[lbo-talk] Karl M on crass consumerism

James Heartfield Heartfield at blueyonder.co.uk
Tue May 17 01:06:49 PDT 2005


From: "Leigh Meyers" <leighcmeyers at gmail.com> asks

"And how DOES Karl M rationalize supporting the capitalist system via crass consumerism, conspicuous connsumption & derivative markets, anywhoo?

Inquiring minds want to know?"

In the Grundrisse, Marx talks about the expansion of industry leading to

"exploration of all of nature in order to discover new, useful qualities in things; universal exchange of the products of all alien climates and lands; new (artificial) preparation of natural objects, by which they are given new use values. The exploration of the earth in all directions, to discover new things of use as well as new useful qualities of the old; such as new qualities of them as raw materials etc.; the development, hence, of the natural sciences to their highest point; likewise the discovery, creation and satisfaction of new needs arising from society itself; the cultivation of all the qualities of the social human being, production of the same in a form as rich as possible in needs, because rich in qualities and relations -

- production of this being as the most total and universal possible social product, for, in order to take gratification in a many-sided way, he must be capable of many pleasures [genussfähig], hence cultured to a high degree - is likewise a condition of production founded on capital. ... the great civilizing influence of capital; its production of a stage of society in comparison to which all earlier ones appear as mere local developments of humanity and as nature-idolatry. " pp. 409-410



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