Signs and Machines: Capitalism and the Production of Subjectivity (Semiotext(e) / Foreign Agents)

Translated by Joshua David Jordan “Capital is a semiotic operator”: this assertion by Félix Guattari is at the heart of Maurizio Lazzarato’s Signs and Machines, which asks us to leave behind the logocentrism that still informs so many critical theories. Lazzarato calls instead for a new theory capable of explaining how signs function in the economy, in power apparatuses, and in the production of subjectivity. Moving beyond the dualism of signifier and signified, Signs and Machines shows how signs act as “sign-operators” that enter directly into material flows and into the functioning of machines. Money, the stock market, price differentials, algorithms, and scientific equations and formulas constitute semiotic “motors” that make capitalism’s social and technical machines run, bypassing representation and consciousness to produce social subjections and semiotic enslavements. Lazzarato contrasts Deleuze and Guattari’s complex semiotics with the political theories of Jacques Rancière, Antonio Negri and Michael Hardt, Paolo Virno, and Judith Butler, for whom language and the public space it opens still play a fundamental role. Lazzarato asks: What are the conditions necessary for political and existential rupture at a time when the production of subjectivity represents the primary and perhaps most important work of capitalism? What are the specific tools required to undo the industrial mass production of subjectivity undertaken by business and the state? What types of organization must we construct for a process of subjectivation that would allow us to escape the hold of social subjection and machinic enslavement? In addressing these questions, Signs and Machines takes on a task that is today more urgent than ever. Maurizio Lazzarato is a sociologist and philosopher in Paris. He is the author of Governing by Debt and Signs and Machines: Capitalism and the Production of Subjectivity, both published by Semiotext(e). Contents 6 lntroduction 8 1. Production and the Production of Subjectivity: Between Social Subjection and Machinic Enslavement 24 1. Social Subjection and Machinic Enslavement 24 2. Human/Machine Versus Humans/Machines 30 3. The Egyptian Megamachine: The First Form of Enslavement 33 4. The Functions of Subjection 35 CAPITAL AS A SEMIOTIC OPERATOR: SIGNIFYING SEMIOTICS AND ASIGNIFYING SEMIOTICS 40 The Concept of "Production" 44 Desire and Production 50 The Failure of ''Human Capital" 53 2. Signifying Semiologies and Asignifying Semiotics in Production and in the Production of Subjectivity 56 1. The Remnants of Structuralism: Language Without Structure 58 2. Signifying Semiologies 67 1. The Political Functions of Semiologies of Signification 69 2. Reference, Signification, Representation 73 3. Asignifying Semiotics 81 3. Mixed Semiotics 96 1. The Trader's Machinic Subjectivity 97 2. The Mixed Semiotics of the "Human" 102 1. The Emergent Self and Asignifying Semiotics 103 2. The Sense of a "Core Self," the Sense of a ''Subjective Self," and Symbolic Semiotics 105 3. The Seme of a "Verbal Self" and Signifying Semiotics 106 3. Cinema's Mixed Semiotics 109 4. Signifying and Asignifying Semiotics in the Division of Labor 114 5. The Dual Function and Processing of Subjectivity 123 6. Pasolini and Neo-Capitalism's Semiotics of Immanence 126 1. The Langu.ages of Comumption-Production 128 2. Intolerance and the Italian "Cultural Genocide" 132 3. The Death of the Sacred and Machinic Animism 135 4. Conflict and Sign Systems 140 Problematization 145 The Interpretation and Transmission of Catchphrases 148 The Scholar of Conflict 151 Unemployment and Invisible Work 154 The Narrative-Function of Signifying Semiotics 158 The Subjection Machine 160 5. "Scum" and the Critique of Performatives 170 1. The "Absolute" Performative 171 2. Emancipation Through the Performative 173 3. Bakhtin and the First Theory of Enunciation 178 4. The Micro-Politics of Voice and Gesture 183 5. Discursive Strategies 185 6. The Reproducible and the Non-Reproducible 188 7. Language That "Precedes and Exceeds the Subject" 191 8. Transcendence and Guilt in Language 196 9. Variants and Invariants 197 10. Still More on "Scum" 199 6. The Discursive and the Existential in the Production of Subjectivity 202 1. The Existential as Machinism 202 2. Disjunction and Conjunction of the Discursive and Existential 207 3. The Aesthetic Paradigm 210 4. The Current Crisis 218 7. Enunciation and Politics. A Parallel Reading of Democracy: Foucault and Ranciere 226 1. Two Equalities 227 2. "Truth-Telling" (Parrhesia) 228 3. Parrhesia, Politeia, Isegoria, Dunasteia 230 4. Enunciation and Pragmatics 233 5. The Crisis of Parrhesia 236 6. Two Models of Political Action 239 7. Logos and Existence, Theater and Performance 242 8. The Distribution of the Sensible: Or, Division and Production 245 9. Equality and Difference 248 Notes 252 Introduction: Logos or Abstract Machines? 