Dorothy Evans Holmes, “Reflections on Hollander’s ‘Hegemonic Mind’ and How to Treat It,” ““Who is the sufferer and what is being suffered,” that huge majorities of us are suffering (p. 635).
Malaise implies an overtaken state, leaving obscure who is doing the overtaking. I think it is more accurate to think of hegemony as something that results from an active process that is attractive to a great many people. (652)--> what to do about ill will?For me, the “deception” and the “hiding” are clues to an underlying motivation that guides and shapes economic policies and other structures in support of hegemony.So, how do I propose naming that motivation, more foundational even than the hegemonic one already described?
Holmes (2017) responded to Hollander’s (2017) article on hegemony and trauma. Underlying Holmes' argument was that Hollander framed her argument in terms of passivity. She took aim at Hollander’s use of “malaise.” Instead, Holmes reminded readers that hegemony is constantly reinforced and reenacted. Those who suffer from hegemonic power, also participated and actively supported systems of power. Holmes' piece blurred the narrow categories of Hollander's piece. Participants and supporters could also be victims of sociopolitical oppression.
"[Hollander] further characterizes this current state as "Times of Social Malaise" (p. 635). I found myself in a disagreement with that rendering of our times. If there is malaise I would proffer that it is a kind of defensive obliviousness that sequesters the ways in which mankind is identified with and ruthlessly pursues hegemnoic motivations.
Recalling the struggle between eros and death: “my view is that sociopolitical constructs (e.g., neoliberalism) and practices (the “isms”) are by-products of the ill-will factor” (653)Launching an inquiry into confronting our carceral inclinations: The discovery of one’s own underlying ill will is a very difficult aspect of psychoanalysis..
"So, how do I propose naming that motivation, more foundational even than the hegemonic one already described?
