Surplus-Enjoyment

A compelling guide to Jacques Lacan’s idea of surplus enjoyment by one of the world’s best-known public intellectuals.

Life is defined by excess. There must always be more; there is never enough. In this engaging and informative guide, esteemed philosopher Slavoj Žižek explains the paradox of surplus. He argues that anything surplus to our needs is, by its very nature, unsubstantial and unnecessary. But without this surplus, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy what is substantial and necessary. Is there a way to escape the vicious cycle of surplus enjoyment, or are we forever doomed to want more?

Presenting global capitalism as the ultimate source of the chaos of our contemporary world, Žižek explores the complex relationship between political economy and ecology. From here, he analyzes the deeply embedded forms of psychic life that sustain social relations of domination and exploitation. Finally, he articulates the existential stance that would enable a break from the deadlock of permissiveness without regressing into old forms of fundamentalism. Drawing on history, philosophy, pop culture, and more, this is a substantial work of philosophy from one of the most important theorists living today.