The Mirror of Production
Encyclopedia
The Mirror of Production is a 1973 book by Jean Baudrillard
. It is a systematic critique of Marxism
. Baudrillard's thesis is that Marx’s theory of historical materialism
is too rooted in assumptions and values of political economy to provide a framework for radical action. The fault of Marxism is in prioritizing the very concepts that found capital, e.g necessity, value, and labor.
For Baudrillard, Marx did not transcend political economy but merely saw its reverse or its “mirror” side. Marxism merely strengthens political economy’s basic propositions, in particular the idea that self-creation is performed through productive, non-alienated labor. In Baudrillard’s words, “[Marxism] convinces men that they are alienated by the sale of their labor power, thus censoring the much more radical hypothesis that they might be alienated as labor power.” Baudrillard proposes to liberate workers from their "labour value" and think in terms other than production.
Jean Baudrillard
Jean Baudrillard was a French sociologist, philosopher, cultural theorist, political commentator, and photographer. His work is frequently associated with postmodernism and post-structuralism.-Life:...
. It is a systematic critique of Marxism
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
. Baudrillard's thesis is that Marx’s theory of historical materialism
Historical materialism
Historical materialism is a methodological approach to the study of society, economics, and history, first articulated by Karl Marx as "the materialist conception of history". Historical materialism looks for the causes of developments and changes in human society in the means by which humans...
is too rooted in assumptions and values of political economy to provide a framework for radical action. The fault of Marxism is in prioritizing the very concepts that found capital, e.g necessity, value, and labor.
For Baudrillard, Marx did not transcend political economy but merely saw its reverse or its “mirror” side. Marxism merely strengthens political economy’s basic propositions, in particular the idea that self-creation is performed through productive, non-alienated labor. In Baudrillard’s words, “[Marxism] convinces men that they are alienated by the sale of their labor power, thus censoring the much more radical hypothesis that they might be alienated as labor power.” Baudrillard proposes to liberate workers from their "labour value" and think in terms other than production.
External links
- Jean Baudrillard, The Mirror of Production, trans. Mark PosterMark PosterMark Poster is a Professor Emeritus of History, Film and Media Studies, and the Critical Theory Emphasis at UC Irvine. He received his Ph.D...
(New York: Telos Press, 1975)