Productive Body, The
Understanding the body's role in capitalist society
Stephen Shapiro author Philip Barnard author
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Collective Ink
Published:28th Mar '14
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
This book examines how capitalism affects the human body and labor, linking Marxist ideas with contemporary theories for a political revolution.
In The Productive Body, the author explores the intricate relationship between the human body and the capitalist system. The text delves into how labor and the body have been systematically appropriated and reconfigured throughout various phases of capitalism. This examination reveals the profound implications of capitalism's influence on our physical existence and how it has shaped our understanding of labor and productivity.
Furthermore, the book connects the transformation of the body to the emergence of scientific psychology and social sciences, which have been complicit in establishing modern mechanisms of control. By referencing Foucault's work, particularly his ideas presented in Discipline and Punish, the author bridges the gap between Marx's critique of capitalism and Foucault's analysis of power and knowledge. This synthesis provides a compelling framework for understanding how societal structures manipulate the body and its labor.
Ultimately, The Productive Body aims to unite Marxist thought with contemporary theories regarding the body as a machine, advocating for a political revolution that recognizes the significance of the body in the capitalist landscape. The book encourages readers to rethink the implications of their own bodies and labor within the context of capitalism, fostering a deeper awareness of the forces at play in shaping human experience.
The technological mutations of the apparatus of production, the division of labour and the elaboration of the disciplinary techniques sustained an ensemble of very close relations (cf. Marx, Capital, vol. i, chapter XIII and the very interesting analysis in Guerry and Deleule). Each makes the other possible and necessary; each provides a model for the other.' --Michael Foucault
ISBN: 9781780995762
Dimensions: 216mm x 141mm x 10mm
Weight: 194g
156 pages