Jean Baudrillard: The System of Objects

Summary

This video explores Jean Baudrillard's 'The System of Objects,' analyzing the evolution of consumption and the societal implications of material culture. Baudrillard critiques the shift from traditional to modern interior design, reflecting changes in capitalist ideology. He discusses how objects serve as signs in a system that reinforces social order and identity, and how advertising and credit have transformed consumption into a quest for self-realization and status. The video delves into the psychological aspects of consumerism, revealing the underlying desires and power dynamics at play in our commodified world.

Takeaways

• 📚 Jean Baudrillard's early work 'The System of Objects' laid the groundwork for his later, more famous post-structuralist analyses.
• 🧩 Baudrillard combined Marxist critique, semiotics, and psychoanalysis to analyze the political economy and consumption in emerging capitalism.
• 🏡 He examined how traditional homes and their objects reinforced ideological identities, such as patriarchy and excess as a sign of wealth.
• 🛋️ The shift from traditional to modern interior design reflected a move from symbolic excess to functional minimalism, indicating a change in societal values.
• 🚗 Baudrillard discussed how objects like cars serve as symbols and escape mechanisms, embodying more than just their functional use.
• 🕰️ Antiques and collections were seen as a form of time mastery, where owning an object was about owning its story and historical significance.
• 🔗 The concept of 'serial motivation' was introduced, explaining how series of objects create a need for continuous consumption and completion.
• 🤖 Baudrillard touched on 'functional transcendence', where the technological innovation in objects is more about spectacle and humanization than pure functionality.
• 💳 Credit played a crucial role in the new consumption ethic, allowing for immediate gratification and creating a cycle of debt and consumption.
• 📈 Advertising was highlighted as a tool not just for selling products, but for conditioning consumers to desire the signs and symbols of commodities, reinforcing the new order of consumption.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Jean Baudrillard's early work 'The System of Objects'?

The main focus of 'The System of Objects' is an analysis of the political economy, particularly the state of capitalism that was emerging at the time, and how it relates to consumption, the social order, and the role of objects in society.

How does Baudrillard integrate semiotics into his analysis in 'The System of Objects'?

Baudrillard integrates semiotics by examining how humans interact with signs and symbols, and how these interactions are part of the processional communication within a capitalist society.

What is the connection between Baudrillard's analysis and psychoanalysis in 'The System of Objects'?

Baudrillard connects his analysis with psychoanalysis, particularly through a Freudian lens and the social psychoanalytic perspective of Herbert Marcuse, to understand the underlying desires and power dynamics in consumption.

How does Baudrillard view the transition from traditional to modern interior design in terms of ideological statements?

Baudrillard sees the transition from traditional to modern interior design as a shift from an ideological statement of excess and patriarchy to one of raw efficiency and mastery over the environment, reflecting the changing values of capitalism.

What does Baudrillard suggest about the functionality of objects in a capitalist society?

Baudrillard suggests that the functionality of objects in a capitalist society is not just about their practical use but also about their ability to integrate into a system of signs and symbols, which serves to reinforce consumer culture.

How does Baudrillard interpret the role of antiques and collections in consumer culture?

Baudrillard interprets antiques and collections as a form of power fantasy and a means to transcend time, where individuals consume not just the object but also its historical and symbolic significance.

What is the concept of 'serial motivation' as discussed by Baudrillard in 'The System of Objects'?

Serial motivation refers to the psychological drive created by a series of objects that are designed to be interdependent, encouraging continuous consumption and the pursuit of completeness in collections.

How does Baudrillard describe the impact of automation and gadgets on the consumption of objects?

Baudrillard describes the impact of automation and gadgets as a form of 'functional transcendence,' where the technological innovation of objects adds a human element and creates a spectacle, often prioritizing form over function.

What does Baudrillard argue about the role of advertising in the consumption of signs and symbols?

Baudrillard argues that advertising conditions consumers to desire not just the objects themselves but the signs and symbols associated with them, creating a new form of self-worth and gratification through consumption.

How does Baudrillard view the ethical implications of consumption in a capitalist society?

Baudrillard views the ethical implications of consumption as a form of personal responsibility, where individuals are expected to express themselves and find social cohesion through the objects they consume, reinforcing a collective order of communication via commodities.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Baudrillard's 'The System of Objects'

This paragraph introduces the philosophical work of Jean Baudrillard, particularly focusing on his early work 'The System of Objects'. It contrasts Baudrillard's later post-structuralist ideas with his earlier, more structuralist analysis of consumption and capitalism. The paragraph discusses how Baudrillard's analysis of the political economy and the rise of industrial monopoly capitalism led to new modes of consumption. It also touches on his use of semiotics and psychoanalysis to understand the relationship between objects, ideology, and social order. The traditional home is used as an example to illustrate how objects in interior design reflect and reinforce ideological identities.

