the society of the spectacle and comments on the society of the spectacle

8/11/2019 The Society of The Spectacle and Comments on The Society of The Spectacle

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GUY DEBORD

THE SOCIETY

OF THE SPECTACLE

(1967)

AND

THE COMMENTS

ON THE SOCIETY

OF THE SPECTACLE

(1988)

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THE SOCIETY

OF THE SPECTACLE(1967)

Chapter 1 Separation Perfected

But certainly for the present age, which prefers the sign to the thing signified, the

copy to the original, representation to reality, the appearance to the essence...

illusion only is sacred, truth profane. ay, sacredness is held to !e enhanced in

proportion as truth decreases and illusion increases, so that the highest degree of

illusion co"es to !e the highest degree of sacredness.

#euer!ach, Preface to the second edition of $he %ssence of Christianity

1.

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&n societies where "odern conditions of production pre'ail, all of life presents itself

as an i""ense accu"ulation of spectacles. %'erything that was directly li'ed has

"o'ed away into a representation.

.

$he i"ages detached fro" e'ery aspect of life fuse in a co""on strea" in which the

unity of this life can no longer !e reesta!lished. eality considered partially unfolds,

in its own general unity, as a pseudo*world apart, an o!+ect of "ere conte"plation.

$he specialiation of i"ages of the world is co"pleted in the world of the autono"ous

i"age, where the liar has lied to hi"self. $he spectacle in general, as the concretein'ersion of life, is the autono"ous "o'e"ent of the non*li'ing.

-.

$he spectacle presents itself si"ultaneously as all of society, as part of society, and

as instru"ent of unification. s a part of society it is specifically the sector whichconcentrates all gaing and all consciousness. /ue to the 'ery fact that this sector is

separate, it is the co""on ground of the decei'ed gae and of false consciousness,

and the unification it achie'es is nothing !ut an official language of generalied

separation.

0.

$he spectacle is not a collection of i"ages, !ut a social relation a"ong people,

"ediated !y i"ages.

.

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$he spectacle cannot !e understood as an a!use of the world of 'ision, as a product

of the techni2ues of "ass disse"ination of i"ages. &t is, rather, a 3eltanschauung

which has !eco"e actual, "aterially translated. &t is a world 'ision which has !eco"e

o!+ectified.

6.

$he spectacle grasped in its totality is !oth the result and the pro+ect of the

e4isting "ode of production. &t is not a supple"ent to the real world, an additional

decoration. &t is the heart of the unrealis" of the real society. &n all its specific

for"s, as infor"ation or propaganda, as ad'ertise"ent or direct entertain"entconsu"ption, the spectacle is the present "odel of socially do"inant life. &t is the

o"nipresent affir"ation of the choice already "ade in production and its corollary

consu"ption. $he spectacle s for" and content are identically the total +ustification

of the e4isting syste" s conditions and goals. $he spectacle is also the per"anent

presence of this +ustification, since it occupies the "ain part of the ti"e li'ed

outside of "odern production.

7.

Separation is itself part of the unity of the world, of the glo!al social pra4is split up

into reality and i"age. $he social practice which the autono"ous spectacle confronts

is also the real totality which contains the spectacle. But the split within this totality

"utilates it to the point of "a5ing the spectacle appear as its goal. $he language of

the spectacle consists of signs of the ruling production, which at the sa"e ti"e are

the ulti"ate goal of this production.

.

ne cannot a!stractly contrast the spectacle to actual social acti'ity8 such a di'ision

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is itself di'ided. $he spectacle which in'erts the real is in fact produced. i'ed

reality is "aterially in'aded !y the conte"plation of the spectacle while

si"ultaneously a!sor!ing the spectacular order, gi'ing it positi'e cohesi'eness.

!+ecti'e reality is present on !oth sides. %'ery notion fi4ed this way has no other

!asis than its passage into the opposite8 reality rises up within the spectacle, and thespectacle is real. $his reciprocal alienation is the essence and the support of the

e4isting society.

9.

&n a world which really is topsy*tur'y, the true is a "o"ent of the false.

