A - Z of Theory - On Baudrillard's Coception of Death

8/18/2019 A - Z of Theory - On Baudrillard's Coception of Death

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An A to Z of Theory | Jean Baudrillard: TheRise of Capitalism & the Exclusion of Death

In the second of his series of essays on Baudrillard, Andrew Robinson examines how the French thinker

saw 'symbolic exchange' giving way to capitalist alienation, and discusses Baudrillard's intriguing proposition that alienation stems from the social exclusion of death

IN THEORY , NEW IN CEASEFIRE - Posted on Frida ! "arch #$! %$ % %:$$ - Comment

In the first part of his 14-part intro !"tion to #a! ri$$ar , po$iti"a$ theorist An re%Ro&inson e'p$ore the Fren"h thin(er)s "on"ept of *sy+&o$i" e'"han e) as the &asisfor a non-a$ienate so"ia$ $ife In this se"on part, Ro&inson e'a+ines ho%#a! ri$$ar sa% sy+&o$i" e'"han e i.in %ay to "apita$ist a$ienation, an

is"!sses #a! ri$$ar )s intri !in proposition that a$ienation ste+s fro+ the so"ia$e'"$!sion of eath

The passa e to "apita$is+

' m(olic exchan)e * or rather! its suppression * pla s a central role in the emer)ence ofcapitalism+ Baudrillard sees a chan)e happenin) o,er time+ Re)imes (ased on s m(olicexchan)e differences are exchan)ea(le and related. are replaced ( re)imes (ased one/ui,alence e,er thin) is! or means! the same.+ Ceremon )i,es 0a to spectacle! immanence totranscendence+

Baudrillard1s ,ie0 of capitalism is deri,ed from "arx1s anal sis of ,alue+ Baudrillard accepts"arx1s ,ie0 that capitalism is (ased on a )eneral e/ui,alent+ "one is the )eneral e/ui,alent

(ecause it can (e exchan)ed for an commodit + 2n turn! it expresses the ,alue of a(stractla(our-time+ 3(stract la(our-time is itself an effect of the re)imentin) of processes of life! so thatdifferent 4inds of la(our can (e compared+

Capitalism is deri,ed from the autonomisation or separation of economics from the rest of life+ 2tturns economics into the 5realit -principle1+ 2t is a 4ind of sorcer ! connected in some 0a to thedisa,o0ed s m(olic le,el+ 2t su(tl shifts the social 0orld from an exchan)e of death 0ith the6ther to an eternal return of the 'ame+

Capitalism functions ( reducin) e,er thin) to a re)ime (ased on ,alue and the production of ,alue+ To (e accepted ( capital! somethin) must contri(ute ,alue+ This creates an immense

re)ime of social exchan)e+ 7o0e,er! this social exchan)e has little in common 0ith s m(olicexchan)e+ 2t ultimatel depends on the mar4 of ,alue itself (ein) unexchan)ea(le+ Capital must (e endlessl accumulated+ 'tates must not collapse+ Capitalism thus introducesthe irreversible into social life! ( means of accumulation +

3ccordin) to Baudrillard! capitalism rests on an o(session 0ith the a(olition of death+ Capitalismtries to a(olish death throu)h accumulation+ 2t tries to 0ard off am(i,alence associated 0ithdeath. throu)h ,alue associated 0ith life.+ But this is (ound to fail+ 8eneral e/ui,alence * the (asis of capitalism * is itself the e,er-presence of death+ The more the s stem runs from death!the more it places e,er one in solitude! facin) their o0n death+ 9ife itself is fundamentallam(i,alent+ The attempt to a(olish death throu)h fixed ,alue is itself deathl +

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3ccumulation also spreads to other fields+ The idea of pro)ress! and linear time! comes from theaccumulation of time! and of stoc4piles of the past+ The idea of truth comes from theaccumulation of scientific 4no0led)e+ Biolo) rests on the separation of li,in) and non-li,in)+ 3ccordin) to Baudrillard! such accumulations are no0 in crisis+ For instance! the accumulationof the past is undermined! (ecause historical o( ects no0 ha,e to (e concealed to (e preser,ed *

other0ise the 0ill (e destro ed ( excessi,e consumption+ ;alue is produced from the residueor remainder of an incomplete s m(olic exchan)e+ The repressed! mar4et ,alue! and si)n-,alueall come from this remainder+ To destro the remainder 0ould (e to destro ,alue+

Capitalist exchan)e is al0a s (ased on ne)otiation! e,en 0hen it is ,iolent+ The s m(olic orderdoes not 4no0 this 4ind of e/ui,alential exchan)e or calculation+ 3nd capitalist extraction isal0a s one-0a + 2t amounts to a non-re,ersi(le a))ression in 0hich one act of dominatin) or4illin). cannot (e returned ( the other+

2t is also this re)ime 0hich produces scarcit * Baudrillard here endorses 'ahlins1 ar)ument +Capitalism produces the Freudian