05:02

🛋️ The Evolution of Interior Design and Ideological Statement

Paragraph 2 delves into the evolution of interior design, from traditional Victorian homes symbolizing excess and patriarchy to the minimalist and functional designs of the 1960s. Baudrillard argues that the shift from traditional to modern design represents a change in the system of signs and symbols, where functionality becomes the new virtue. The paragraph discusses how objects in a home are not just functional but also carry symbolic meanings, reflecting societal values and individual aspirations. It also explores the idea that objects can serve as an escape from the alienation of work and home life, and how the consumption of objects like cars and antiques is tied to a desire for status and a connection to history.

10:02

🔄 The Fetish of Authenticity and the Power of Collections

In this paragraph, Baudrillard's concept of the fetish for authenticity and the psychological drive behind collecting objects are explored. It discusses how the pursuit of completeness in collections can lead to extreme behaviors, reflecting a deeper human desire to fill a perceived void in existence. The paragraph also touches on the idea of 'serial motivation' in consumer culture, where objects are designed to be part of a series, encouraging continuous consumption. Baudrillard critiques the notion that technological innovation in objects is always for the better, instead arguing that it often serves to create a spectacle and add a human element to products, even if it makes them less efficient.

15:04

💳 The New Ethic of Consumption and the Role of Credit

Paragraph 4 examines the new ethic of consumption in late capitalism, where individuals are encouraged to express themselves through the objects they consume. It discusses how the pressure to conform to societal norms through consumption has become a form of ethical responsibility. The paragraph also explores the role of credit in enabling immediate consumption, which has both psychological and material implications for individuals. Baudrillard argues that advertising is not just about selling products but about conditioning consumers to accept a new economic order based on the consumption of signs and symbols.

20:04

🌐 Conclusion: The Irrepressible Nature of Consumption

The final paragraph summarizes Baudrillard's view on the systemic and limitless nature of consumption, which arises from a fundamental lack in our lives. It reflects on how consumption has become a way to fill the void left by an absent reality. The paragraph concludes with a call to patrons and supporters of the video, highlighting the importance of community in creating and sharing such content.

Keywords

💡Structuralism

Structuralism is an approach in the social sciences that examines the underlying structures of a society or culture. In the context of the video, it refers to the early work of Jean Baudrillard, which was influenced by structuralist thought. The video suggests that Baudrillard's later post-structuralist ideas evolved from this structuralist foundation, particularly in his analysis of consumption and the social order.

💡Post-structuralism

Post-structuralism is a movement in critical theory that emerged as a response to structuralism. It questions the idea of fixed structures and instead emphasizes the fluidity and instability of meaning. The video discusses how Baudrillard's work, such as 'Simulacra and Simulation,' is emblematic of post-structuralist thought, highlighting the complexity and impenetrability of the postmodern world.

💡Semiotics

Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation. In the video, semiotics is tied to Baudrillard's analysis of how humans interact with signs and symbols in a capitalist society. It is used to understand the communication of meaning through objects and how these objects become part of a system of signs that influence consumption and ideology.

💡Consumption

Consumption, as discussed in the video, refers to the act of using goods and services, but it also carries a deeper meaning in Baudrillard's analysis. It's not just about the functional use of products but also about the consumption of signs, symbols, and the ideological messages they convey. The video illustrates how consumption has become a key aspect of modern capitalist societies, shaping individual identities and social orders.

💡The System of Objects

This term refers to Baudrillard's book 'The System of Objects,' which is central to the video's discussion. The book analyzes the relationship between people and the objects they consume, suggesting that objects are not just material goods but also carriers of meaning and social signifiers. The video uses this concept to explore how objects in a home, for example, reinforce ideological identities and social structures.

💡Functional Transcendence

Functional transcendence is a concept mentioned in the video to describe how technological innovations in products often serve not to improve functionality but to add a human element or spectacle. Baudrillard argues that this trend reflects a shift in capitalist production towards creating objects that serve a symbolic or aesthetic purpose rather than purely practical ones, as seen in the example of cars with design features that hinder performance.