252 1. Production and the Production of Subjectivity 253 2. Signifying Semiologies and Asignifying Semiotics in Production and in the Production of Subjectivity 257 3. Mixed Semiotics 262 4. Conflict and Sign Systems 267 5. "Scum" and the Critique of Performatives 270 6. The Discursive and the Existential in the Production of Subjectivity 275 7. Enunciation and Politics 279 An analysis of how capitalism today produces subjectivity like any other "good," and what would allow us to escape its hold. "Capital is a semiotic operator": this assertion by Félix Guattari is at the heart of Maurizio Lazzarato's Signs and Machines , which asks us to leave behind the logocentrism that still informs so many critical theories. Lazzarato calls instead for a new theory capable of explaining how signs function in the economy, in power apparatuses, and in the production of subjectivity. Moving beyond the dualism of signifier and signified, Signs and Machines shows how signs act as "sign-operators" that enter directly into material flows and into the functioning of machines. Money, the stock market, price differentials, algorithms, and scientific equations and formulas constitute semiotic "motors" that make capitalism's social and technical machines run, bypassing representation and consciousness to produce social subjections and semiotic enslavements. Lazzarato contrasts Deleuze and Guattari's complex semiotics with the political theories of Jacques Rancière, Antonio Negri and Michael Hardt, Paolo Virno, and Judith Butler, for whom language and the public space it opens still play a fundamental role. Lazzarato asks: What are the conditions necessary for political and existential rupture at a time when the production of subjectivity represents the primary and perhaps most important work of capitalism? What are the specific tools required to undo the industrial mass production of subjectivity undertaken by business and the state? What types of organization must we construct for a process of subjectivation that would allow us to escape the hold of social subjection and machinic enslavement? In addressing these questions, Signs and Machines takes on a task that is today more urgent than ever. Moving Beyond The Dualism Of Signifier And Signified, Signs And Machines Shows How Signs Act As Sign-operators That Enter Directly Into Material Flows And Into The Functioning Of Machines. Money, The Stock Market, Price Differentials, Algorithms, And Scientific Equations And Formulas Constitute Semiotic Motors That Make Capitalism's Social And Technical Machines Run, Bypassing Representation And Consciousness To Produce Social Subjections And Semiotic Enslavements. Lazzarato Contrasts Deleuze And Guattari's Complex Semiotics With The Political Theories Of Jacques Rancière, Antonio Negri And Michael Hardt, Paolo Virno, And Judith Butler, For Whom Language And The Public Space It Opens Still Play A Fundamental Role. Lazzarato Asks: What Are The Conditions Necessary For Political And Existential Rupture At A Time When The Production Of Subjectivity Represents The Primary And Perhaps Most Important Work Of Capitalism? What Are The Specific Tools Required To Undo The Industrial Mass Production Of Subjectivity Undertaken By Business And The State? What Types Of Organization Must We Construct For A Process Of Subjectivation That Would Allow Us To Escape The Hold Of Social Subjection And Machinic Enslavement? In Addressing These Questions, Signs And Machines Takes On A Task That Is Today More Urgent Than Ever. -- Publisher's Description. 1 Production And The Production Of Subjectivity 23 -- 2 Signifying Semiologies And Asignifying Semiotics In Production And In The Production Of Subjectivity 55 -- 3 Mixed Semiotics 95 -- 4 Conflict And Sign Systems 139 -- 5 Scum And The Critique Of Performatives 169 -- 6 The Discursive And The Existential In The Production Of Subjectivity 201 -- 7 Enunciation And Politics 225. Maurizio Lazzarato ; Translated By Joshua David Jordan. Includes Bibliographical References. "Moving beyond the dualism of signifier and signified, Signs and Machines shows how signs act as "sign-operators" that enter directly into material flows and into the functioning of machines. Money, the stock market, price differentials, algorithms, and scientific equations and formulas constitute semiotic "motors" that make capitalism's social and technical machines run, bypassing representation and consciousness to produce social subjections and semiotic enslavements. Lazzarato contrasts Deleuze and Guattari's complex semiotics with the political theories of Jacques Rancière, Antonio Negri and Michael Hardt, Paolo Virno, and Judith Butler, for whom language and the public space it opens still play a fundamental role. Lazzarato asks: What are the conditions necessary for political and existential rupture at a time when the production of subjectivity represents the primary and perhaps most important work of capitalism? What are the specific tools required to undo the industrial mass production of subjectivity undertaken by business and the state? What types of organization must we construct for a process of subjectivation that would allow us to escape the hold of social subjection and machinic enslavement? In addressing these questions, Signs and Machines takes on a task that is today more urgent than ever."-- Site de l'éditeur