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The Logic of Extermination/The Logic of Denial: An Online Symposium
Day-long symposium
The Psychosocial Foundation x Parparaxis
December 14th
10am Oakland
1 pm - NYC
6 pm London
8 pm - Beirut
We’ve heard it every day for two years, seventy years, four-hundred: Start with getting rid of the enemy now; end with getting rid of the enemy forever.
The logic of self-defense is situational, particular, local and limited: an action, a breach, a response, a repair. The logic of extermination is categorical: permanent, transhistorical, and limitless. Within the logic of extermination’s aim– total elimination–today’s action gives expression to the irreducibly malignant character of a taxonomical category, a type. The enemy is therefore not properly defined by this actor or this action but instead by this category, this type. Coherent self-defense, then, entails the elimination of the category.
The logic of denial begins with one fundamental sentence: this is not true. What you see is not true. What is there is not there. What seems to be is mere semblance. Truth lies underneath appearance. Underneath appearance is knowledge. Knowledge pre-exists appearance. The logic of denial denies appearance and affirms what must be.
The logic of denial, paradoxically, contains also qualified assertions of facticity as it relies upon differential registers of truth–the historical, juridical, social, experiential, etc.–to make its claims of negation. The danger of denial also lies in its subtlety and unrecognizability: its too frequent inextricability with the fantastical and intimacy with the sensical.
This one-day conference will focus on the work done by these two logics as they frame and organize the genocide in Gaza now, and genocides against Black and Brown people, ongoing, for centuries.
PROGRAM
Panel 1: Extermination– Karim Dajani, Fakhry Davids, Eric Reinhart
Chaired by: Donald Moss
Panel 2: Denial – Henry Thierault, Gil Anidjar, Patrice Douglass, & Esmail Nashif
Chaired by: Zoé Samudzi
Panel 3: Synthesis – Lisa Baraitser, Jake Romm, Lama Khouri
Chaired by: Wendy Lotterman
A fundraiser for The Gaza Community Mental Health Programme
Sliding scale: $5 - $150
No one turned away for a lack of funds. Please email psychosocial.foundation@gmail.com to secure your spot.
Day-long symposium
The Psychosocial Foundation x Parparaxis
December 14th
10am Oakland
1 pm - NYC
6 pm London
8 pm - Beirut
We’ve heard it every day for two years, seventy years, four-hundred: Start with getting rid of the enemy now; end with getting rid of the enemy forever.
The logic of self-defense is situational, particular, local and limited: an action, a breach, a response, a repair. The logic of extermination is categorical: permanent, transhistorical, and limitless. Within the logic of extermination’s aim– total elimination–today’s action gives expression to the irreducibly malignant character of a taxonomical category, a type. The enemy is therefore not properly defined by this actor or this action but instead by this category, this type. Coherent self-defense, then, entails the elimination of the category.
The logic of denial begins with one fundamental sentence: this is not true. What you see is not true. What is there is not there. What seems to be is mere semblance. Truth lies underneath appearance. Underneath appearance is knowledge. Knowledge pre-exists appearance. The logic of denial denies appearance and affirms what must be.
The logic of denial, paradoxically, contains also qualified assertions of facticity as it relies upon differential registers of truth–the historical, juridical, social, experiential, etc.–to make its claims of negation. The danger of denial also lies in its subtlety and unrecognizability: its too frequent inextricability with the fantastical and intimacy with the sensical.
This one-day conference will focus on the work done by these two logics as they frame and organize the genocide in Gaza now, and genocides against Black and Brown people, ongoing, for centuries.
PROGRAM
Panel 1: Extermination– Karim Dajani, Fakhry Davids, Eric Reinhart
Chaired by: Donald Moss
Panel 2: Denial – Henry Thierault, Gil Anidjar, Patrice Douglass, & Esmail Nashif
Chaired by: Zoé Samudzi
Panel 3: Synthesis – Lisa Baraitser, Jake Romm, Lama Khouri
Chaired by: Wendy Lotterman
A fundraiser for The Gaza Community Mental Health Programme
Sliding scale: $5 - $150
No one turned away for a lack of funds. Please email psychosocial.foundation@gmail.com to secure your spot.