💡Serial Motivation

Serial motivation, as discussed in the video, refers to the psychological drive to collect or complete a series of related objects. Baudrillard suggests that this is a strategy used by corporations to encourage continuous consumption. The video explains how this concept is used to create a dependency on purchasing additional products to complete a series, thus driving consumer behavior.

💡Antiquing and Collections

Antiquing and collecting are activities that the video connects to the human desire to own and control time through objects. Baudrillard argues that collecting antiques is not just about the objects themselves but about the stories and historical significance they represent. The video uses this to illustrate how consumption is tied to a deeper psychological need to transcend the present and connect with the past.

💡Credit

Credit, in the context of the video, is discussed as an essential component of modern consumption patterns. It allows individuals to purchase goods and services before they can afford them, which Baudrillard sees as a form of parasitic capitalism. The video explains how credit has enabled a culture of immediate gratification and continuous consumption, which in turn perpetuates a cycle of debt and the need to consume.

💡Advertising

Advertising is portrayed in the video as a powerful tool that goes beyond selling products. It conditions consumers to desire not just the objects but the signs, symbols, and lifestyles associated with them. Baudrillard's analysis, as presented in the video, suggests that advertising creates a new ethical standard where consumption becomes a form of self-expression and social cohesion, influencing how individuals define themselves and their relationships with others.

Highlights

Jean Baudrillard's analysis moves beyond pure structuralism to address the post-structural world.

Baudrillard's early work 'The System of Objects' lays the groundwork for his later theories on consumption and social order.

Baudrillard integrates Marxist critique, semiotics, and psychoanalysis to analyze the political economy and consumption.

In 'The System of Objects', Baudrillard examines the shift from an order of production to an order of consumption in capitalism.

The traditional home as an ideological statement against pre-industrial scarcity and a display of excess.

Modern interior design reflects an emerging ideal of raw efficiency and minimalism.

Baudrillard argues that the functionality of objects is about integration into a system of signs rather than pure utility.

The symbolic realm of objects extends beyond mere functionality to include status, privilege, and ideals.

Antique collections and the human drive to own and transcend time are discussed as part of consumption patterns.

Baudrillard notes the fetish towards authenticity and the mastery of time through the collection of unique antiques.

Serial motivation in consumption is driven by the creation of object series that necessitate continuous purchasing.

Functional transcendence is a concept where technological innovation adds a human element rather than efficiency to products.

Baudrillard critiques the new ethical standard of consumption and the pressure to define oneself through material possessions.

Credit systems are identified as a tool for sustaining the new order of consumption and instant gratification.

Advertising's role in conditioning consumers to desire the signs and symbols of commodities is explored.

Baudrillard suggests we are entering a new humanism where self-realization and consumption of signs define us.

The book concludes with the idea that consumption arises from a lack and is irrepressible due to its foundation in absence.

Transcripts

[Music]