1:.

$he concept of spectacle unifies and e4plains a great di'ersity of apparent

pheno"ena. $he di'ersity and the contrasts are appearances of a socially organied

appearance, the general truth of which "ust itself !e recognied. Considered in itsown ter"s, the spectacle is affir"ation of appearance and affir"ation of all hu"an

life, na"ely social life, as "ere appearance. But the criti2ue which reaches the truth

of the spectacle e4poses it as the 'isi!le negation of life, as a negation of life which

has !eco"e 'isi!le.

11.

$o descri!e the spectacle, its for"ation, its functions and the forces which tend to

dissol'e it, one "ust artificially distinguish certain insepara!le ele"ents. 3hen

analying the spectacle one spea5s, to so"e e4tent, the language of the spectacular

itself in the sense that one "o'es through the "ethodological terrain of the 'ery

society which e4presses itself in the spectacle. But the spectacle is nothing other

than the sense of the total practice of a social*econo"ic for"ation, its use of ti"e.

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&t is the historical "o'e"ent in which we are caught.

1.

$he spectacle presents itself as so"ething enor"ously positi'e, indisputa!le and

inaccessi!le. &t says nothing "ore than that which appears is good, that which is

good appears. $he attitude which it de"ands in principle is passi'e acceptance which

in fact it already o!tained !y its "anner of appearing without reply, !y its "onopoly

of appearance.

1-.

$he !asically tautological character of the spectacle flows fro" the si"ple fact that

its "eans are si"ultaneously its ends. &t is the sun which ne'er sets o'er the e"pire

of "odern passi'ity. &t co'ers the entire surface of the world and !athes endlessly in

its own glory.

10.

$he society which rests on "odern industry is not accidentally or superficially

spectacular, it is funda"entally spectaclist. &n the spectacle, which is the i"age of

the ruling econo"y, the goal is nothing, de'elop"ent e'erything. $he spectacle ai"s

at nothing other than itself.

1.

s the indispensa!le decoration of the o!+ects produced today, as the general e4pose

of the rationality of the syste", as the ad'anced econo"ic sector which directly

shapes a growing "ultitude of i"age*o!+ects, the spectacle is the "ain production of

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present*day society.

16.

$he spectacle su!+ugates li'ing "en to itself to the e4tent that the econo"y has

totally su!+ugated the". &t is no "ore than the econo"y de'eloping for itself. &t is

the true reflection of the production of things, and the false o!+ectification of the

producers.

17.

$he first phase of the do"ination of the econo"y o'er social life !rought into the

definition of all hu"an realiation the o!'ious degradation of !eing into ha'

ing. $he present phase of total occupation of social life !y the accu"ulated results of

the econo"y leads to a generalied sliding of ha'ing into appearing, fro" which all

actual ha'ing "ust draw its i""ediate prestige and its ulti"ate function. t the

sa"e ti"e all indi'idual reality has !eco"e social reality directly dependent on social

power and shaped !y it. &t is allowed to appear only to the e4tent that it is not.

1.

3here the real world changes into si"ple i"ages, the si"ple i"ages !eco"e real

!eings and effecti'e "oti'ations of hypnotic !eha'ior. $he spectacle, as a tendency

to "a5e one see the world !y "eans of 'arious specialied "ediations (it can no

longer !e grasped directly), naturally finds 'ision to !e the pri'ileged hu"an sense

which the sense of touch was for other epochs; the "ost a!stract, the "ost

"ystifia!le sense corresponds to the generalied a!straction of present*day society.

But the spectacle is not identifia!le with "ere gaing, e'en co"!ined with hearing. &t

is that which escapes the acti'ity of "en, that which escapes reconsideration and

correction !y their wor5. &t is the opposite of dialogue. 3here'er there is

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independent representation, the spectacle reconstitutes itself.

19.

$he spectacle inherits all the wea5nesses of the 3estern philosophical pro+ect which

undertoo5 to co"prehend acti'ity in ter"s of the categories of seeing; further"ore,

it is !ased on the incessant spread of the precise technical rationality which grew out

of this thought. $he spectacle does not realie philosophy, it philosophies reality.

