Click here to view a TV interview based on the lecture (in English), from minute 06:30 - 11:30

"Many social procedures rely on the fact that they involve an element of deception. For example, when 2 people are dealing with the question whether they should spend the night together, it is better to ask "Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee?" Asking for the night itself would make it impossible. If the night did not have the coffee in order to hide behind it, it would probably not happen. Of course, it is interesting to ask who is deceived by this suprastructural element of deception. Is there ever anybody? Or do certain suprastructres by necessity pertain to the type of "illusions without owners". And how is the existence of such "white lies" that nobody believes in connected with those "black truths" - i.e. the sarcasms and joyfully cruel statements that are quite true, but uttered from an "impossible" position that nobody wants to assume?"

Robert Pfaller (1962) defines the importance of images, white lies, feigning, and even artwork (which is generally often perceived as a sphere of images, concealment, and dreams) on the level of social phenomena.

5.3.2015

Österreichisches Kulturforum Avstrijski kulturni forum Prešernova cesta 23 SI – 1000 Ljubljana