The podcast explores topics such as the ineffectiveness of governments and politics, the impact of COVID-19 on production dislocation, bailouts and subprime loans, simulacra and media form, the foreclosure of death and the hypercharged system, strikes and the crisis of representation, the power of signs and the capitalist system, lost objects and symbolic exchange, and the metaphysics of code.
The integration of individuals into the capitalist system is intensified through the blurring of boundaries between work and personal life.
The erosion of representativity in labor unions contributes to the regression and uncertainty in the labor movement.
In the capitalist system, power lies in the hands of the capitalist who can defer the death of the worker by providing wages, creating a symbolic domination.
The rise of identity politics and fundamentalisms is a reaction to the indeterminacy and constant fluctuations of identities in contemporary society.
Deep dives
Shift in labor dynamics
Baudrillard discusses the displacement of factory labor to the home, highlighting the entrenchment of capitalism within all aspects of life. The movement towards work-from-home arrangements and the blurring of boundaries between work and personal life further intensify the integration of individuals into the system. Even leisure activities and refusal to work are co-opted into the capitalist structure.
Crisis of representation in unions
Baudrillard examines the crisis of representation within labor unions. He argues that after the events of 1968, unions began to lose their representative power, leading to a decline in worker faith in their ability to negotiate on their behalf. This loss of confidence in unions opened the door for employers to exploit workers further, resulting in a doubling down on hardline positions. The erosion of representativity in unions contributes to the regression and uncertainty in the labor movement.
The symbolic gift of life
Baudrillard explores the concept of power as the deferral of death. In the capitalist system, the power lies in the hands of the capitalist who can defer the death of the worker by providing wages. The capitalist presents labor itself as a gift, securing a preeminence and power over the workers. Baudrillard argues that the ultimate power lies in the ability to give life, and this power cannot be reciprocated, creating a symbolic domination.
The simulation of revolution
Baudrillard critiques the Marxist concept of revolution and its materialist dialectics. He argues that the system has assimilated dialectical materialism and uses it to sustain class struggle. The system requires the appearance of class struggle to mask the underlying code. Baudrillard questions the legitimacy of dialectical materialism and suggests that capitalism has found a new legitimacy in science, technology, and the forces of production, reinforcing the system.
The Fluctuations of Identities and the Reign of the Unconscious
Baudrillard explores the flotation of all categories of political economy, where fixed relations and stable identities have dissolved. He argues that the era of the unconscious is contemporaneous with the structural revolution of value. In this era, individuals are disinvested as subjects and their identities float in an incessant mode of transferential fluctuations. Symbolic exchange and the unconscious become mental equivalents of speculative currency. This indeterminacy and the free-floating of identity lead to the proliferation of identities, which can be disorienting. The rise of fundamentalisms and neo-fascism is a reaction against this indeterminacy, seeking to anchor identities and ward off the decoding of flows. This era represents the reign of the unconscious and the challenge to stable identities and fixed relations.
The Mental Equivalent and the Flotation of Theories
Baudrillard suggests that the conscious subject is the mental equivalent of the gold standard, while the unconscious is the mental equivalent of speculative currency. He critiques the floating nature of contemporary theories and the absence of secure references in theory. The code of signifiers is in free fluctuation, and theories become interchangeable against each other. There is a tendency towards symbolic indeterminacy and a constant play of exchange rates. The unconscious and signifiers float, creating a state of undecidability. This indeterminacy challenges traditional notions of reference and the stability of messages. This highlights the structural revolution of value and the role of the unconscious.
Identity Fluctuations and the Appeal of Fascism
The constant fluctuations and indeterminacy of identities in contemporary society lead to a rise in identity politics and fundamentalisms. As individuals lack fixed relations, the appeal of fundamentalisms lies in their ability to anchor identities and ward off indeterminacy. Fascism provides a stable framework that defines identities and opposes the free-floating nature of contemporary society. By establishing clear boundaries and fixed identities, it offers a sense of security and a counter to the endless play of signifiers.
The Reign of the Unconscious and the Challenge to Stable Subjectivity
The era of the unconscious corresponds to an epoch of indeterminacy and constant fluctuations of identities. Individuals are disinvested as subjects and float in relation to one another due to a lack of fixed relations. In this era, the unconscious is the mental equivalent of speculative currency, signifying the structural revolution of value. This challenges traditional stable subjectivity and fixed identities. The proliferation of identity politics and the appeal of fundamentalisms are reactions to this indeterminacy, as they offer a semblance of stability and a counter to the free-floating nature of contemporary society.
Taylor and Cooper discuss the first chapter of Jean Baudrillard's Symbolic Exchange and Death (1976), The End of Production.
Support us on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/muhh
Twitter: @unconscioushh
Instagram: @unconscioushh
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.
