great read. you cover a lot of ground here and i think i would use different words to describe the phenomena you are trying to make sense of but that made it all the more interesting to read. the refusal of conservatives to thematize late-capitalism or capitalism in general, outside of paleoconservativism which does so in some cases, his a huge blindspot and is a key reason for the intellectual irrelevance and impotency of reactionary thought in my estimation. so its great to see, regardless of your ideological bent, this grappling being done here. i look forward to reading more.
Fantastic essay. I stumbled upon a early version of this same insight when I was an advertising student. I was the strategist and came to the client with the claim that Gen Z (their target market) users brand(s) as a mode of self expression/actualization/identification. I didn’t do much with the idea at the time and left it in the dustbin of all my previous market/cultural insights. It’s great to see someone else explore what’s going on and take the observation so much farther. Your understanding of the quasi-religious nature of it all is brilliant. I’d never thought through it that far. Very much looking forward to reading more of your work.
Very interesting stuff. It seems that Mass-Democracy, as you describe it, imposes itself as a sort of ultimate reality, collapsing the past into the present (and so also dooms any hope for a genuinely real future to oblivion). Instead of seeing past, present, and future as mutually interior to each other—a genuine unity in multiplicity—it attempts to instantiate a counterfeit eternity in a detached present, and so ultimately inverts true eternity into a self-relational hell.
great read. you cover a lot of ground here and i think i would use different words to describe the phenomena you are trying to make sense of but that made it all the more interesting to read. the refusal of conservatives to thematize late-capitalism or capitalism in general, outside of paleoconservativism which does so in some cases, his a huge blindspot and is a key reason for the intellectual irrelevance and impotency of reactionary thought in my estimation. so its great to see, regardless of your ideological bent, this grappling being done here. i look forward to reading more.
Fantastic essay. I stumbled upon a early version of this same insight when I was an advertising student. I was the strategist and came to the client with the claim that Gen Z (their target market) users brand(s) as a mode of self expression/actualization/identification. I didn’t do much with the idea at the time and left it in the dustbin of all my previous market/cultural insights. It’s great to see someone else explore what’s going on and take the observation so much farther. Your understanding of the quasi-religious nature of it all is brilliant. I’d never thought through it that far. Very much looking forward to reading more of your work.
Very interesting stuff. It seems that Mass-Democracy, as you describe it, imposes itself as a sort of ultimate reality, collapsing the past into the present (and so also dooms any hope for a genuinely real future to oblivion). Instead of seeing past, present, and future as mutually interior to each other—a genuine unity in multiplicity—it attempts to instantiate a counterfeit eternity in a detached present, and so ultimately inverts true eternity into a self-relational hell.
Beautifully put and a great observation that it severs the relationship of the one and the many of history.
Gonna repost tomorrow so it’ll get more views. Great post.
Thanks Lionel, appreciate it and glad to hear you enjoyed it.
Thank you, and thanks for the recommendation I will certainly check out his work.