$he concrete life of e'eryone has !een degraded into a speculati'e uni'erse.

:.

Philosophy, the power of separate thought and the thought of separate power, could

ne'er !y itself supersede theology. $he spectacle is the "aterial reconstruction of

the religious illusion. Spectacular technology has not dispelled the religious clouds

where "en had placed their own powers detached fro" the"sel'es; it has only tied

the" to an earthly !ase. $he "ost earthly life thus !eco"es opa2ue andun!reatha!le. &t no longer pro+ects into the s5y !ut shelters within itself its

a!solute denial, its fallacious paradise. $he spectacle is the technical realiation of

the e4ile of hu"an powers into a !eyond; it is separation perfected within the

interior of "an.

1.

$o the e4tent that necessity is socially drea"ed, the drea" !eco"es necessary. $he

spectacle is the night"are of i"prisoned "odern society which ulti"ately e4presses

nothing "ore than its desire to sleep. $he spectacle is the guardian of sleep.

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.

$he fact that the practical power of "odern society detached itself and !uilt an

independent e"pire in the spectacle can !e e4plained only !y the fact that this

practical power continued to lac5 cohesion and re"ained in contradiction with itself.

-.

$he oldest social specialiation, the specialiation of power, is at the root of the

spectacle. $he spectacle is thus a specialied acti'ity which spea5s for all the others.

&t is the diplo"atic representation of hierarchic society to itself, where all other

e4pression is !anned.


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$he generalied clea'age of the spectacle is insepara!le fro" the "odern State,

na"ely fro" the general for" of clea'age within society, the product of the di'ision

of social la!or and the organ of class do"ination.

.

Separation is the alpha and o"ega of the spectacle. $he institutionaliation of the

social di'ision of la!or, the for"ation of classes, had gi'en rise to a first sacred

conte"plation, the "ythical order with which e'ery power shrouds itself fro" the

!eginning. $he sacred has +ustified the cos"ic and ontological order which

corresponded to the interests of the "asters; it has e4plained and e"!ellished thatwhich society could not do. $hus all separate power has !een spectacular, !ut the

adherence of all to an i""o!ile i"age only signified the co""on acceptance of an

i"aginary prolongation of the po'erty of real social acti'ity, still largely felt as a

unitary condition. $he "odern spectacle, on the contrary, e4presses what society can

do, !ut in this e4pression the per"itted is a!solutely opposed to the possi!le. $he

spectacle is the preser'ation of unconsciousness within the practical change of the

conditions of e4istence. &t is its own product, and it has "ade its own rules8 it is a

pseudo*sacred entity. &t shows what it is8 separate power de'eloping in itself, in the

growth of producti'ity !y "eans of the incessant refine"ent of the di'ision of la!or

into a parcelliation of gestures which are then do"inated !y the independent

"o'e"ent of "achines; and wor5ing for an e'er*e4panding "ar5et. ll co""unity and

all critical sense are dissol'ed during this "o'e"ent in which the forces that could

grow !y separating are not yet reunited.

6.

3ith the generalied separation of the wor5er and his products, e'ery unitary 'iew

of acco"plished acti'ity and all direct personal co""unication a"ong producers are

lost. cco"panying the progress of accu"ulation of separate products and the

concentration of the producti'e process, unity and co""unication !eco"e the

e4clusi'e attri!ute of the syste" s "anage"ent. $he success of the econo"ic syste"

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of separation is the proletarianiation of the world.

7.

/ue to the success of separate production as production of the separate, the

funda"ental e4perience which in pri"iti'e societies is attached to a central tas5 is in

the process of !eing displaced, at the crest of the syste" s de'elop"ent. !y non*

wor5, !y inacti'ity. But this inacti'ity is in no way li!erated fro" producti'e acti'ity8

it depends on producti'e acti'ity and is an uneasy and ad"iring su!"ission to the

necessities and results of production; it is itself a product of its rationality. $here

can !e no freedo" outside of acti'ity, and in the conte4t of the spectacle all acti'ityis negated. +ust as real acti'ity has !een captured in its entirety for the glo!al

construction of this result. $hus the present li!eration fro" la!or, the increase of

leisure, is in no way a li!eration within la!or, nor a li!eration fro" the world shaped

!y this la!or. one of the acti'ity lost in la!or can !e regained in the su!"ission to

its result.