when we think jean beaudriert we think

of an analysis past pure structuralism

and analysis that points out the sheer

elastic and often seemingly impenetrable

post-structural world around us yet

budriard's famous works such as

simulacra and simulation and the gulf

war did not take place spawned from a

much earlier more structural analysis of

the world consumption capitalism and the

social order around us this is often

ignored when we think about

philosophical consequences of beau drew

yard yet early beaudry art and more

specifically the system of objects lays

the fundamental groundwork for his later

works in 1968 the system of objects a

work that developed immediately from

baudrillard's phd thesis was published

from the start beaudrier takes an

analysis of the political economy at

large in the very new state of

capitalism that was emerging the core of

baudrillard's analysis maintained the

core marxist critique of the capitalist

political economy while utilizing newer

sociological approaches new approaches

such as the field of semiotics semiotics

being how humans interact with signs and

the processional communication of

symbols he ties this very marxist and

semiotic framework together with

psychoanalysis namely through a fairly

freudian lens and more relevantly

through a similar social psychoanalytic

lens of herbert marcuza seen in his work

aeros and civilization which we have

covered on this channel if you are

interested here is a link above simply

put boudreaut still uses a marxist

analysis of production as a baseline to

understand newer means of consumption

where production has reached its highest

point industrial monopoly capitalism has

spearheaded new technological means of

producing goods now with an almost peak

capacity to produce capitalists have a

new problem though with production being

at its absolutely highest point reeling

in consumers is the next task for

capitalist production through the very

order of production we have seen it flip

on its head into an order of consumption

and for that there are completely new

mediums for people to approach consuming

and this is where boudreau takes us in

the system of objects itself

understanding the field of advertising

new fashion new symbolism and ultimately

new consumption of signs and symbols as

a whole something that was often only

relegated to kings and feudal lords but

has found itself in the hands of many

this is the beginning journey of

beaudrier's social analytic an analytic

that evolves in form throughout his

career and for that i'm excited to bring

you his first major work this is the

system of objects just in video form

the analysis of the sign the structural

and ideological form in which objects

surround us can be visualized perfectly

through the lens of interior design

butriard starts out with a traditional

home format one that mimicked the

relatively excessive clutter and

intrinsic design we see in many older

homes what is the classic victorian home

other than a sign of complete excess a

home of total human imprint and desire

to show off wood sculpted clocks molding

at the ceiling a dedicated trophy room

etc but there's more than just the pure

material form of a traditional home the

classic interior design often had an

explicit ideological tonality one

example being established patriarchy

dining room tables where the man sat at

the end overlooking his subjects

furniture setup to accommodate a

domineering tonality the patriarch

receives his ideological position in the

world through an interaction of a system

of objects thus a dialectical

reinforcement the system of objects

reinforce our ideological identity and

our identity affects the objects

themselves boudryard claims this is no

more apparent than in one's home but

it's not just gender at all the

ideological core of a home is far deeper

than that the traditional home with all

of its fine china wood crafted furniture

is the ideological statement against

pre-industrial scarcity it's not only

saying that i have an excess but that i

am deathly scared of the prior world of

scarcity compare this to the newly

emerging form of modern interior design

in the 1960s of raw minimalism and

purely functional furniture what is this

other than an emerging ideal of raw

unfiltered efficiency an embodiment of

man's complete mastery over his

environment old world symbolism seen in

the excessive paintings mirrors etc is a

nuisance to our new capitalist

post-modern order that not only drives

but demands complete efficiency from us

beaudriard claims that through the

material formation of one's home it

posits an atmosphere humans through a

commodified world now have access to

become as he puts it sorcerers of

atmosphere his designs his vision

now purchasable as a working-class

individual who can now afford his

serialized objects the comparison

through the bourgeoisie old home and new

modern design show a death of a certain

symbolic realm a realm showcased by

mirrors clocks fancy furniture that has

now died for a more functional home of

minimalism of pure raw unfiltered

efficiency but as we see this symbolic

realm hasn't truly died in its entirety

it's just radically changed with

heightened production functionalism is

just a new structure within a system of

existing signs beaudryard concludes with

this idea here it will be clear from the

foregoing discussion of the values of

interior design and atmosphere that the

entire system is founded on the concept

of functionality colors forms materials

design space all are functional every

object claims to be functional just as

every regime claims to be democratic the

term evokes all the virtues of modernity

yet it is perfectly ambiguous with its

reference to function it suggests that

the object fulfills itself and the

precision of its relationship to the

real world and to human needs but as our

analysis has shown functional in no way

qualifies what is adapted to a goal

merely what is adapted to an order or

system functionality is the ability to

become integrated into an overall scheme

an object's functionality is the very

thing that enables it to transcend its

main function in the direction of a

secondary one to play a part to become a

combining element an adjustable item

within a universal system of signs this

system of objects shows us the dual

nature of material around us and how our

prior analysis of commodities being

centered in functional use cases

couldn't tell the full story we consume

status privilege and ideal niceties

boudreaux points this out in cars the

driving force of capitalism isn't just

functional production but also one of a

consumption of symbolism if not newer

