And what happens when this violence is no longer merely structural, but leads to irreversible actions?
For this Philo aux Bains event, we welcome Nicolas Framont, sociologist and editor-in-chief of Frustration magazine, for a discussion based on two of his books: Parasites and Saint-Luigi: How to Respond to the Violence of Capitalism.
In Parasites, Nicolas Framont dismantles a well-oiled ideological mechanism: that of labeling certain populations as “welfare recipients,” “freeloaders,” or “burdens” on society. Contrary to this rhetoric, he asks a simple and incisive question: who is really living off whom? Through sociological and political analysis, he shows how accusations of parasitism serve to mask the true nature of exploitation and protect the interests of the ruling classes.
In Saint-Luigi, he takes a different approach, more directly rooted in a tragic news story: the murder of Brian Thomson by Luigi Mangione. Based on this event, Nicolas Framont offers a reflection on political and social violence. What does such an act say about the times we live in? How can we understand how an individual could commit such an irreparable act in the name of denouncing capitalism? And above all: how can we respond to systemic violence without falling into a logic of destruction ourselves?
As always at Philo aux Bains, this gathering is intended to be a space for collective reflection, where we can take the time to think about the tensions of our time—and possible paths toward greater justice.
The gathering is part of the FIFDH.
Under the yurt, free admission.