Consumerism is the Perfection of Slavery - Prof Jiang Xueqin

Summary

The speaker discusses Marx's theory and its relevance today, highlighting how industrial societies adopted Marxist ideals after World War II, leading to the empowerment of workers. However, in the 1980s, the rise of neoliberalism shifted the focus from workers to consumers, leading to increasing inequality and the dominance of the elite. Consumerism, the speaker argues, has created a society where individuals compete for status through possessions, reinforcing economic logic and discouraging solidarity. This shift, according to the speaker, marks the 'perfection of slavery,' where individuals willingly remain trapped in a system that benefits the few while stifling rebellion.

Takeaways

• 😀 Marx predicted that communism would first emerge in industrialized societies like Germany, but it eventually manifested in places like the Soviet Union, China, and even the US and Europe.
• 😀 Post-World War II, industrial societies adopted some ideals of communism (now called socialism), focusing on prioritizing workers and ensuring their well-being through accessible healthcare, public schools, and universities.
• 😀 The 1950s to 1970s marked a peak in society for the working class, with the government promising stable jobs and a better quality of life for citizens.
• 😀 Starting in the 1980s, the elite began to push back against the worker-centered society in favor of a more market-driven system, resulting in the 'Reagan revolution' in the US and 'Thatcherism' in the UK.
• 😀 The 1980s saw a massive rise in CEO salaries, with the average CEO earning $20 million, compared to $1 million in the 1970s—this amplified economic inequality.
• 😀 The shift from focusing on workers to focusing on consumers led to the rise of consumerism, where individuals are no longer united by solidarity but compete to showcase wealth and status.
• 😀 Consumerism encourages competition for prestige, where people are motivated to buy bigger houses and flaunt their wealth on social media, leading to personal debt and societal division.
• 😀 The shift from worker-centered values to consumer-centered values has led to the development of 'economic logic', where individuals view the world primarily through the lens of money and capital.
• 😀 In the current society, people are trained to think about school and life mainly in terms of obtaining a good job to buy things, instead of learning for personal growth or critical thinking.
• 😀 Consumerism, according to the speaker, is the 'perfection of slavery' because it makes people willingly serve the system without realizing their submission to it, thus preventing rebellion.
• 😀 Francis Fukuyama argued that consumerism represents the 'end of history' because it satisfies both the desires of the elite and the compliance of the masses, making any form of rebellion or resistance virtually impossible.

Q & A

What is the main argument the speaker makes about Marx's relevance today?

The speaker argues that Marx was not entirely wrong because, after World War II, many industrial societies adopted Marxist ideals in the form of socialism, centering their economies and politics around the welfare of workers.

How did post-World War II societies reflect Marx’s ideas?

After World War II, industrial societies made the worker the heart of their systems, creating policies that improved the lives of the middle and working classes, including strong unions, affordable education, and accessible healthcare.

What caused the shift away from worker-centered societies in the 1980s?

In the 1980s, elites initiated a 'revolt' against egalitarian systems, leading to neoliberal policies under leaders like Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher that emphasized free markets, deregulation, and wealth accumulation by the elite.

How did income inequality change from the 1970s to today according to the speaker?

In the 1970s, CEOs earned about 20 times more than the average worker, while today, CEOs earn 200–300 times more, illustrating a massive increase in economic inequality.

What societal transition did the speaker describe following the 1980s economic shift?

The focus of society shifted from the 'worker' to the 'consumer,' marking a change from valuing labor and production to valuing consumption, choice, and material wealth.

What does the term 'consumerism' mean in this context?

Consumerism refers to a system in which people's identities and social value are defined by what they buy and display, leading to competition, debt, and social isolation.

What thought experiment does the speaker use to explain consumerism?

The speaker imagines giving everyone in a school $1 million, showing how competition, social comparison, and debt quickly emerge as people try to outspend each other and display wealth.

How does consumerism affect social relationships and political consciousness?

Consumerism fosters individualism and competition, eroding solidarity and collective action, which prevents people from organizing politically as workers once did.

What does the speaker mean by 'economic logic'?

Economic logic refers to viewing every aspect of life through the lens of capital and money—evaluating people, education, and relationships based on financial value rather than human or moral worth.

Why does the speaker call consumerism 'the perfection of slavery'?

Consumerism is described as 'the perfection of slavery' because people willingly enslave themselves to the pursuit of money and material goods, unaware of their subjugation and therefore never rebelling against it.

How does Francis Fukuyama’s idea of 'the end of history' relate to this argument?

Fukuyama’s concept of 'the end of history' aligns with the idea that consumerism creates a stable system in which the elite maintain power and the masses no longer resist or question the structure.

What change in education does the speaker highlight as an example of the shift to consumerism?

The speaker notes that under a worker-centered mindset, education was valued for learning and imagination, but in a consumer-driven society, schooling is mainly viewed as a means to secure high-paying jobs and material success.