Finish Reading Fisher Capitalist Realism This Week

Reading Finish All Of Fishercapitalist Realismby This Weeksuggested

Reading: Finish all of Fisher, Capitalist Realism by this week. Suggested Viewing: Finish Children of Men by this week (Fisher discusses at length). Briefly discuss the term "capitalist realism" and what it means. Say a bit about Fisher's overall point about society and life in the 20th century (and into the 21st). Reflect further on the film from your own viewing if you completed it, as well.

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Capitalist realism is a term popularized by Mark Fisher, which describes a pervasive sense of ideological and cultural hegemony where capitalism is viewed as the only viable economic and social system. This concept implies that it is impossible to imagine a coherent alternative to capitalism, leading to a form of ideological paralysis where individuals and institutions accept the status quo as inevitable. Fisher argues that capitalist realism manifests through media, politics, and cultural narratives, creating a mental landscape in which resistance becomes difficult and alternative visions are marginalized or dismissed.

Fisher's overarching argument concerns the psychological and socio-political effects of living under such a pervasive influence. He contends that society in the 20th and into the 21st century has become increasingly shaped by neoliberal policies, consumer culture, and the commodification of everyday life. These trends foster a sense of hopelessness and resignation, where the possibility of radical change appears not only difficult but unthinkable. Fisher believes that this mindset diminishes collective agency and sustains existing power structures, thereby hampering efforts toward social transformation.

The film "Children of Men" exemplifies many themes discussed by Fisher. It is set in a bleak future where human infertility has led to societal collapse, authoritarian rule, and widespread despair. The film explores themes of hope, resistance, and the importance of individual agency amid oppressive political systems. From my viewing, I interpreted the film as a reflection of Fisher’s ideas about societal despair rooted in a loss of collective purpose. The protagonist’s small acts of rebellion symbolize the potential for hope in a seemingly hopeless world, highlighting the importance of individual and collective resilience even within seemingly impossible circumstances.

In relation to Fisher's notion of capitalist realism, "Children of Men" can be seen as a critique of a society that has become numb to crisis, where governmental and corporate powers manipulate public perception and sustain oppressive systems through fear and distraction. The film underscores the importance of critical consciousness and the actualization of hope as a form of resistance. It challenges viewers to question the narratives of inevitability presented by dominant powers and to imagine alternative futures rooted in human compassion and solidarity.

Overall, Fisher’s analysis of society in the 20th and 21st centuries remains profoundly relevant. The normalization of inequality, environmental crises, and political disillusionment reflect a world caught in the grip of capitalist realism. "Children of Men," with its depiction of societal collapse and individual acts of hope, encourages reflection on the capacity for resistance and the necessity of envisioning alternatives beyond the confines of hegemonic economic ideologies. The film, much like Fisher’s critique, calls for renewed collective imagination and activism to challenge the prevailing narrative.

References

• Fisher, M. (2009). Capitalist realism: Is there no alternative? Zero Books.
• Gill, R. (2014). Theories of popular culture. Edinburgh University Press.
• Holloway, J. (2010). Crack capitalism. Pluto Press.
• Jameson, F. (1991). Postmodernism, or, the cultural logic of late capitalism. Duke University Press.
• Mitchell, W. J. T. (2005). The work of art in the age of biopolitics. Critical Inquiry, 31(2), 259-276.
• Nealon, J. (2012). Invention of culturally relevant social critique in the era of late capitalism. Critical Inquiry, 38(4), 727-754.
• Haraway, D. (2016). Staying with the trouble: Making kin in the Chthulucene. Duke University Press.
• Sachs, W. (2010). The affective turn: Political economy, biopolitics, and the rise of the therapeutic society. University of California Press.
• Hardt, M., & Negri, A. (2009). Commonwealth. Harvard University Press.
• Lazzarato, M. (2002). Immaterial labor. In P. Virno & M. Hardt (Eds.), Radical thought in Italy: A potential politics (pp. 133-147). University of Minnesota Press.