Rosemarie Dominguez
Soc 385
Critical Theory
Work, Buy, Consume and Die
Soc 385
Critical Theory
Work, Buy, Consume and Die
Critical theory is the theory that stresses the examination of critiquing society and its culture by using social sciences and humanities. Critical theory can be seen as an umbrella term because of the many terms that fall underneath it, such as literal criticism, which is interpreting literature of the social context. Max Horkheimer came up with this idea of critique; meaning to critique is to analyze the everyday things within society. By exploring the circumstances people are able to liberate themselves from the very things that enslave them. By examining and critiquing modern society, individuals are able to analyze and change society and its culture. He uses the term praxis to define the use of practical knowledge and in order to do so; you must turn knowledge into practice. By being able to think critically we build a sense of consciousness and thus, creating a sense of liberation from systems of oppression.
Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno’s article titled, The Culture Industry: Enlighten as Mass Deception, talks about the cultural aspect of society, such as media, news, and film and how it manipulates society to become passive in many situations and circumstances. The cultural industry can be seen dangerous because it creates false psychological needs and teaches individuals to consume. We live in a capitalistic society in which people are taught to consume and consume, from mass-produced companies. Going back to the concept of critical theory in order to combat false needs and find true psychological needs, society needs to have genuine happiness, creativity and freedom. Similar to Horkheimer’s theory, Herbert Marcuse builds a concept of transforming “material circumstances of life.” Marcuse then connects materialism to social theory. He then mentions phantasy and how it has a philosophical connection with imagination. However, phantasy creates this dualism of what is ideal and what is not or dualistic constraints of consciousness and unconsciousness, or even the difference between want and need.
Referencing back to how society is taught to consume with the aid of media and advertisements, people’s lifestyles are starting to change to become almost robotic. Comsumerization creates a sense of mechanicalization. The more money we make, the more we want to buy stuff, the more we consume, the more we want more, and thus we create this unhealthy ongoing cycle of consumerism. We are no longer thinking when we shop, because we buy and then have that doubt or regret once the card has been swiped (compulsive shoppers). When people consume, most of the time they do not buy for personal needs, but because they desire it. Now shopping is no longer becoming an activity where individuals are able to socialize with one another but rather isolate themselves, thanks to online shopping. Products then become just objects and no longer have an appreciation. People are losing that connection and no longer having relationships with other individuals, but building relationships with objects.
The false reality of it is, is that we buy to fulfill happiness or so we think. The more we buy the happier we get, however it is the opposite. Once we made our dream purchase(s) our happiness declines over time. We are not only aware of these systematic forms of oppression, but we continue to give in, because the cultural industry manipulates consumers. We end up becoming trapped because we choose not to break way form these fabrications of false needs. We can distinguish between want and need, but we choose not to change our mentality because of the fact that by consuming we satisfy our need for that moment until we get the urge again to want the latest new thing.
Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno’s article titled, The Culture Industry: Enlighten as Mass Deception, talks about the cultural aspect of society, such as media, news, and film and how it manipulates society to become passive in many situations and circumstances. The cultural industry can be seen dangerous because it creates false psychological needs and teaches individuals to consume. We live in a capitalistic society in which people are taught to consume and consume, from mass-produced companies. Going back to the concept of critical theory in order to combat false needs and find true psychological needs, society needs to have genuine happiness, creativity and freedom. Similar to Horkheimer’s theory, Herbert Marcuse builds a concept of transforming “material circumstances of life.” Marcuse then connects materialism to social theory. He then mentions phantasy and how it has a philosophical connection with imagination. However, phantasy creates this dualism of what is ideal and what is not or dualistic constraints of consciousness and unconsciousness, or even the difference between want and need.
Referencing back to how society is taught to consume with the aid of media and advertisements, people’s lifestyles are starting to change to become almost robotic. Comsumerization creates a sense of mechanicalization. The more money we make, the more we want to buy stuff, the more we consume, the more we want more, and thus we create this unhealthy ongoing cycle of consumerism. We are no longer thinking when we shop, because we buy and then have that doubt or regret once the card has been swiped (compulsive shoppers). When people consume, most of the time they do not buy for personal needs, but because they desire it. Now shopping is no longer becoming an activity where individuals are able to socialize with one another but rather isolate themselves, thanks to online shopping. Products then become just objects and no longer have an appreciation. People are losing that connection and no longer having relationships with other individuals, but building relationships with objects.
The false reality of it is, is that we buy to fulfill happiness or so we think. The more we buy the happier we get, however it is the opposite. Once we made our dream purchase(s) our happiness declines over time. We are not only aware of these systematic forms of oppression, but we continue to give in, because the cultural industry manipulates consumers. We end up becoming trapped because we choose not to break way form these fabrications of false needs. We can distinguish between want and need, but we choose not to change our mentality because of the fact that by consuming we satisfy our need for that moment until we get the urge again to want the latest new thing.