The COVID-19 pandemic shocked societies and economies throughout the world. Now, the US is in the midst of powerful protests that are spreading across the globe. In this live session, moderated by political scientist Samo Burja, philosopher Slavoj Žižek will analyze this moment in history as it unfolds, discussing political narratives, revolutions, capitalism, and, of course, communism. And so on.

Ask your questions during the live Q&A!

Pandemic! Protests! Panic! with Slavoj Žižek is streaming on YouTube, Facebook and on Big Think+ (for subscribers only).

Slavoj Žižek is one of the most prolific and well-known philosophers and cultural theorists in the world today. His inventive, provocative body of work mixes Hegelian metaphysics, Lacanian psychoanalysis, and Marxist dialectic in order to challenge conventional wisdom and accepted verities on both the left and the right. Žižek’s ability to witness and analyze the influences of corporations, Nationalism, and the ideological underpinnings of any geopolitical, or social occurrence, is more relevant than ever, while we take a thorough survey of the current pandemic. His challenges of leftist ethical codes, his audacious use of humor, while seriously questioning the presupposed truths and what is deemed good, all of these qualities are woven through his numerous publications, and will be present with us today as we get to speak to Žižek in person. You can watch his videos on Big Think here. Žižek’s most recent book is Pandemic!: COVID-19 Shakes the World.

Samo Burja is the founder of Bismarck Analysis, a consulting firm that investigates the institutional landscape of society, usually in political risk. Burja is also a research fellow at the Long Now Foundation where he studies how institutions can endure for centuries and millennia. As Senior Research Fellow in Political Science at the Foresight Institute he helps advise how institutions can shape the future of technology. You can see new videos each week from Burja on YouTube.