.

$he econo"ic syste" founded on isolation is a circular production of isolation. $he

technology is !ased on isolation, and the technical process isolates in turn. #ro" the

auto"o!ile to tele'ision, all the goods selected !y the spectacular syste" are also its

weapons for a constant reinforce"ent of the conditions of isolation of lonely crowds.

$he spectacle constantly redisco'ers its own assu"ptions "ore concretely.

9.

$he spectacle originates in the loss of the unity of the world, and the gigantic

e4pansion of the "odern spectacle e4presses the totality of this loss8 the

a!straction of all specific la!or and the general a!straction of the entirety of

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production are perfectly rendered in the spectacle, whose "ode of !eing concrete is

precisely a!straction. &n the spectacle, one part of the world represents itself to the

world and is superior to it. $he spectacle is nothing "ore than the co""on language

of this separation. 3hat !inds the spectators together is no "ore than an

irre'ersi!le relation at the 'ery center which "aintains their isolation. $he spectaclereunites the separate, !ut reunites it as separate.

-:.

$he alienation of the spectator to the profit of the conte"plated o!+ect (which is

the result of his own unconscious acti'ity) is e4pressed in the following way8 the "orehe conte"plates the less he li'es; the "ore he accepts recogniing hi"self in the

do"inant i"ages of need, the less he understands his own e4istence and his own

desires. $he e4ternality of the spectacle in relation to the acti'e "an appears in the

fact that his own gestures are no longer his !ut those of another who represents

the" to hi". $his is why the spectator feels at ho"e nowhere, !ecause the spectacle

is e'erywhere.

-1.

$he wor5er does not produce hi"self; he produces an independent power. $he

success of this production, its a!undance, returns to the producer as an a!undance of

dispossession. ll the ti"e and space of his world !eco"e foreign to hi" with the

accu"ulation of his alienated products. $he spectacle is the "ap of this new world, a

"ap which e4actly co'ers its territory. $he 'ery powers which escaped us show

the"sel'es to us in all their force.

-.

$he spectacle within society corresponds to a concrete "anufacture of alienation.

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%cono"ic e4pansion is "ainly the e4pansion of this specific industrial production.

3hat grows with the econo"y in "otion for itself can only !e the 'ery alienation

which was at its origin.

--.

Separated fro" his product, "an hi"self produces all the details of his world with

e'er increasing power, and thus finds hi"self e'er "ore separated fro" his world.

$he "ore his life is now his product, the "ore he is separated fro" his life.

-0.

$he spectacle is capital to such a degree of accu"ulation that it !eco"es an i"age.

Chapter Co""odity as Spectacle

$he co""odity can only !e understood in its undistorted essence when it !eco"esthe uni'ersal category of society as a whole. nly in this conte4t does the reification

produced !y co""odity relations assu"e decisi'e i"portance !oth for the o!+ecti'e

e'olution of society and for the stance adopted !y "en towards it. nly then does

the co""odity !eco"e crucial for the su!+ugation of "en s consciousness to the

for"s in which this reification finds e4pression.... s la!or is progressi'ely

rationalied and "echanied "an s lac5 of will is reinforced !y the way in which his

acti'ity !eco"es less and less acti'e and "ore and "ore conte"plati'e. u5acs,


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things which ha'e !eco"e the e4clusi'e 'alue !y their for"ulation in negati'e of li'ed

'alue, we recognie our old ene"y, the co""odity, who 5nows so well how to see" at

first glance so"ething tri'ial and o!'ious, while on the contrary it is so co"ple4 and

so full of "etaphysical su!tleties.

-6.

