172. Closer Look: Fanon, Wretched of the Earth (extended)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit overthinkpod.substack.comDoes decolonization require violence? In episode 172 of Overthink, Ellie and David take a closer look at Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth, “the bible of decolonization.” They discuss Fanon’s bold stance on violence, his condemnation of rituals and dance, and some potential criticisms. They also question what the subjectivity of colonized people looks like given colonialism’s psycho-affective effects. What does violence do for the colonized? Who gets liberation movements off the ground? And what are the challenges that a newly independent nation might face once a colonial power has been overthrown? In the Substack bonus segment, your hosts talk about Fanon’s critique of Africanism and some of the clinical cases Fanon incorporates into this important work.Go to Quince.com/overthink for free shipping on your orders and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. Go to Rula.com/overthink for convenient therapy that’s covered by insurance.Works Discussed:Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of The EarthConcerning Violence (2014)Highlight: Decolonization and Violence* Franz Fanon argues that decolonization is always violent and there’s no negotiating with a colonial power* Colonialism is violent in three ways:* Economic: resource extraction* Physical: military rule and respression* Mental: the dehumanization of the colonized* For Fanon, the violence against the colonizer is restorative since it gives back the humanity that colonialism stole and gives the colonized more agency