„Es ist mit den Geschäften wie mit dem Tanze; Personen, die gleichen Schritt halten, müssen sich unentbehrlich werden; ein wechselseitiges Wohlwollen muß notwendig daraus entstehen…“ [It is with business as it is with dance; persons who are in step with each other, will inevitably become indispensible for each other. A mutual benevolence will arise with ...
This is a random association triggered by learning that the old Turkic word for “sky” and “god” Tengri (the origin of the Turkish term Tanrı – often preferred by Anatolian Sufis) and the Chinese ti’en, meaning the same, may share an etymology. I found two snippets from either tradition involving geese – and they are ...
There is a strange and largely unnoticed return of Orientalism into the social-scientific debate. The anti-rationalist turn against what often is perceived to be a continued stranglehold of Cartesian mind-body dualism now often seeks to ally itself with ‘Eastern thought’. The most startling precedent of poststructuralist Orientalism of course is to be found in Gilles ...
Extended English version of ‘Kreative Zerstörung als Rückkehr genialer Gewöhnlichkeit: LEGO, die Kulturtragödie der Exzellenz und die Expropriation des Brickolariats‘, Presentation at the German Sociological Association’s Conference, Trier, 6th to 10th October 2014. PDF Current Capitalism is in crisis. This is well known. Capitalism always is in crisis. From early on capitalism was experienced as ...
Vortrag in der Plenarsitzung 9 (Krisen des Mittelmaßes) am Kongreß der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Soziologie in Trier, 6.-10. Oktober 2014 (Plenary Presentation at Plenum 9 ‘Crises of the Mean’ at the Conference of the German Sociological Association at Trier, 6th to 10th October 2014) – Extended English version to follow PDF Die Krise des Mittelmaßes ...
[presentation at the workshop "Critiques of Capitalism: Christian and Muslim Voices", Exeter 2nd and 3rd June 2014] When talking about consumerism in the context of religion and critiques of capitalism, the standard approach is to portray it as some sort of adoration of a golden calf. Both theologians and critical social scientists are quick to ...
Seen the Lego movie – fascinating! What at first side comes across like a full endorsement of Adorno’s critique of the culture industry (produced by the culture industry itself) and paints an image of a totalitarian capitalism that has lost its creative edge (represented by the evil Lord Business) ends in a hug between the ...
random association: Marxism: ‘While individual consumption consumes use-values as the means of subsistence of the living individual, productive consumption consumes as “the means whereby labour, the labour-power of the living individual, is enabled to act”. In order to maintain the products of past labour in their objective existence as use-values, it is necessary for them ...
playing with the allusions to Dickens’ Christmas Carol when writing on the ghosts of capitalism – I found this interesting: http://roarmag.org/2013/12/everyday-communism-christmas-dickens/ ...
The unacknowledged but pervasive tension and dishonest mingling of ultra-determinist historical materialism and hyperactive voluntarism/subjectivism has been shown to be a hallmark of the totalitarian turn in Leninism, Stalinism. According to Leo Kofler this particularly shows when things don’t go to plan ‚Das Hinüberschieben der Schuld für das Mißlingen der bürokratischen Pläne auf die Schulter ...