In Letters of Blood and Fire
Work, Machines, and Value in the Bad Infinity of Capitalism
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- 7,99 €
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- 7,99 €
Publisher Description
A captivating collection of essays documenting a return to the heated conflicts present at the advent of capitalism. IT, immaterial production, financialisation and globalisation have been trumpeted as inaugurating a new phase of capitalism that puts it beyond its violent origins. However, instead of being in a period of major social and economic novelty, the course of the last decades has seen a return to the fire and blood of struggles at the advent of capitalism. Emphasizing class struggles, Caffentzis explores how a wide range of conflicts and antagonisms.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this collection of essays published as part of the Common Notion series, philosophy professor and activist Caffentzis drolly articulates the relevancies of Marxism to issues of contemporary capitalism. Topics include the current financial crisis, the reciprocal and beneficial relationship between capitalism and war, our romanticized view of mechanization, and the puritan undertones in the desire for space colonization just to name a few. Each essay through different routes aims to unveil the inherent and pervasive violence of contemporary capitalism. To this end these essays are loosely themed using the three headings: "Work/Refusal;" "Machines;" and "Money, War, and Crisis." Unfortunately, the categories do provide little cohesion to the collection. Throughout the book certain ideas are excessively reiterated such as Caffentzis' theories on Turing Machines, and others are left undeveloped. The essays themselves are uneven, ranging from witty and incisive to monotonous, self-important, and dull. Even so, Caffentzis' analysis is cutting and the project he is attempting is extremely pertinent, which is the redeeming merit of the book.
