Reading Disparities (10)
“In section five of Chapter 1 of DISPARITIES, “Biology or quantum physics?“, Zizek takes on an impossible task, that of justifying “the priority of quantum physics” (page 39) in the explanation of emergent properties, in particular of the emergence of subjectivity in the human organism.”
“Of course, he fails.”
“Any such primacy is forbidden by the principles of his basic research programme.”
“Johnston’s theoretical strategy is pluralist and pragmatic, arguing that Zizek’s reliance on quantum physics is neither necessary nor feasible:”
“This section takes the form of Zizek’s reply to Adrian Johnston’s objections to the primacy of the quantum model in the materialist account of the genesis of free subjects.”
“1) it is not necessary as other theoretical models that break with the naive materialist presupposition of a fully constituted, complete, determinate and deterministic nature are available (he cites “emergentism, neuroplasticity, and epigenetics”) – this is his pluralist point.”
“2) it is not feasible, as the distance between the sub-microscopic quantum level and the macroscopic level of human subjectivity is too great for the quantum model to have any real explanatory power. The parallel between the quantum level and the human level is thus more formal than explanatory – this is his pragmatic point.”
“On pragmatic grounds Zizek can say quantum physics is closer than the biocognitivist triad to human subjectivity, as it has an “uncanny resemblance to what we consider specifically human”.”