A Victory in Defeat

View this link:

http://larvalsubjects.wordpress.com/2008/11/17/of-games-and-rendering-alternatives-available/

Dr. Sinthome:

In his introduction to the work of Mao, Žižek writes,

The true victory (the true ‘negation of negation’) occurs when the enemy talks your language. In this sense, a true victory is a victory in defeat: it occurs when one’s specific message is accepted as a universal ground, even by the enemy. (Slavoj Žižek Presents Mao On Practice and Contradiction, 17)

In what sense is this to be understood as the true victory? After all, the simple fact that the enemy is using your “language” does not count as much of a victory if the structure of power remains the same. However, perhaps we can understand Žižek’s point in terms of making alternatives available, of creating possibilities within the social space that were not there before.

I think to some extent Žižek is also making a meta-point about his use of Lacan: even if, say, he loses on some specific theoretical point of contention, in a way he already succeeded by getting his opponent to “speak Lacanian.”