For Slavoj Žižek, arguably, modern feminism is grounded in René Descartes - precisely because the Cogito does not recognize sex. Feminism cannot be located in any organic or cosmological balance between the sexes. There is no direct access to the true meaning of nature. Physicists call it the „hard problem“. The Cogito is that act of radical self-criticism that formed the foundation of Europe’s Enlightenment.
But what we need today is a New Enlightenment - one that is relational, not primarily rational; one that reminds us of our moral obligations, not only our moral rights; one that is contextual and plural, not falsely universal. The goal is not to promote relativism, but to affirm a reality that exists - shared, but seen from many sides. In this sense „Europe is our only hope” - Europe not simply as a region, but a mindset.
Full interview via Berggruen Institute:
