“The Supposed Subjects Of Ideology” by Slavoj Žižek: Summary and Critique

Introduction: “The Supposed Subjects Of Ideology” By Slavoj Žižek  

“The Supposed Subjects of Ideology” by Slavoj Žižek first appeared in Critical Quarterly in 1997, reflecting Žižek’s distinctive exploration of Lacanian psychoanalysis, Marxist theory, and the dynamics of ideology. The main idea centers on the paradoxes of belief and the decentered nature of subjectivity within ideological frameworks. Žižek delves into how subjects interact with ideology through mechanisms such as fetishism, displacement, and interpassivity, challenging traditional notions of agency and belief. The work gained popularity for its provocative interpretation of complex theoretical constructs, demonstrating how ideology sustains itself through “subjects supposed to believe” and the structural decentering of subjectivity. Its ability to connect abstract theoretical discussions to concrete socio-political phenomena cemented its influence in critical theory and cultural studies.

Summary of “The Supposed Subjects Of Ideology” by Slavoj Žižek  

Theoretical Terms/Concepts in “The Supposed Subjects Of Ideology” by Slavoj Žižek  

Term/Concept	Definition	Key Explanation
Overconformism	The act of adhering excessively to an ideology to expose its contradictions and hidden flaws.	Seen in thinkers like Pascal and Kierkegaard, who disrupt ideology by literal over-identification.
Commodity Fetishism	A Marxist concept where social relations are misperceived as relations between commodities.	Fetishism hides the structural reality behind objects, making them appear as inherently valuable.
Displacement/Substitution	The process by which human beliefs or actions are transferred to objects or others.	Objects or “the Other” act on behalf of the subject, e.g., prayer wheels or canned laughter.
Subject Supposed to Believe	A Lacanian term referring to the subject who delegates belief to another entity.	For example, parents pretend to believe in Santa Claus for their children.
Subject Supposed to Know	A Lacanian term indicating a subject presumed to possess hidden or ultimate knowledge.	Often exemplified in psychoanalysis and detective narratives like Columbo.
Big Other	The symbolic order or structure that governs social meaning and beliefs.	It “believes” or acts on behalf of the subject, sustaining ideology and rituals.
Interpassivity	A phenomenon where objects or others assume the subject’s passive reactions (e.g., enjoyment).	Canned laughter “laughs” for the audience, or a VCR “watches” films for its owner.
Symbolic Order	The network of signifiers and social structures organizing human experience.	It substitutes for immediate reality, enabling displacement and substitution in beliefs or actions.
Fantasy as Objectively Subjective	A subjective construct that appears external and real, shaping perception.	Ideological fantasies sustain social order as shared, externalized beliefs.
Barred Subject ($)	The Lacanian notion of a fragmented subject deprived of intrinsic wholeness.	Defined by its decentered position within the symbolic order.
Jouissance	A term denoting excessive pleasure or enjoyment, often linked to transgression.	Can be deferred to the Other, relieving the subject of the burden of direct enjoyment.
Cunning of Reason	A Hegelian idea where actions seem autonomous but serve a larger, hidden rational purpose.	Žižek contrasts this with interpassivity, where the Other acts or enjoys passively for the subject.
Performative Speech Acts	Speech acts that enact what they declare, often tied to symbolic authority.	Judges or kings “speak for” the symbolic institution, reducing themselves to its embodiment.
Fetish	An object that embodies displaced beliefs or desires, acting on behalf of the subject.	Fetishes sustain ideological illusions, functioning as stand-ins for human relations.
Superego Imperative	The psychoanalytic notion of an internalized command to enjoy or fulfill duty.	Creates guilt when one fails to enjoy or adhere to societal expectations (e.g., “Enjoy yourself!”).
Reflective Reversal	The dialectical process where an action attributed to the Other is recognized as self-originated.	For example, realizing that the Other’s enjoyment is an indirect manifestation of the subject’s desire.
Objective Semblance	A semblance that appears as objective reality within the symbolic order.	Social rituals embody ideological appearances, sustaining them independently of individual belief.

