Surveillance capitalism deploys practice ahead of contestable theory, preempting critique.

Evidence

The surveillance capitalists reverse the normal sequence of theory and practice. Their practices move ahead at high velocity in the absence of an explicit and contestable theory. They specialize in displays of instrumentarianism’s unique brand of shock and awe, leaving onlookers dazed, uncertain, and helpless. The absence of a clear articulation of their theory leaves the rest of us to ponder its practical effects: the vehicular monitoring system that shuts down your engine; the destination that appears with the route; the suggested purchase that flashes on your phone the moment your endorphins peak; Big Other’s continuous tracking of your location, behavior, and mood; and its cheerful herding of city dwellers toward surveillance capitalism’s customers. — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 1292

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines the theory-practice reversal as a distinctive epistemic feature of surveillance capitalism.
• XREF: Extends the book’s instrumentarianism and Big Other concepts; ties to Science and Technology Studies debates about technological momentum outpacing governance. — connects to: Surveillance capitalism’s inevitabilist ideology presents its power as natural like a glacier — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 1258

Broader Connections

• Surveillance capitalism’s inevitabilist ideology presents its power as natural like a glacier #corroborates (0.85) — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 1258