Talking heads and shitting in the street: Stuttering Parrhesia in three modes

Abstract

This paper seeks both to expand the range of what counts as political action for dysfluent voices and to find resources that can generate critical breaks within neo-liberal modes of power. With the Cynics, I suggest that some truths – like dysfluent lives are worth living – cannot be told by a talking head. I accordingly map three possible modes of truth-telling within the lexicon of parrhesia: therapeutic, Platonic and Cynic. Therapeutic truth-telling is an apolitical enunciation that indexes a model of authenticity and is limited to speaking truth about oneself and the world in a normalizing register. Platonic parrhesia is a form of equality-based political discourse that aims at inclusion. In this mode, the parrhesiastes, like the talking head, must fashion their body as a pure vessel of truth to be recognized as such. Cynic truth-telling, finally, is a radical embodiment of critique that seeks rupture rather than understanding. Taking up the motto of the Cynics – ‘deface the currency’ – perhaps dysfluent voices can find resources to ‘de-face’ speech and its mythic power that has become entwined with capital.