Capitalism functions on performed belief rather than sincere conviction
Evidence
On a second level it is merely ideological ritual, of exactly the kind that Althusser described. For him a good part of ideology is made up of ritual: you just repeat the phrases and, as Althusser says, via Pascal, “Kneel and you will believe”. That is a highly ambiguous phrase. Does it mean, “Kneel and you will believe afterwards”? Or that in the act of kneeling you already believe? I think both, but it reinforces the idea that belief is really the crucial thing about capitalism. — Mark Fisher (edited by Darren Ambrose), K-Punk, 1661
Categorization
- DEFINE: Explains the Althusser/Pascal ‘kneel and you will believe’ ritual theory of ideology — belief as bodily practice.
- XREF: 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; Accepting senseless contradictions is the exemplary technique of sanity in late capitalism. — Mark Fisher, Capitalist Realism: Is There No…, 113 (+8 more)
Broader Connections
- Capitalism cannot function without its ideological disguises and myths
#corroborates(0.88) — Mark Fisher, Capitalist Realism, 96 - Capitalism differs from fascism in requiring no propaganda or subjectively assumed belief
#contradicts(0.85) — Mark Fisher, Capitalist Realism, 29 - Believing capitalism is bad licenses continued participation in it
#complicates(0.82) — Mark Fisher, Capitalist Realism, 31 - Loathed-but-complied systems typify capitalist realism
#exemplifies(0.80)