Capitalism’s rapacity depends on branding and PR sheathing rather than existing nakedly

Evidence

Yet capitalism cannot be ‘purified’ in this way; strip away the forces of anti-production and capitalism disappears with them. Similarly, there is no progressive tendency towards an ‘unsheathing’ of capitalism, no gradual unmasking of Capital as it ‘really’ is: rapacious, indifferent, inhuman. On the contrary, the essential role of the ‘incorporeal transformations’ effectuated by PR, branding and advertising in capitalism suggests that, in order to operate effectively, capitalism’s rapacity depends upon various forms of sheathing. — Mark Fisher, Capitalist Realism, 96

Categorization

• XREF: Directly opposes Nick Land’s ‘pure capitalism’ theory being discussed in the paragraph — a useful contrast to keep straight. — connects to: Advertising retrieved hidden experiential value and thereby transformed capitalism itself — Yanis Varoufakis, Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism, 125; Capitalism’s legitimacy now rests on circulating images of appearance — Aris Komporozos-Athanasiou, Speculative Communities: Living with…, 136; Capitalism’s resilience comes from its plasticity in adopting new social forms — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 1647 (+2 more)

Related

• Capitalism cannot function without its ideological disguises and myths (similarity 0.88)
• Capitalism functions on performed belief rather than sincere conviction (similarity 0.85)
• Advertising retrieved hidden experiential value and thereby transformed capitalism itself (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• Corporate anti-capitalist satire reinforces rather than undermines capitalist realism #exemplifies (0.85) — Mark Fisher, Capitalist Realism, 29
• Capitalism functions on performed belief rather than sincere conviction #qualifies (0.75)
• Capitalism’s resilience comes from its plasticity in adopting new social forms #complicates (0.70) — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 1647