$his is the principle of co""odity fetishis", the do"ination of society !y intangi!le

as well as tangi!le things, which reaches its a!solute fulfill"ent in the spectacle,

where the tangi!le world is replaced !y a selection of i"ages which e4ist a!o'e it,

and which si"ultaneously i"pose the"sel'es as the tangi!le par e4cellence.

-7.

$he world at once present and a!sent which the spectacle "a5es 'isi!le is the world

of the co""odity do"inating all that is li'ed. $he world of the co""odity is thus

shown for what it is, !ecause its "o'e"ent is identical to the estrange"ent of "ena"ong the"sel'es and in relation to their glo!al product.

-.

$he loss of 2uality so e'ident at all le'els of spectacular language, fro" the o!+ects it

praises to the !eha'ior it regulates, "erely translates the funda"ental traits of thereal production which !rushes reality aside8 the co""odity*for" is through and

through e2ual to itself, the category of the 2uantitati'e. $he 2uantitati'e is what the

co""odity*for" de'elops, and it can de'elop only within the 2uantitati'e.

-9.

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$his de'elop"ent which e4cludes the 2ualitati'e is itself, as de'elop"ent, su!+ect to

2ualitati'e change8 the spectacle indicates that it has crossed the threshold of its

own a!undance; this is as yet true only locally at so"e points, !ut is already true on

the uni'ersal scale which is the original conte4t of the co""odity, a conte4t which

its practical "o'e"ent, enco"passing the %arth as a world "ar5et, has 'erified.

0:.

$he de'elop"ent of producti'e forces has !een the real unconscious history which

!uilt and "odified the conditions of e4istence of hu"an groups as conditions of

sur'i'al, and e4tended those conditions8 the econo"ic !asis of all their underta5ings.&n a pri"iti'e econo"y, the co""odity sector represented a surplus of sur'i'al. $he

production of co""odities, which i"plies the e4change of 'aried products a"ong

independent producers, could for a long ti"e re"ain craft production, contained

within a "arginal econo"ic function where its 2uantitati'e truth was still "as5ed.


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01.

$he co""odity s do"ination was at first e4erted o'er the econo"y in an occult

"anner; the econo"y itself, the "aterial !asis of social life, re"ained unpercei'ed

and not understood, li5e the fa"iliar which is not necessarily 5nown. &n a society

where the concrete co""odity is rare or unusual, "oney, apparently do"inant,

presents itself as an e"issary ar"ed with full powers who spea5s in the na"e of an

un5nown force. 3ith the industrial re'olution, the di'ision of la!or in "anufactures,

and "ass production for the world "ar5et, the co""odity appears in fact as a power

which co"es to occupy social life. &t is then that political econo"y ta5es shape, as

the do"inant science and the science of do"ination.

0.

$he spectacle is the "o"ent when the co""odity has attained the total occupation

of social life. ot only is the relation to the co""odity 'isi!le !ut it is all one sees8

the world one sees is its world. =odern econo"ic production e4tends its dictatorship

e4tensi'ely and intensi'ely. &n the least industrialied places, its reign is already

attested !y a few star co""odities and !y the i"perialist do"ination i"posed !y

regions which are ahead in the de'elop"ent of producti'ity. &n the ad'anced regions,

social space is in'aded !y a continuous superi"position of geological layers of

co""odities. t this point in the second industrial re'olution, alienated consu"ption

!eco"es for the "asses a duty supple"entary to alienated production. &t is all the

sold la!or of a society which glo!ally !eco"es the total co""odity for which the

cycle "ust !e continued. #or this to !e done, the total co""odity has to return as afrag"ent to the frag"ented indi'idual, a!solutely separated fro" the producti'e

forces operating as a whole. $hus it is here that the specialied science of do"ination

"ust in turn specialie8 it frag"ents itself into sociology, psychotechnics,

cy!ernetics, se"iology, etc., watching o'er the self*regulation of e'ery le'el of the

process.

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0-.

3hereas in the pri"iti'e phase of capitalist accu"ulation, political econo"y sees in

the proletarian only the wor5er who "ust recei'e the "ini"u" indispensa!le for the

conser'ation of his la!or power, without e'er seeing hi" in his leisure and hu"anity,

these ideas of the ruling class are re'ersed as soon as the production of co""odities

reaches a le'el of a!undance which re2uires a surplus of colla!oration fro" the

wor5er. $his wor5er, suddenly redee"ed fro" the total conte"pt which is clearly

shown hi" !y all the 'arieties of organiation and super'ision of production, finds

hi"self e'ery day, outside of production and in the guise of a consu"er, see"ingly

treated as an adult, with ealous politeness. t this point the hu"anis" of the

co""odity ta5es charge of the wor5er s leisure and hu"anity, si"ply !ecause now

political econo"y can and "ust do"inate these spheres as political econo"y. $hus theperfected denial of "an has ta5en charge of the totality of hu"an e4istence.

00.

$he spectacle is a per"anent opiu" war which ai"s to "a5e people identify goods

with co""odities and satisfaction with sur'i'al that increases according to its ownlaws. But if consu"a!le sur'i'al is so"ething which "ust always increase, this is

!ecause it continues to contain pri'ation. &f there is nothing !eyond increasing

sur'i'al, if there is no point where it "ight stop growing, this is not !ecause it is

!eyond pri'ation, !ut !ecause it is enriched pri'ation.

0.

uto"ation, the "ost ad'anced sector of "odern industry as well as the "odel which

perfectly su"s up its practice, dri'es the co""odity world toward the following

contradiction8 the technical e2uip"ent which o!+ecti'ely eli"inates la!or "ust at the

sa"e ti"e preser'e la!or as a co""odity and as the only source of the co""odity. &f

the social la!or (ti"e) engaged !y the society is not to di"inish !ecause of

auto"ation (or any other less e4tre"e for" of increasing the producti'ity of la!or),

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then new +o!s ha'e to !e created. Ser'ices, the tertiary sector, swell the ran5s of

the ar"y of distri!ution and are a eulogy to the current co""odities; the additional

forces which are "o!ilied +ust happen to !e suita!le for the organiation of

redundant la!or re2uired !y the artificial needs for such co""odities.

06.

%4change 'alue could arise only as an agent of use 'alue, !ut its 'ictory !y "eans of

its own weapons created the conditions for its autono"ous do"ination. =o!iliing all

hu"an use and esta!lishing a "onopoly o'er its satisfaction, e4change 'alue has ended

up !y directing use. $he process of e4change !eca"e identified with all possi!le useand reduced use to the "ercy of e4change. %4change 'alue is the condottiere of use

'alue who ends up waging the war for hi"self.

07.

$he tendency of use 'alue to fall, this constant of capitalist econo"y, de'elops a newfor" of pri'ation within increased sur'i'al8 the new pri'ation is not far re"o'ed fro"

the old penury since it re2uires "ost "en to participate as wage wor5ers in the

endless pursuit of its attain"ent, and since e'eryone 5nows he "ust su!"it or die.

$he reality of this !lac5"ail accounts for the general acceptance of the illusion at

the heart of the consu"ption of "odern co""odities8 use in its "ost i"po'erished

for" (food and lodging) today e4ists only to the e4tent that it is i"prisoned in the

illusory wealth of increased sur'i'al. $he real consu"er !eco"es a consu"er of

illusions. $he co""odity is this factually real illusion, and the spectacle is its general

"anifestation.

0.

&n the in'erted reality of the spectacle, use 'alue (which was i"plicitly contained in

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e4change 'alue) "ust now !e e4plicitly proclai"ed precisely !ecause its factual

reality is eroded !y the o'erde'eloped co""odity econo"y and !ecause counterfeit

life re2uires a pseudo*+ustification.

09.

$he spectacle is the other side of "oney8 it is the general a!stract e2ui'alent of all

co""odities. =oney do"inated society as the representation of general e2ui'alence,

na"ely, of the e4changea!ility of different goods whose uses could not !e co"pared.

$he spectacle is the de'eloped "odern co"ple"ent of "oney where the totality of

the co""odity world appears as a whole, as a general e2ui'alence for what the entire

society can !e and can do. $he spectacle is the "oney which one only loo5s at,

!ecause in the spectacle the totality of use is already e4changed for the totality of

a!stract representation. $he spectacle is not only the ser'ant of pseudo*use, it is

already in itself the pseudo*use of life.