Contribution of “The Supposed Subjects Of Ideology” by Slavoj Žižek  to Literary Theory/Theories

Literary Theory	Žižek’s Contribution	Key References from the Article
Marxist Theory	Reframes commodity fetishism by arguing that belief and displacement are constitutive, not secondary, to ideology.	– Fetishism: Commodities embody relations between people but appear as relations between things (“relations between things believe instead of us”). – Structure and substitution are inseparable (“displacement is original and constitutive”).
Ideological Critique	Explores how ideology operates independently of direct belief and through rituals and displacement.	– “The subject supposed to believe”: Ideology persists through externalized belief (e.g., Santa Claus or the symbolic order of communism). – Belief functions through the “Big Other,” not the subject’s immediate experience.
Psychoanalytic Theory	Develops Lacanian ideas of the “subject supposed to know” and “subject supposed to believe.”	– The “subject supposed to believe” operates through displaced belief, such as rituals (“prayer wheels pray for us”). – Jouissance is deferred to the Other, relieving the subject of the superego command to “enjoy.”
Structuralism	Examines the constitutive role of the symbolic order in structuring belief and subjectivity.	– “Symbolic order” as a network of signifiers displaces subjectivity (“structure emerges only after substitution”). – Interpassivity highlights how the symbolic order “acts” on behalf of the subject.
Poststructuralism	Challenges the stability of subjectivity and representation, emphasizing the “barred subject.”	– The “barred subject” ($) arises from decentered structures (“the subject is deprived of even their most intimate beliefs”). – Structural displacement ensures subjectivity remains fragmented.
Performance Theory	Investigates the performative nature of belief and authority in sustaining ideology.	– Rituals and formal acts of speech confer institutional power (e.g., judges or kings embody the symbolic institution, performing roles on its behalf).
Cultural Theory	Highlights interpassivity as a mode of ideological engagement, contrasting with the active subject.	– Interpassivity: Objects or Others perform activities (e.g., laughing, enjoying) for the subject (“VCR watches films for me”). – This defers guilt and responsibility while sustaining ideological engagement.
Theology and Philosophy	Explores how belief systems (e.g., Pascal, Kierkegaard) disrupt ideology by “overconforming.”	– Overconformism reveals the inner contradictions of ideology (e.g., Pascal’s revelation of the elite’s reliance on irrational dogma while denying it to the masses).
Feminist and Gender Theory	Investigates the dynamics of substitution and desire through gendered patterns of belief and action.	– Women’s relational subjectivity involves substitution (“letting another act for her”), aligning with Hegelian cunning of reason.

Summary of Contributions:

1. Ideology’s Unconscious Operation: Žižek emphasizes how belief functions independently of the believer, through rituals and objects that embody displaced meaning.
2. Interpassivity and Delegation: He introduces interpassivity to describe how ideological functions are outsourced to objects or others, disrupting traditional notions of subjectivity.
3. Barred Subjectivity: Aligning with Lacan, he argues that subjectivity is inherently fragmented and dependent on symbolic mediation.
4. Overconformism as Subversion: Žižek analyzes how excessive adherence to ideology can expose its contradictions, a strategy seen in authors like Pascal and Brecht.

Examples of Critiques Through “The Supposed Subjects Of Ideology” by Slavoj Žižek  

Literary Work	Žižekian Framework	Key Insights in the Critique
Shakespeare’s Hamlet	Explores interpassivity and the “subject supposed to believe” through Hamlet’s deferral of action.	– Hamlet displaces his desire and action onto others (e.g., Laertes, Claudius). – His indecision reflects ideological entrapment in symbolic expectations (e.g., filial duty).
Flaubert’s Madame Bovary	Analyzes commodity fetishism and displaced belief in the symbolic order of bourgeois consumerism.	– Emma Bovary’s attachment to material objects reflects fetishism (“objects believe for her”). – Her fantasies are sustained by the symbolic Other of romantic ideals.
Orwell’s 1984	Critiques ideology’s reliance on the “Big Other” and the suppression of subjective authenticity through displacement and interpassivity.	– The Party displaces belief onto its rituals (e.g., Two Minutes Hate). – Winston’s submission to Big Brother demonstrates the subject’s decentering under totalitarianism.
Miller’s Death of a Salesman	Examines how the symbolic order of capitalism imposes the superego command to “enjoy” and displaces personal desire into systemic expectations.	– Willy Loman’s obsession with success embodies the superego injunction (“Enjoy!”). – His failure to achieve the symbolic ideal leads to existential fragmentation.
Sophocles’ Antigone	Investigates the symbolic law versus the Real, focusing on Antigone’s role as a figure of ethical overconformity that disrupts ideological norms.	– Antigone overconforms to divine law, exposing the contradictions in human law. – Her act represents jouissance as a disruption of symbolic authority.

