The hosts discuss Marx and Guattari's views on machines and structures, exploring topics such as revolutionary politics, the impact of machines on surplus extraction, exporting pollution and thermodynamics, capitalism's reliance on externalities, Marx's analysis of disposable time and surplus labor, the role of voice in shaping structure, and the transformation of labor into machinery.
The voice as a speech machine determines the structural order of language, challenging traditional notions of structuralism.
Machines introduce non-substitutable singularities and disrupt traditional order, driving new forms of organization and meaning-making.
Fascism can emerge through machinic elements like mysticism and technology, highlighting the need for vigilance and analysis at a molecular level.
Deep dives
The Voice as a Speech Machine
One of the main insights discussed in the podcast is the concept of the voice as a speech machine. The podcast explores how the voice serves as the basis and determinant of the structural order of language, rather than the other way around. It emphasizes that structure should not be seen as coming first, but rather, the voice as a machine-like entity comes first, determining the structural order of language. This distinction challenges traditional notions of structuralism and highlights the importance of understanding the voice as a primary element in linguistic processes.
The Intersection of Machinery and Structure
Another key point discussed in the podcast is the intersection between machinery and structure. The hosts delve into the idea that machines should not be seen as a mere extension or product of structure, but rather as entities that introduce non-substitutable singularities. These machines disrupt the traditional order and bring about new possibilities and event-based repetitions. This perspective challenges the notion that structure is always prior to machines, suggesting that machines can be the driving force behind new forms of organization and meaning-making.
The Potential of Machines for Fascistic Movements
The podcast also examines the potential of machines for fascistic movements. It touches upon how fascism can emerge through various machinic elements, such as mysticism, and the use of technology for propagating nationalist ideologies. The hosts caution against underestimating the presence and adaptability of fascism and stress the importance of analyzing fascism on a molecular level, recognizing its different forms and potential for coalescing with various elements. They highlight the need to be vigilant in identifying and countering fascistic investments in an ever-evolving landscape.
The Transformation of Machinery into Capital
Marx discusses how machinery, as a form of fixed capital, is appropriated by capital and displaces the living worker's activity. The implementation of machinery results in the subsumption of labor under the social relation of capital, with capital absorbing labor into itself. However, Marx argues that machinery does not inherently have to be tied to the social relation of capital, and its subsumption is contingent upon historical development.
The Creation of Disposable Time and the Optimism of Communism
Marx highlights the significance of the creation of disposable time, separate from necessary labor time, as a positive aspect of communism. He emphasizes that true wealth is not measured by the command over surplus labor, but rather by the availability of free time for individuals and society as a whole. Marx envisions a society where necessary labor time is reduced, allowing for the development of individuals' productive forces and the growth of social production. In this society, disposable time becomes abundant and real wealth is measured by the developed productive power of all individuals.
This week, Coop and Tay focus on Marx's Fragment on Machines from The Grundrisse and Guattari's Machine and Structure.
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