60s sports cars wouldn't have fins that

hurt aerodynamics we wouldn't make

sacrifices in the manufacturing process

to appease people's symbolic and

aesthetic wishes but we do this realm of

the symbolic extends further than with

cars they are tiny homes at large homes

that embody the old world symbol of

trophies they operate as a medium point

between work and home

beaudriord points out what a coincidence

there is a massive cliche that men love

their cars it operates as an escape from

an alienating workplace and an equally

unhappy household stemming from a world

of homogeneous traditionalism like many

other objects a car is an escape this

moves us into the realm of antiques and

collections and a relative domination of

time and understanding that statement

may seem a bit confusing but

beaudriejard states that our fascination

and domineering tonality with time and

serial order can be seen with antiques

and collections

beaudriert states more on this here

naturally this ambiguous coexistence of

modern functionality and traditional

decor arises only after a certain level

of economic development industrial

production and practical environmental

saturation has been attained less

privileged social strata peasants

workers and primitive peoples have no

interest in what is old they aspire to

the functional all the same there is a

similarity here between primitive and

civilized attitudes when a savage grabs

a watch or a fountain pen merely because

it is a western object we find this

behavior comical or absurd for the

object is not being given its true

meaning but appropriated hungrily in

accordance with an infantile type of

relationship involving a power fantasy

instead of having a function the object

has a virtue it has become a sign yet is

this not the very same procedure of

impulsive accuration and magical

appropriation that drives civilized

people towards 16th century woodcuts or

icons in both cases what is being

acquired under the form of the object is

a virtue the savage acquires modern

technology the civilized person acquires

ancestral significance much of this book

takes an anthropological and

psychoanalytical nature towards the

power dynamics of consumption not purely

in an exploitative material sense but in

a subconscious power fantasy what is

more powerful than to consume and own

time itself to be not only the owner of

an object but own the story behind it at

large individuals will spend millions

for something relatively non-functional

all for its idealistic value there's

something deeper here too

the human drive to transcend time is

still present but within capitalism a

commodified world transcending time is

permanently altered baudrillard says but

since blood birth and titles of nobility

have lost their ideological force the

task of signifying transcendence has

fallen to material signs to pieces of

furniture objects jewelry and works of

art of every time and every place

antiques offer us a mastery at something

greater than present time not of purely

commanding subjects workers citizens but

to harness historical time itself and

this is something available for everyone

whether that be expensive auctions for

the rich or flea markets for working

class individuals but the mode of

domination around antiques doesn't stop

there there is a fetish of the mode of

serial linear objects through the lens

of psychoanalysis the individual

universal marking of our existence is a

lack something missing here we can posit

a positive essence to our being through

objects namely collections completing

collections at that this drive for

completeness again can take us into

extremely weird realms like antiques

where collections and unique antiques

relate vodriard points out the weird

story of a bibliophile who was obsessed

with owning books he learned of an

identical copy of an extremely rare book

he owned a book that should have been

completely authentic with no other

copies he went to the bookstore with the

copy burned it and summoned a lawyer to

create an affidavit of the copies

destruction he then was able to proceed

with his life totally content there is a

fetish towards authenticity a mastery of

time that can be partially understood by

a central lack present in our existence

thus filling a void through our

commodities and objects but according to

beautyart this new capitalism experience

in post-world war ii again has shifted

its focus not only from production but

to understanding patterns of our

consumption some of the most valuable

assets to corporations and advertising

firms are psychology majors people who

seek to understand the subconscious

underpinnings of our nature

thus a common material conclusion to

come to is to create series of objects

that create what beaudryard calls serial

motivation this to beaudry art can be

seen as a critical essence of current

capitalism not only in the need to

collect but for objects to communicate

with each other and to reinforce

continual purchasing through creating

series of objects dependent on one

another there's always something to

upgrade for a hundred dollars more in a

series your kitchen containing things

like a fridge and oven are incomplete

without a microwave these producers

large corporations purposefully create

series of objects and create

relationships with them and what is this

than the ultimate goal we desire

relationship thus we can relate with

these objects by proxy of ourselves to

understand commodities as series as a

process as interrelated to one another

is to recognize it's their weird

humanity and boudreaux points out that

this is the entire goal of advertising

and marketing agencies but it gets

deeper and drives us into the realm of

automation and of what beau drew yard

calls gadgets and gizmos and the further

creation of things such as robots but

modriard points something out something

that is continually elaborated on

throughout the book the technological

innovation of our objects is often not

functional efficient or better it adds a

human element to new products and

creates a show of spectacle we can sit

back and watch even though automation

can often make tools more inefficient

especially in its early stages vodriard

calls this new mode of creation

functional transcendence where raw

function is often minimal in our goals

in this newly emerging postmodern

capitalism man for his part by

automating his objects and rendering

them multifunctional instead of striving

to structure his practices in a fluid

and open-ended manner reveals in a way

what part he himself plays in a

technical society that of the most

beautiful all-purpose object that of an

