Analyzing Marx’s Revelation: Slavoj Žižek Examines the Hegelian Perspective in Structuring Capital

**Title: The Hegelian Aspect of Capital: Exploring the Relationship Between Marx and Hegel**

**Intro:**
Welcome to this short outtake from the recent Ben Burgis show, where we dive into the fascinating connection between Karl Marx and Georg W. F. Hegel. In this clip, we explore the Hegelian aspect of the movement of Capital itself, shedding light on the historical limits faced by Hegel and Marx’s critique of capitalism.

**Full Video Transcript:**
– [Timestamp 00:00] First, let’s outline the historical limits of Hegel and the emergence of scientific materialism in the 19th century, which heavily relied on mechanized energy and deterministic notions like entropy. While Hegel was outside of this scientific paradigm, it must be acknowledged that mechanized logic plays a significant role in capitalism itself. [[source]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlfp-ZxcKlM)

– [Timestamp 01:24] Moving on to Marx’s labor theory of value, we must address his reductionism and the belief that highly skilled labor can be reduced to simple elementary labor. However, this reductionist approach stems from the mechanistic materialism present in post-Hegelian thinking. [[source]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlfp-ZxcKlM)

– [Timestamp 02:55] Interestingly, the deficiency of Hegel’s perspective on capitalist production lies in his failure to recognize the inherent antagonism within this realm. Hegel perceives civil society and the economy as a collaborative space where individuals exchange goods and services, without acknowledging the dialectical moment where labor itself becomes commodified. [[source]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlfp-ZxcKlM)

– [Timestamp 05:48] In contrast, Marx’s groundbreaking work in “Capital” demonstrates his Hegelianized critique of political economy. By framing the transition from money to capital as a process of substance becoming subject, Marx unravels the self-reproductive and self-stabilizing nature of capital itself. This hegelian lawful structure of capital presents an exciting discovery for Marxist theory. [[source]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlfp-ZxcKlM)

– [Timestamp 07:15] My ultimate position is not a call to return from Marx to Hegel; instead, it highlights the intertwined nature of their theories. Marx’s recognition of capitalism’s hegelian behavior in its pursuit of expanded self-reproduction sheds light on the complex relationship between the two thinkers. [[source]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlfp-ZxcKlM)

To listen to the full recording of this discussion and delve deeper into the Marx-Hegel debate, click [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlfp-ZxcKlM). Additionally, join the Hegel online group on Facebook [here](https://www.facebook.com/groups/hegeliandialectic) to continue the conversation.

**Keywords/Tags:**
slavoj zizek, slavoj žižek, hegel, philosophy, dialectic, phenomenology, marx, capital, capitalism

*Note: The above transcript has been edited for clarity and SEO optimization.*

A short outtake from the recent Ben Burgis show, mostly about the relation between Karl Marx and Georg W. F. Hegel, more specifically the Hegelian aspect of the movement of Capital itself. The clip was made for the purposes of the Society of Friends of the Hegelian Dialectic. You can listen to the entire recent recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlfp-ZxcKlM , and you can join the Hegel online group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hegeliandialectic

Slavoj Žižek is a Philosopher and Psychoanalytic social theorist. He is Senior Researcher at the Department of Philosophy, University of Ljubljana; Professor at the School of Law and Director of the Institute for the Humanities at Birkbeck, University of London; Distinguished Scholar at the Kyung Hee University, Seoul; and Visiting Professor at the German Department, New York University. His field of work comprises Lacanian psychoanalytic theory, dialectical-materialist metaphysical interpretations of German Idealism and Marxian critique of ideology. His more than sixty books in English have been widely translated. His latest publications include ‘Hegel in a Wired Brain’, ‘Sex and the Failed Absolute’, ‘Like A Thief In Broad Daylight’, ‘Reading Marx’, ‘Incontinence of the Void’, ‘The Day After the Revolution’, ‘Heaven in Disorder’, ‘Reading Hegel’ and ‘Surplus-Enjoyment’.