Criticism Against “The Supposed Subjects Of Ideology” by Slavoj Žižek  

• Obscurity and Theoretical Density
  Critics often argue that Žižek’s language is excessively dense and abstract, making his arguments difficult to access for non-specialist audiences. This obscurity can detract from the practical application of his theoretical claims.
• Over-Reliance on Lacanian Psychoanalysis
  Žižek’s framework heavily leans on Lacanian concepts such as the “Big Other” and jouissance, which some critics view as limiting. The psychoanalytic focus may overshadow other valid perspectives or methodologies for analyzing ideology.
• Neglect of Materialist Grounding
  While Žižek critiques commodity fetishism and ideological displacement, critics claim he often neglects concrete economic and material conditions, focusing instead on abstract ideological constructs.
• Ambiguity in Political Implications
  Žižek’s critiques of ideology sometimes lack clear political solutions or actionable insights. His work is criticized for diagnosing problems without offering practical pathways for resistance or change.
• Elitist Approach to Subjectivity
  The idea of the “subject supposed to believe” is seen by some as dismissive of grassroots or individual agency, as it emphasizes systemic structures over individual resistance or autonomy.
• Selective Engagement with Marxism
  Žižek is accused of selectively engaging with Marxist theory, focusing on ideology and fetishism while neglecting other aspects such as class struggle and labor dynamics.
• Tendency Toward Overgeneralization
  Žižek’s examples, ranging from popular culture to high theory, are sometimes seen as overly generalized, raising questions about the specificity and applicability of his arguments.
• Inconsistent Use of Examples
  Critics argue that Žižek’s eclectic use of examples (e.g., cinema, literature, historical events) can appear tangential or disconnected, detracting from the coherence of his theoretical claims.
• Focus on Paradoxes Over Resolutions
  Žižek’s penchant for highlighting paradoxes, such as displacement and interpassivity, can leave his arguments feeling incomplete or circular, with no clear resolution.

Representative Quotations from “The Supposed Subjects Of Ideology ” By Slavoj Žižek  with Explanation

Quotation	Explanation
“The truth is rather that argumentation is for the crowd of ‘ordinary people’… the dogma of power is grounded only in itself.”	Žižek critiques the assumption that ideology is a facade for rational justification, asserting instead that ideology maintains power by positing itself as self-evident and unquestionable, creating a “circle of belief” sustained by its own declaration.
“Things believe instead of us, in the place of us.”	This highlights Žižek’s concept of fetishism, where belief or ideological engagement is transferred onto objects or systems, allowing individuals to disavow personal belief while still participating in the ideological structure.
“Every honest man has a profound need to find another subject who would believe in his place.”	Žižek underscores the phenomenon of displaced belief, wherein individuals rely on a “subject supposed to believe” to sustain their ideological convictions, delegating their belief to an external entity or system.
“The subject never ‘really believed in it’ – from the very beginning, he referred to some decentred other.”	This quotation reflects on how belief is inherently decentred, structured around the presupposition of an “Other” who holds the belief, illustrating a foundational aspect of the symbolic order in Lacanian psychoanalysis.
“The analyst is thus not an empiricist probing the patient with different hypotheses… he embodies the absolute certainty.”	Žižek compares the psychoanalyst’s role to Columbo’s investigative certainty, emphasizing how the symbolic order functions through presumed authority or knowledge, even when it lacks empirical verification.
“Interpassivity is the primordial form of the subject’s defence against jouissance.”	This introduces the concept of interpassivity, where enjoyment or emotional labor is outsourced to objects or others, enabling the subject to avoid the pressures or guilt associated with direct participation in jouissance (pleasure or drive).
“The symbolic institution speaks through me.”	Reflecting on performative speech acts, Žižek explores how symbolic roles (e.g., judges or kings) embody institutional authority, demonstrating how subjects enact and sustain ideology through ritualized speech and behavior.
“Belief can only thrive in the shadowy domain between outright falsity and positive truth.”	Žižek addresses the paradox of belief, asserting that belief operates effectively only within the ambiguous space where it is neither fully validated nor entirely disproved, such as in the case of religious miracles or ideological rituals.
“Fantasy belongs to the ‘bizarre category of the objectively subjective.’”	Žižek elaborates on fantasy as both subjective (shaped by personal desires) and objective (externalized through symbolic or material forms), challenging traditional distinctions between subjectivity and objectivity.
“The paradox of interpassivity is: you think you enjoyed the show, but the Other did it for you.”	This encapsulates Žižek’s argument on interpassivity, where actions or enjoyment are displaced onto objects or proxies, reflecting how subjects navigate the pressures of symbolic and ideological systems.

Suggested Readings: “The Supposed Subjects Of Ideology ” By Slavoj Žižek  

1. Žižek, Slavoj. “The Supposed Subjects Of Ideology.” Critical Quarterly 39.2 (1997): 39-59.
2. Žižek, Slavoj, and VICTOR E. TAYLOR. “AConversation WITH SLAVOJ ŽIŽEK.” Inquiry (Spring 2003) 453 (2004): 485.
3. Žižek, Slavoj. On belief. Psychology Press, 2001.
4. Lichtheim, George. “The concept of ideology.” History and theory 4.2 (1965): 164-195.
5. Schmid, Herman. “On the Origin of Ideology.” Acta Sociologica, vol. 24, no. 1/2, 1981, pp. 57–73. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4194333. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.