world, from metaphysics to string theory, technology to democracy, aesthetics to genetics. Subscribe today! iai.tv/subscribe?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=https://iai.tv/video/alenka-zupancic
0:00 Intro
0:23 What is disavowal and why is it key for understanding our predicament?
3:30 Are those who acknowledge climate change but do nothing more harmful?
5:19 Does populism represent denial and disavowal?
5:45 Why has disavowal become so public?
9:02 How does social media play into disavowal?
11:41 If not their content, what are conspiracy theories about?
14:29 Is it possible to rationalise with conspiracy theorists?
17:56 Could we live without disavowal?
21:41 Where should the action be for actually solving these problems?
23:56 To understand psychology, should you be studying brain chemistry?
For debates and talks: iai.tv
For articles: iai.tv/articles
For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/courses