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fact come from the repressed remainder+ 6ur culture is dead from ha,in) (ro4en the pact 0ithmonstrosit ! 0ith radical difference+

The Aest continues to perpetrate )enocide on indi)enous )roups+ But for Baudrillard! it did thesame thin) to itself first * destro in) its o0n indi)enous lo)ics of s m(olic exchan)e+ 2ndi)enous

)roups ha,e also increasin)l lost the s m(olic dimension! as modern forms of life ha,e (eenimported or imposed+ This accordin) to Baudrillard produces chronic confusion and insta(ilit +

8ift-exchan)e is radicall su(,ersi,e of the s stem+ This is not (ecause it is re(ellious+Baudrillard thin4s the s stem can sur,i,e defections or exodus+ 2t is (ecause it counterposes adifferent 5principle of socialit 1 to that of the dominant s stem+ 3ccordin) to Baudrillard! themediations of capitalism exist so that no(od has the opportunit to offer a s m(olic challen)e oran irre,ersi(le )ift+ The exist to 4eep the s m(olic at (a + The affecti,e char)e of death remainspresent amon) the oppressed! (ut not 0ith the 5properl s m(olic rh thm1 of immediateretaliation+

The Church and 'tate also exist (ased on the elimination of s m(olic exchan)e+ Baudrillard ishi)hl critical of Christianit for 0hat he ta4es to (e a cult of sufferin)! solitude and death+ 7esees the Church as central to the destruction of earlier forms of communit (ased on s m(olicexchan)e+

Baudrillard seems to thin4 that earlier forms of the state and capitalism retained some de)ree ofs m(olic exchan)e! (ut in an alienated! partiall repressed form+ For instance! the ima)inar ofthe 5social contract1 0as (ased on the idea of a sacrifice * this time of li(ert for the common)ood+ 2n ps choanal sis! s m(olic exchan)e is displaced onto the relationship to the master-si)nifier+ 2 ha,en1t seen Baudrillard sa it directl ! (ut the impression he )i,es is that this is adistorted! authoritarian imitation of the ori)inal s m(olic exchan)e+ onetheless! it retains some

of its intensit and ener) + 3rt! theatre and lan)ua)e ha,e 0or4ed to maintain a minimum ofceremonial po0er+

2t is the reason older orders did not suffer the particular malaise of the present+ 2t is eas to readcertain passa)es in Baudrillard as if he is (emoanin) the loss of these 4inds of stron)si)nifications+ This is initiall ho0 2 read Baudrillard1s 0or4+ But on closer inspection! thisseems to (e a misreadin)+ Baudrillard is nostal)ic for repression onl to the extent that therepressed continued to carr s m(olic force as a referential+ 7e is nostal)ic for the return ofs m(olic exchan)e! as an aspect of diffuse! autonomous! dis-alienated social )roups+

/eath

Death pla s a central role in Baudrillard1s theor ! and is closel related to s m(olic exchan)e+ 3ccordin) to Baudrillard! 0hat 0e ha,e lost a(o,e all in the transition to alienated societ is thea(ilit to en)a)e in exchanges 0ith death+

Death should not (e seen here in purel literal terms+ Baudrillard specifies earl on that he doesnot mean an e,ent affectin) a (od ! (ut rather! a form 0hich destro s the determinac of thesu( ect and of ,alue * 0hich returns thin)s to a state of indeterminac + Baudrillard certainldiscusses actual deaths! ris4-ta4in)! suicide and so on+ But he also sees death fi)urati,el ! inrelation to the decomposition of existin) relations! the


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allo0s concentrated or transcendental po0er to come into existence+ Throu)h splits! people turnthe other into their 5ima)inar 1+ For instance! 0esterners in,est the


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code! the ph sical 0orld is (rou)ht 0ithin the s m(olic+ 2t (ecomes re,ersi(le+ The rationalprinciple of linear causalit collapses+ The 0orld is! and al0a s remains! eni)matic+

People 0ill )i,e for seduction or for simulation 0hat the 0ould ne,er )i,e for /ualit of life+ 3d,ertisin)! fashion! )am(lin) and so on li(erate 5immoral ener)ies1 0hich har4 (ac4 to the

ma)ical or archaic )am(le on the po0er of thou)ht a)ainst the po0er of realit + eoli(eralism isin some 0a s an ultimate release of such dia(olical forces+ People 0ill loo4 for an ecstatic excessof an thin) * e,en (oredom or oppression+

2n this account! the principle of e,il (ecomes the onl fixed point+ Desire is not inescapa(le+ Ahat is inescapa(le is the o( ect and its seduction! its 5principle of e,il1+ The o( ect at oncesu(mits to la0 and (rea4s it in practice! moc4in) it+ 2ts o0n

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A - Z of Theory - On Baudrillard's Coception of Death