Pure Excess: Capitalism, Commodity Fetishism, and the Promise of More
Mar 10, 2025
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In this engaging discussion, Todd McGowan, a film studies professor and author, explores the deep links between capitalism and our psychology. He delves into commodity fetishism and how our desires often lead to existential dissatisfaction. McGowan highlights capitalism's illusion of fulfillment and the 'death drive' propelling relentless consumption. He also advocates for embracing lack and leveraging art as a means to critique consumerism, urging listeners to envision a life beyond capitalist confines.
The podcast explores how capitalism perpetuates a cycle of desire, leading individuals to chase fulfillment through endless consumption without true satisfaction.
It emphasizes the psychological impact of capitalism on human subjectivity, conditioning individuals to equate self-worth with material accumulation and consumption.
The discussion suggests that inner transformation through practices like Buddhism can help individuals confront their desires and foster a more profound sense of community outside capitalist constraints.
Deep dives
The Endless Pursuit of Satisfaction
The podcast discusses the perpetual cycle of desire, highlighting how individuals often chase goals such as success, love, and material wealth, only to find that these pursuits lead to fleeting moments of fulfillment. After the initial thrill of achieving a goal, a new longing emerges, perpetuating the feeling of lack. This cycle is intricately tied to capitalism, which thrives on creating and maintaining a sense of dissatisfaction among individuals. In fact, capitalism exploits desire itself, convincing people that consuming and accumulating more will ultimately lead to contentment, yet this very chase often results in increased dissatisfaction.
Capitalism's Paradox of Abundance
The conversation emphasizes the paradox that individuals are not suffering from a lack of resources, but rather from an excess of production and choices that fail to provide real satisfaction. While surrounded by an abundance of commodities, information, and promises, people increasingly feel alienated and anxious. This excess does not resolve feelings of lack; instead, it intensifies them, leading consumers to continually seek new acquisitions or experiences in the hope of attaining happiness. The podcast further illustrates that capitalism requires this cycle of unfulfillment to sustain itself, creating a dynamic where dissatisfaction becomes a constant state of being.
The Role of Desire in Capitalism
It is argued that capitalism is not merely an economic system but also a mechanism that shapes human desire and subjectivity. The framework of capitalism creates a mindset where individuals are conditioned to think that their worth and happiness are achieved through accumulation and consumption. This leads to a cycle where people become trapped in an endless loop of wanting and consuming, unable to envision fulfillment outside of capitalist structures. The transformation required to break free from capitalism involves grappling not only with its external structures but also with how it shapes individual desires and psyche.
Buddhism and Inner Transformation
Buddhism is suggested as a potential avenue for individuals to engage in inner transformation and develop a healthier relationship with desire and lack. It illustrates the concept that suffering is rooted not in a lack of fulfillment but in the misconception that such a lack can be entirely eradicated. Through practices such as meditation and introspection, individuals can learn to sit with their cravings and accept the impermanence of desire. This shift in perspective allows for a confrontation with the capitalist logic of consumption, offering a path towards liberation from the incessant chase for more.
Collective Action and Individual Liberation
The podcast concludes with the notion that genuine change in relation to capitalism requires both collective action and individual psychological transformation. It posits that merely redistributing resources without addressing the underlying psychological conditioning of individuals will not suffice to break free from capitalist constraints. By embracing the concept of 'enjoying lack', individuals can foster a more profound sense of satisfaction and community, reducing the capitalist impulses towards endless accumulation. This dual approach emphasizes the importance of redefining enjoyment and fulfillment in a post-capitalist world, positioning personal peace as a resistance against capitalist ideology.
Todd McGowan joins the show once again, this time to discuss his newest book "Pure Excess: Capitalism and the Commodity". Together, he and Breht discuss commodity fetishism, the tensions between Marxism and psychoanalysis, what a critique of the subjective aspects of capitalism offers anti-capitalist politics, the "superstructural malaise" of late capitalism, Desire and Lack, capitalism's death drive, how to resist becoming a neoliberal subject, and much more. "Drawing on psychoanalytic theory, McGowan shows how the production of commodities explains the role of excess in the workings of capitalism. Capitalism and the commodity ensnare us with the image of the constant fulfillment of our desires―the seductive but unattainable promise of satisfying a longing that has no end. To challenge this system, McGowan turns to art, arguing that it can expose the psychological mechanisms that perpetuate capitalist society and reveal the need for limits. Featuring lively writing and engaging examples from film, literature, and popular culture, Pure Excess uncovers the hidden logic of capitalism―and helps us envision a noncapitalist life in a noncapitalist society."