:.

t the "o"ent of econo"ic a!undance, the concentrated result of social la!or

!eco"es 'isi!le and su!+ugates all reality to appearance, which is now its product.

Capital is no longer the in'isi!le center which directs the "ode of production8 its

accu"ulation spreads it all the way to the periphery in the for" of tangi!le o!+ects.

$he entire e4panse of society is its portrait.

1.

$he 'ictory of the autono"ous econo"y "ust at the sa"e ti"e !e its defeat. $he

forces which it has unleashed eli"inate the econo"ic necessity which was the

i""uta!le !asis of earlier societies. 3hen econo"ic necessity is replaced !y the

necessity for !oundless econo"ic de'elop"ent, the satisfaction of pri"ary hu"an

needs is replaced !y an uninterrupted fa!rication of pseudo*needs which are reduced

to the single pseudo*need of "aintaining the reign of the autono"ous econo"y. $he

autono"ous econo"y per"anently !rea5s away fro" funda"ental need to the e4tent

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that it e"erges fro" the social unconscious which un5nowingly depended on it. ll

that is conscious wears out. 3hat is unconscious re"ains unaltera!le. But once freed,

does it not fall to ruins in turn> (#reud).

.

s soon as society disco'ers that it depends on the econo"y, the econo"y, in fact,

depends on society. $his su!terranean force, which grew until it appeared so'ereign,

has lost its power. $hat which was the econo"ic it "ust !eco"e the &. $he su!+ect

can e"erge only fro" society, na"ely fro" the struggle within society. $he su!+ect s

possi!le e4istence depends on the outco"e of the class struggle which shows itselfto !e the product and the producer of the econo"ic foundation of history.

-.

$he consciousness of desire and the desire for consciousness are identically the

pro+ect which, in its negati'e for", see5s the a!olition of classes, the wor5ers directpossession of e'ery aspect of their acti'ity. &ts opposite is the society of the

spectacle, where the co""odity conte"plates itself in a world it has created.

Chapter - ?nity and /i'ision 3ithin ppearance

li'ely new pole"ic a!out the concepts one di'ides into two and two fuse into one

is unfolding on the philosophical front in this country. $his de!ate is a struggle

!etween those who are for and those who are against the "aterialist dialectic, a

struggle !etween two conceptions of the world8 the proletarian conception and the

!ourgeois conception. $hose who "aintain that one di'ides into two is the

funda"ental law of things are on the side of the "aterialist dialectic; those who

"aintain that the funda"ental law of things is that two fuse into one are against the

"aterialist dialectic. $he two sides ha'e drawn a clear line of de"arcation !etween

the", and their argu"ents are dia"etrically opposed. $his pole"ic is a reflection, on

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the ideological le'el, of the acute and co"ple4 class struggle ta5ing place in China and

in the world.

ed #lag, (Pe5ing), 1 Septe"!er 1960

0.

$he spectacle, li5e "odern society, is at once unified and di'ided. i5e society, it

!uilds its unity on the dis+unction. But the contradiction, when it e"erges in the

spectacle, is in turn contradicted !y a re'ersal of its "eaning, so that the

de"onstrated di'ision is unitary, while the de"onstrated unity is di'ided.

.

$he struggle of powers constituted for the "anage"ent of the sa"e socio*econo"ic

syste" is disse"inated as the official contradiction !ut is in fact part of the real

unity on a world scale as well as within e'ery nation.

6.

$he spectacular sha" struggles of ri'al for"s of separate power are at the sa"e

ti"e real in that they translate the une2ual and antagonistic de'elop"ent of the

syste", the relati'ely contradictory interests of classes or su!di'isions of classes

which ac5nowledge the syste" and define the"sel'es as participants within its power.