instrumental model in this sense

automatism and personalization do not

contradict one another in the slightest

automatism is simply personalization

dreamt in terms of the object it is the

most finished the most sublime form of

the inessential of that marginal

differentiation which subtends man's

personalized relationship to his objects

according to beaudriard modes of the

imaginary follow modes of technological

evolution hear the imaginary ideas

idealisms are now affecting the material

around us materialism versus idealism

can quite literally be now articulated

as a false philosophical dichotomy in

many ways the system of objects emerging

economics of today are a

socio-ideological system as a sign and

an ideology to be consumed the existing

nature of old objects what beaujoire

calls models to serial commodities in

which baudrillard calls series mark this

ideological shift in late capitalism

models being something handcrafted

something less serialized and authentic

we still internally think of our new

serial objects series as models though

things handcrafted and such even if we

still know deep down they are not but

the fact we can project our personality

on objects serial objects gives it this

feeling of authenticity but newer

capitalists want to hide the ideological

markings of ceres new serial commodities

to hide this we are sold new cultural

advancements we're told we now have

ultimate choice but it's the exact

opposite we are now forced to buy

objects tools appliances that have new

rather unfunctional components to them

and they are only more expensive because

of this we are forced to buy serial

objects designed to break every few

years or so

not so producers can only rank in more

profit no it's much deeper than that but

in service of us so we have new excuses

to purchase and consume we are forced to

express and define ourselves through

objects if you don't wear certain

clothing if you don't consume certain

objects you're marked from a society of

people who do

but this becomes an ethical standard in

which we find backwards pleasure in as a

society what more efficient and easy way

to elaborate on who you are than to

express yourself through the objects you

consume the clothes that you wear this

is incredibly important in this

commodified world you are doing a

service by this you are adding cohesion

to an entire social order of language by

commodification failing to do this is

rejecting a collective order of new

human communication thus this is your

personal forced totalitarian

responsibility to yourself and others

and none of this new responsibility this

new ironically collectivist capitalist

order could be achieved without the

modern miracle of credit this entire new

order of communication via objects a new

order of radical positive consumption

that covers a central lack of what is

real in our lives could be possible

without it everything is now immediately

available to us rather than waiting and

purchasing after work we can decide what

we want to immediately sacrifice in

order to consume

but this is a regression too in a

literal material and ideological sense

rather than individual progress in our

lives we are regressing we are always

behind in debt we retroactively give up

our time to purchase the mode of credit

exists purely as parasitic capitalism

and the material way in which it

operates and how it psychologically

affects us in the long run how it feeds

on our impulses but even creditors know

that people are still aware of this thus

again

advertisement reinforces credit in the

system of objects as we stated earlier

towards the end of the book beaudrier

falls on the new ethic of consumption

the system of objects through the lens

of new advertising one of the most

powerful things advertising does isn't

to mindlessly convince us to buy an

object through mere manipulation but to

psychologically condition us to consume

the signs themselves the symbols of

commodities and objects the symbols held

within tv commercials we see that in

commercials and billboards they often

show happy families and friends together

drinking coca-cola a happy wife cooking

in the kitchen with a new kenmore oven

it ultimately conditions us to see a new

function of purchasing not only to solve

material functional needs but a

consumption of fantasy a future ideal we

further see that advertisement grants us

new forms of self-worth the system of

objects and commodities conform to us

they care about us boudreauard points

out that advertisement doesn't really

mystify us or manipulates us into buying

a certain individual product per se it

just primes our psyche in order to

accept this new economic system and

order of a consumption of signs

boudreaux claims we are entering a realm

of new humanism where the old

ideological humanism of market

competition is succumbing to a new

culture of self-gratification

self-realization where the objects we

consume the advertising we consume can

further separate ourselves from others

and ultimately define us it's not that

competition is gone per se but its form

has turned into self-realization rather

than external competition

this is the totality of our new order

self-realization gratification new

responsibility to purchase eating in the

system of a new language via consumption

and signs it's a new confused state in

which we have hardly scratched the

surface of a confused state that shows

the absolute lack of our reality

boudreau leaves us with this the

systematic and limitless process of

consumption arises from the disappointed

demand for totality that underlies the

project of life in their ideality sign

objects are all equivalent and may

multiply infinitely indeed they must

multiply in order at every moment to

make up for a reality that is absent

consumption is irrepressible and the

last reckoning because it is founded

upon a lack

you all for making it to the end the

system of objects was arguably the

densest book i have ever read and there

were little intrinsic bits that i had to

leave out but i hope this suffices a

total overview of the book i wanted to

stop by and say absolutely none of this

could be possible without patrons and

youtube members these videos take a ton

of time to research script record and

edit and because of this patreon and the

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an extra huge shout out to an extra

special patron jose david guevara thank

you so much for the large pledge i

genuinely appreciate it and you keep all

of this alive seriously thank you all so

much and i'll hopefully see you in the

next one

[Music]

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