Dominance over society’s division of learning is surveillance capitalism’s new axial principle

Evidence

On the strength of its unprecedented concentrations of knowledge and power, surveillance capitalism achieves dominance over the division of learning in society—the axial principle of social order in an information civilization. This development is all the more dangerous because it is unprecedented. It cannot be reduced to known harms and therefore does not easily yield to known forms of combat. — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 566

Surveillance capitalism’s ability to corrupt and control these texts produces unprecedented asymmetries of knowledge and power that operate precisely as Durkheim had feared: the relatively free rein accorded to this market form and the innately illegible character of its action have enabled it to impose substantial control over the division of learning outside of our awareness and without means of combat. When it comes to the essential questions, surveillance capital has gathered the power and asserted the authority to supply all the answers. However, even authority is not enough. Only surveillance capital commands the material infrastructure and expert brainpower to rule the division of learning in society. — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 587

Categorization

• DEFINE: Introduces ‘division of learning’ as the axial principle of social order in an information civilization — a core contested concept for a foundational account.
• XREF: Echoes classical sociology’s division of labor notions (Durkheim) transposed onto an information economy — connects to broader-capitalism framing from earlier chapters. — connects to: The digital era shifts society’s axis from division of labor to division of learning — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 600; Surveillance capitalists now control society’s definitive principle of social ordering through privatized knowledge. — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 603; Surveillance capitalism rests on extreme inequalities of knowledge and power — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 45 (+5 more)
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 566; Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 587

Broader Connections

• Surveillance capitalism rests on extreme inequalities of knowledge and power #corroborates (0.85) — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 45
• Surveillance capitalism functions as a profoundly antidemocratic social force #corroborates (0.75) — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 1643