David Courtwright, "The Age of Addiction: How Bad Habits Became Big Business" (Harvard UP, 2019)
Dec 26, 2023
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Historian David Courtwright discusses the global commodification of vice and the rise of 'limbic capitalism'. He explores the addictive nature of substances like tobacco and alcohol during the food drug revolution. Courtwright also examines the dangers of capitalism's influence on neuroscience and public health and offers strategies to combat it. In his book, 'The Age of Addiction', he raises stimulating questions about consumption and free will.
The global commodification of vice and addiction is intentionally promoted by industries for profit, resulting in an age of addiction with diverse and widespread addictive behaviors.
Limbic capitalism, a term coined by Dr. David Courtwright, refers to the deliberate exploitation of brain pathways linked to pleasure and addiction by industries, governments, and criminal organizations, posing a significant risk to global public health.
Deep dives
Dr. David Courtwright's Journey to Writing The Age of Addiction
Dr. David Courtwright explains that his book The Age of Addiction was inspired by his previous works on drug use and the history of addiction. He wanted to explore the history of brain reward and pleasure, which had not been extensively covered. He aimed to write a sequel to John Burnham's book Bad Habits, expanding it to a global history of pleasure, vice, and addiction. He emphasizes that addiction has become more diverse and widespread, deliberately promoted by industries to maximize profits. Dr. Courtwright introduces the concept of limbic capitalism, where global industries encourage excessive consumption and addiction by targeting the brain's pleasure center. He argues that limbic capitalism is the number one problem for global public health. He also mentions his debate with the publisher regarding the book's title, ultimately landing on The Age of Addiction.
Limbic Capitalism and Its Impact on Public Health
Limbic capitalism, a term coined by Dr. David Courtwright, refers to how industries, governments, and criminal organizations exploit neural pathways linked to pleasure, motivation, and long-term memory. This intentional encouragement of excessive consumption and addiction undermines appetite control and becomes a major risk to global public health. Dr. Courtwright highlights the staggering number of premature deaths caused by harmful practices like smoking, overeating, and distracted driving. He points out the need to address behavioral addictions and the harmful effects of limbic capitalism.
The Link Between Pleasure, Vice, and Addiction
The history of pleasure, vice, and addiction is intertwined. Dr. Courtwright explains that as pleasure opportunities multiplied throughout history, so did the universes of vice and addiction. This expansion was intentional as entrepreneurs realized the profitability of targeting a small percentage of heavily addicted customers. Addiction proliferated beyond drug addiction, with examples like sugar addiction, food addiction, gambling addiction, and social media addiction. Dr. Courtwright aims to shed light on this expansion and the intentional design of addictive products throughout history.
Strategies to Combat Addiction and Excessive Consumption
Dr. Courtwright suggests several strategies to address the addiction crisis. He emphasizes the importance of discouraging the commercialization of vice through taxation and regulation. By taxing addictive substances like alcohol, governments can discourage consumption, particularly among young people who are most susceptible. Dr. Courtwright advocates for public health efforts similar to those against combustible cigarettes as effective tools against addiction. He also believes that ridicule and shaming can play a powerful role in curbing addiction. Overall, he urges a healthy cynicism towards industries that exploit addictive behaviors and emphasizes the need for policies that promote public health.
We are living in an age of addiction, from compulsive gaming and binge eating to pornography and opioid abuse. Today I talked with historian David Courtwright about the global nature of pleasure, vice, and capitalism. His new book is called The Age of Addiction: How Bad Habits Became Big Business (Harvard University Press, 2019). During our discussion, Courtwright walks us through the emergence of the worldwide commodification of vice and shares his views on "limbic capitalism," the network of competitive businesses targeting the brain pathways responsible for feeling, motivation, and long-term memory. The book is equally interesting and disturbing. And Courtwright offers timely recommendations about how we can understand and address the Age of Addiction. Coming from one of the world's leading experts on the history of drugs and addiction, this important work raises stimulating and sobering questions about consumption and free will.
Courtwright is the author of Forces of Habit: Drugs and the Making of the Modern World (Harvard University Press, 2001) as well as Dark Paradise: A History of Opiate Addiction in America (Harvard University Press, 1982).
Lucas Richert is an associate professor in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He studies intoxicating substances and the pharmaceutical industry. He also examines the history of mental health.
