Questions like “What does this mean?” are central to our encounters with art. “How are these signs connected?” or “how do all symbols fit into an unstated scheme?” are the foundational concerns of aesthetics. Yet, when the same concerns crop up regularly in almost any other part of life, we give a clinical, pathological name: paranoia.

These questions were the makings of ⁠Paranoia⁠, a symposium held at Verdurin in February 2025.

This episode is a recoding of A Long Thread, a talk by the writer Sam Jennigs.

Sam speaks about what is arguably the first conspiracy theory in Western intellectual history: Gnosticism. In particular, he considers how the doctrine of Gnosis arises through the growing belief that “interpretation” of scripture was a vital part of faith.

This focus on interpretation breeds an ethos of seeking subtextual or hidden meaning. From Renaissance occultists to moderns like Pynchon, and Phillip K. Dick, writers have turned to Gnosticism as a secret undercurrent in the history of Western literature.

The Paranoia programme in full⁠.

⁠More events at Verdurin⁠.

Sam's Vita Contemplativa.

Questions like “What does this mean?” are central to our encounters with art. “How are these signs connected?” or “how do all symbols fit into an unstated scheme?” are the foundational concerns of aesthetics. Yet, when the same concerns crop up regularly in almost any other part of life, we give a clinical, pathological name: paranoia.

These questions were the makings of Paranoia, a symposium held at Verdurin in February 2025.

This episode is a recording of Reading Between the Lines by Thomas Peermohamed Lambert.

Since Paul Ricoeur, literary studies have been dominated by a ‘hermeneutics of suspicion.’ In his presentation, Thomas discusses the strange affinity between literary modernism and conspiracy theory.

He makes example of the paranoia evident in the work of writers like Kafka and Borges.

Thomas also considers the death the ‘inductive’ novel, and the question of whether readers have become rather too trusting of what they read.

Thomas is a writer and scholar. He co-organised the Paranoia event.

******

The Paranoia programme in full.

More events at Verdurin.

Thomas' novel Shibboleth.

Liberal democracies don’t age gracefully. Established systems of governance like those of the UK and the US which once served as blueprints are today experiencing a profound crisis of legitimacy. In Britain, a landslide general election result was quickly followed by a catastrophic tumble in approval ratings. In the US presidential campaign, meanwhile, voters were told that democracy itself was on the ballot, with both candidates suggesting the election might well be the last one ever.

The consensus underpinning the world’s most powerful democracies is, indeed, waning. The populaces have developed a deep dissatisfaction with their governments’ political procedures, yet no credible alternatives have emerged. In his latest book Legitimacy in Liberal Democracies, Benjamin Studebaker argues that the kinds of disagreements which historically led to political violence today instead just linger throughout the state and society. Without alternatives, liberal democracy’s legitimation crisis leads to neither reform nor revolution.

Studebaker depicts a legitimacy crisis rife with state capacity problems, in which citizens tell each other many conflicting legitimation stories as they search for ways to live with a dissatisfying political system they cannot replace. As different factions try to ‘save’ democracy in their own ways, they appear authoritarian to one another. Efforts to build legitimacy thus only spark greater inequality, pluralism, and ever-tighter gridlock.

This conversation was recorded at Verdurin in December 2024.

******

Legitimacy in Liberal Democracies by Benjamin Studebaker

is published by Edinburgh University Press

ISBN 9781399534680

Get the book: https://verdur.in/store/legitimacy-in-liberal-democracies-by-benjamin-studebaker/

******

Pierre's interviews and writing: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://petitpoi.net/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Events, exhibitions, and more at Verdurin, London: ⁠https://verdur.in/⁠

Support this work: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://petitpoi.net/support/