2008-08-01

STILL ATEN'T DEAD

Is there any work out there which makes a serious attempt at reconciling practical individual psychology with the insights of Marxist/Situationist/Frankfurt School materialist cultural theory? It's not really enough to say that individual consciousness is "interpolated" in the structures of late capitalist mass culture. Until we understand exactly how it happens, through what processes, and how to reverse-engineer the effect, the marketing geniuses and media priests will be able to defeat or recuperate any grassroots movement before it properly gets going.

To some degree, I'm fed up with art and magick and I want to start going at this on a proper scientific basis. The urgency of the project is such that dilettante methods are no longer adequate.

ETA: I'm gratified to note that, for something I knocked off in five minutes and wrote for effect rather than meaning, the Chaos Marxist Manifesto (see sidebar) is still being read and linked to by the most interesting people. Welcome, new people.

2 comments:

  1. I'll tell you what Doloras; I promise I will give you a really good text in reply to that question on one condition, that you get rid of this crap:
    This blog does not allow anonymous comments.

    Comment moderation has been enabled. All comments must be approved by the blog author.

    What an impediment to dialog this policy is and perhaps the main reason I haven't bothered posting comments here in the past, even though at times it can be quite interesting and at other times in desperate need of some criticism.

    But how about sketching out the difference between science, art and magic, and why the first is serious while the other two are dilettantist.

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  2. An interesting text may be the Art of Memetics by Wes Unruh and and Edward Wilson. While there is a focus on magic(k) within the book, it also looks at marketing, memetic theory and networks.

    http://www.greylodge.org/gpc/?p=1357 if you want to download a version of it. Its not especially scientific, I'll admit, but it goes into the nuts and bolts of the theory, allowing for its ideas to be tested.

    Beyond that, I haven't much in the way of suggestions I'm afraid. I have a fair few books on marketing and psychology I have yet to read however, so if I find anything of potential use, I'll be sure to pass a recommendation or link along.

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