Why the arts - and all pursuits in the human economy are embattled. The underlying logic of capitalism is that if we all take our most primordial impulses and mix them up in the magical mechanism called “markets,” we are left with progress. Recent history suggests we may be left with only more ugliness. As G. A. Cohen writes, “the immediate motive to productive activity in a market society is (not always but) typically some mixture of greed and fear.” The participants in market transactions are not interested in fulfilling human needs -- they are interested in making a profit. Fulfilling human needs is one way to make a profit -- exploitation, the creation of desire through advertising or downright fraud are others. Human progress is an ancillary consideration, individual profit is the goal.
Posted on: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 22:13:11 +0000
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