Capitalism's new clothes : enterprise, ethics and enjoyment in times of crisis

Publisher Description: In Broadsheet Newspapers, Television Shows And Hollywood Films, Capitalism Is Increasingly Recognized As A System Detrimental To Human Existence. Colin Cremin Investigates Why, Despite This De-robing, Capitalism Remains A Powerful And Seductive Force. Using Materialist, Psychoanalytic And Linguistic Approaches, Cremin Shows How Capitalism, Anxiety And Desire Enter Into A Productive/destructive Relationship. He Identifies Three Related Kinds Of Social Engagement. These Are Enterprise And Employment, Ethics And Left-oriented Social Action, And Enjoyment And Consumption. As These Ideological Strands Overlap And Reinforce One Another, The Exploitation, Violence, Injustice, Alienation And Ecological Destruction The System Breeds Is Revealed, But Not Necessarily Identified Or Addressed As A Failure Of Capitalism. The Nuanced And Sophisticated Argument In Capitalism's New Clothes Goes A Long Way To Explaining The Contradictions Of Contemporary Existence Under A System That Has Been Revealed As Damaging And Regressive, But Is More Dominant Than Ever. 1 Introduction -- 2 Naked Economy -- A The Stupid Id -- B The Postmodern Spirit -- C Immaterial Capitalism -- D End-capitalism -- 3 Naked Enterprise -- A Enterprise -- B Ethics -- C Enjoyment -- 4 Naked Ethics -- A Ethics -- B Enterprise -- C Enjoyment -- 5 Naked Enjoyment -- A Enjoyment -- B Enterprise -- C Ethics -- 6 Naked Ecology -- A You Can't Stop The Dancing Chicken -- B Carbon Zero -- C (m)other Earth -- D The Elephant In The Room -- E Earth Second! -- 7 Conclusion. Colin Cremin. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [171]-186) And Index. In broadsheet newspapers, television shows and Hollywood films, capitalism is increasingly recognised as a system detrimental to human existence. Colin Cremin investigates why, despite this de-robing, capitalism remains a powerful and seductive force. Using materialist, psychoanalytic and linguistic approaches, Cremin shows how capitalism, anxiety and desire enter into a productive/destructive relationship. He identifies three related kinds of social engagement. These are enterprise and employment, ethics and left-oriented social action, and enjoyment and consumption. As these ideological strands overlap and reinforce one another, the exploitation, violence, injustice, alienation and ecological destruction the system breeds is revealed, but not necessarily identified or addressed as a failure of capitalism. The nuanced and sophisticated argument in Capitalism's New Clothes goes a long way to explaining the contradictions of contemporary existence under a system that has been revealed as damaging and regressive, but is more dominant than ever. From broadsheet newspapers to television shows and Hollywood films, capitalism is increasingly recognised as a system detrimental to human existence. Colin Cremin investigates why, despite this de-robing, capitalism remains a powerful and seductive force.

Using materialist, psychoanalytic and linguistic approaches, Cremin shows how capitalism, anxiety and desire enter into a mutually supporting relationship. He identifies three ways in which we are tied in to capitalism – through a social imperative for enterprise and competition; through enjoyment and consumption; and through the depoliticisation of ethical debate by government and business.

Capitalism's New Clothes is ideal for students of sociology and for anyone worried about the ethics of capitalism or embarrassed by the enjoyments the system has afforded them. Intro -- Title Page -- Copyright -- Contents -- Acknowledgements -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Naked Economy -- The Stupid ID -- The Postmodern Spirit -- Immaterial Capitalism -- End-Capitalism -- Conclusion -- 3. Naked Enterprise -- Enterprise -- Ethics -- Enjoyment -- Conclusion -- 4. Naked Ethics -- Ethics -- Enterprise -- Enjoyment -- Conclusion -- 5. Naked Enjoyment -- Enjoyment -- Enterprise -- Ethics -- Conclusion -- 6. Naked Ecology -- You Can't Stop the Dancing Chicken -- Carbon Zero -- (M)Other Earth -- The Elephant in the Room -- Earth Second! -- Conclusion -- 7. Conclusion -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index The more capitalism is revealed to be damaging and regressive, the more it gains acceptance in everyday life and popular culture