“Let me excerpt some bits from the Primordial One thread. I think you’ll find this all pertains quite acutely to the question of organism and jouissance. I propose that the very nature of being is over fullness, thus that this Hell-raiser kind of situation is in fact an existential fact, which is however not endured by humans; after the organism, the man will attain a few moments of clarity where he is able to reflect on himself, on his reality. This clarity, this calm after the orgasm, is in fact a kind of artificial space almost ‘outside of existence’, a state of very different conditions than what existence normally requires – this over fullness, this constant overflowing which alone is the proof of overfullness. But nature devised a way to expend her self temporarily, so that it can climb back into itself, re-fill itself. Within this space, the capacity for thought is born, I would think.”
I would focus first on this point:
“I propose that the very nature of being is over fullness, thus that this Hell-raiser kind of situation is in fact an existential fact….”
It seems a little profound to me that you would point out that Jouissance is basically a fact of life: a cornerstone if you will. I, for instance, would like to go to my deathbed knowing that I did what I came to do: had passed the threshold of climax: but I’m almost certain that no matter how long I live I will never permanently reach that point. No matter what I manage to fulfill, that fulfillment will only lead to other things I will find myself reaching for. No matter how long I go on there will always be that one other thing I have to do.
So you’re right: it (the ongoing discomfort of Jouissance (may not (probably isn’t (just be a description of Hell, it may well be a description of life itself. At the same time, there are those momentary stays against confusion. As you describe:
“after the organism [do you mean orgasm?], the man will attain a few moments of clarity where he is able to reflect on himself, on his reality. This clarity, this calm after the orgasm, is in fact a kind of artificial space almost ‘outside of existence’, a state of very different conditions than what existence normally requires – this over fullness, this constant overflowing which alone is the proof of overfullness.”
It seems to me that what you are mainly talking about here is libido: that life force which I think can be attributed to women as well, even if it takes different expressions with them. But, once again, I would use the description that Robert Frost used in describing the poem: a momentary stay against confusion. And I would attribute the back and forth relationship between Jouissance (the Dionysian ecstatic (and those momentary stays against confusion (the Apollonian (to the human capacity for creativity: that which you pointed out when you said:
“Within this space, the capacity for thought is born, I would think. “
And I think Zizek sees as much as the 2 of us: that Jouissance lies at the foundation of existence itself. But it comes with a catch: what drives our creativity is also what can drive human cruelty or the creative ways in which humans can engage in cruelty. Once again, quoting from Zizek:
“It is especially important to bear in mind how the very ‘bureaucratization’ of the crime was ambiguous in its libidinal impact: on the one hand, it enabled (some of) the participants to neutralize the horror and take it as ‘just another job’; on the other, the basic lesson of the perverse ritual also applies here: this ‘bureaucratization’ was in itself the source of an additional jouissance (does it not provide an additional kick if one performs the killing as a complicated administrative-criminal operation? Is it not more satisfying to torture prisoners as part of some orderly procedure –say, the meaningless ‘morning exercises which served only to torment them –didn’t it give another ‘kick’ to the guards satisfaction when they were inflicting pain on their victims not by directly beating them up but in the guise of an activity officially destined to maintain their health?”
I would also offer, as an example, our American right-wingers who seem to be completely lacking in compassion for the victims of their policies or seem oblivious. I would argue that they, much as the Nazi’s were with the Jews, or a serial killer is with their victim, are perfectly clear on the harm they are doing. This is why they must turn to hysteria (their expression of Jouissance (in order (through a kind of momentum (to put themselves beyond the issue of their guilt. They may seem totally satisfied with their description of reality, but it is always the result of their desire to convince themselves that their complete self interest at the expense of others could actually be justified.
Context:
humanarchy.net/forum/viewtop … 1752#p1752