passion for the real

is, in contrast to utopian or scientific projects of earlier centuries, aimed at delivering the thing directly realized, the thing in-itself (i.e. Face-to-facetrench warfare). It is the key feature of the 20th century.

Zizek cites French philosopher Alain Badiou's diagnosis of a certain ''passion for the Real [la passion du reel]' as the key feature of the twentieth century: in contrast to the Utopian or 'scientific' projects and ideals, and plans about the future, of the nineteenth century, this century aimed at delivering the thing itself, at directly realizing the longed-for New Order' (267). Examples of this 'passion for the Real' that Zizek provides in his work include the celebration of face-to-face trench warfare in World War I, the perverse universe of Stalinism and even crashing the airplanes into the World Trade Center. However, this 'passion for the Real' and its attempt to 'directly realize' the Thing itself is more ambiguous that it appears. Although Zizek approves of the Real of social revolution, arguing that any genuine challenge to the social order is impossible without it, it is also not sufficient or, more precisely, this Real can be understood in two different ways. Either this 'passion for the Real' becomes a form of passing enthusiasm, which ends up as merely a 'pure semblance of political theatre', or it is formalized in a political organization that attempts to remain faithful to it. These as both violence and organization are the two sides of the Real Zizek speaks of throughout: 'In Lacanian theory, the Real has two principal sides. One is the Real as a remainder that is impossible to symbolize, a scrap, the refuse of the symbolic, a hole in the Other . . . ... the other is the Real as writing, construct, number and matheme'. He then goes on to say: 'These two sides perfectly correspond to the opposition fascism/Stalinism' (5). Indeed, we could even say that fascism is either one of these sides as such, while Leninism-Stalinism is the necessary simultaneity of both.

passion for the real, n.Definitions

passion for the real