With a penetrating Žižekian reading of racism, Zalloua offers a compelling critique of anti-racism that no one interesting in this politics can choose to ignore. … The Žižekian Marxism he proposes could be a potential theoretical foundation for the proletarian positions of the 21st Century.
Marx and Philosophy Review of Books
<i>Žižek on Race</i> provides new revelations on every page about the ways that psychoanalytic theory, specifically that of Slavoj Žižek, contributes to the critique of racism. For those who believe that Žižek has nothing to say about racism, Zalloua’s book will prove an eye-opening experience. It completely changes how we can theorize the fight against racism.
- Todd McGowan, Professor of English, University of Vermont, USA,
Against the fake neutralism of the Western liberal gaze and its obverse side of identity politics, Zahi Zalloua lends a powerfully articulate voice to Žižek’s uncompromising call for a new “universality of strangers”. Drawing clear-sighted connections between Black Lives Matter, Palestinian resistance, Afro-pessimism and class struggle this timely intervention develops Žižekian themes and ideas in politically bold and creative ways, directly challenging today’s Left and Right orthodoxies on race and racism.
- Glyn Daly, Senior Lecturer in Politics, University of Northampton, UK, and author of Speculation: Politics, Ideology, Event,
In Žižek on Race Zahi Zalloua achieves several remarkable feats. To point out just two of them: First, he provides an extremely helpful and timely account of Žižek’s conceptual and political arguments on racism, bringing out their systematic nature and unique and particularly valuable core. Second, and related to Zalloua’s own reading of both contemporary social antagonisms and Žižek’s theory, he successfully avoids and transposes the alternative between particular identity and universalism, which has been mortifying the emancipatory struggles for far too long. The book is an absolute must for anyone who wants to think and confront the problem of racism in both its simplicity and complexity.
- Alenka Zupancic, Professor of Philosophy and Psychoanalysis at The European Graduate School, Switzerland,