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Reminds of this paragraph of Mark Fisher in Capitalist Realism: "I want to argue that it is necessary to reframe the growing problem of stress (and distress) i
by namirez 7y ago
Reminds of this paragraph of Mark Fisher in Capitalist Realism:
"I want to argue that it is necessary to reframe the growing problem of stress (and distress) in capitalist societies. Instead of treating it as incumbent on individuals to resolve their own psychological distress, instead, that is, of accepting the vast privatization of tress that has taken place over the last thirty years, we need to ask: how has it become acceptable that so many people, and especially so many young people, are ill? The 'mental health plague' in capitalist societies would suggest that, instead of being the only social system that works, capitalism is inherently dysfunctional, and that the cost of it appearing to work is very high".
- YorkshireSeason 7y agoMark Fisher's entire work can be summarised without much loss by saying "It's all capitalism's fault!" How is this interesting? I met him personally a couple of times, I don't think he would have been able even to say what e.g. fractional reserve banking was, or the labour theory of value, not to mention Böhm-Bawerk's famous critique. Anyway, since I've just violated de mortuis nil nisi bonum, let me finish by saying that Fisher had good taste in music.
- namirez 7y agoI just know that in our economic system, humans are capital and anything that compromises their economic productivity is pathologized. Who Fisher was or what he did is irrelevant to this discussion.
- YorkshireSeason 7y agoSoldiers, children and old-age pensioners are not productive, yet not pathologised. Whole swathes of jobs are not truly productive, e.g. marketing and advertising, psychologists, priests, yoga-teachers.
- AstralStorm 7y agoThese are support jobs and in the longer run they can be productive or unproductive, by enhancing productivity of others.
- namirez 7y agoAging has surely been pathologized. Childhood is an inevitable stage of development but the prevalence of ADHD and learning disabilities indicate how we have defined our priorities.
- YorkshireSeason 7y agoAging and death was considered unpleasant long before the emergence of 'capitalism' and will be long after its demise. Indeed the very word "pathology" is from Greek, πάθος (páthos, “disease”) and -λογία (-logía, “study of”). Both ADHD and learning disabilities are merely new names for ancient concepts: - ADHD = boredom - Learning disabilities = stupid Again, no connection with capitalism.