@ust as the de'elop"ent of the "ost ad'anced econo"y is a clash !etween so"e

priorities and others, the totalitarian "anage"ent of the econo"y !y a State

!ureaucracy and the condition of the countries within the sphere of coloniation or

se"i*coloniation are defined !y specific peculiarities in the 'arieties of production

and power. $hese di'erse oppositions can !e passed off in the spectacle as a!solutely

distinct for"s of society (!y "eans of any nu"!er of different criteria). But in

actual fact, the truth of the uni2ueness of all these specific sectors resides in the

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uni'ersal syste" that contains the"8 the uni2ue "o'e"ent that "a5es the planet its

field, capitalis".

7.

$he society which carries the spectacle does not do"inate the underde'eloped

regions !y its econo"ic hege"ony alone. &t do"inates the" as the society of the

spectacle. %'en where the "aterial !ase is still a!sent, "odern society has already

in'aded the social surface of each continent !y "eans of the spectacle. &t defines

the progra" of the ruling class and presides o'er its for"ation, +ust as it presents

pseudo*goods to !e co'eted, it offers false "odels of re'olution to localre'olutionaries. $he spectacle of !ureaucratic power, which holds sway o'er so"e

industrial countries, is an integral part of the total spectacle, its general pseudo*

negation and support. $he spectacle displays certain totalitarian specialiations of

co""unication and ad"inistration when 'iewed locally, !ut when 'iewed in ter"s of

the functioning of the entire syste" these specialiations "erge in a world di'ision of

spectacular tas5s.

.

$he di'ision of spectacular tas5s preser'es the entirety of the e4isting order and

especially the do"inant pole of its de'elop"ent. $he root of the spectacle is within

the a!undant econo"y the source of the fruits which ulti"ately ta5e o'er the

spectacular "ar5et despite the ideological*police protectionist !arriers of local

spectacles aspiring to autarchy.

9.

?nder the shi""ering di'ersions of the spectacle, !analiation do"inates "odern

society the world o'er and at e'ery point where the de'eloped consu"ption of

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co""odities has see"ingly "ultiplied the roles and o!+ects to choose fro". $he

re"ains of religion and of the fa"ily (the principal relic of the heritage of class

power) and the "oral repression they assure, "erge whene'er the en+oy"ent of this

world is affir"ed this world !eing nothing other than repressi'e pseudo*en+oy"ent.

$he s"ug acceptance of what e4ists can also "erge with purely spectacular re!ellion;this reflects the si"ple fact that dissatisfaction itself !eca"e a co""odity as soon

as econo"ic a!undance could e4tend production to the processing of such raw

"aterials.

6:.

$he cele!rity, the spectacular representation of a li'ing hu"an !eing, e"!odies this

!anality !y e"!odying the i"age of a possi!le role. Being a star "eans specialiing in

the see"ingly li'ed; the star is the o!+ect of identification with the shallow see"ing

life that has to co"pensate for the frag"ented producti'e specialiations which are

actually li'ed. Cele!rities e4ist to act out 'arious styles of li'ing and 'iewing society

unfettered, free to e4press the"sel'es glo!ally. $hey e"!ody the inaccessi!le result

of social la!or !y dra"atiing its !y*products "agically pro+ected a!o'e it as its goal8

power and 'acations, decision and consu"ption, which are the !eginning and end of an

undiscussed process. &n one case state power personalies itself as a pseudo*star; in

another a star of consu"ption gets elected as a pseudo*power o'er the li'ed. But +ust

as the acti'ities of the star are not really glo!al, they are not really 'aried.

61.

$he agent of the spectacle placed on stage as a star is the opposite of the indi'idual,

the ene"y of the indi'idual in hi"self as well as in others. Passing into the spectacle

as a "odel for identification, the agent renounces all autono"ous 2ualities in order to

identify hi"self with the general law of o!edience to the course of things. $he

consu"ption cele!rity superficially represents different types of personality and

shows each of these types ha'ing e2ual access to the totality of consu"ption and

finding si"ilar happiness there. $he decision cele!rity "ust possess a co"plete stoc5

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of accepted hu"an 2ualities. fficial differences !etween stars are wiped out !y the

official si"ilarity which is the presupposition of their e4cellence in e'erything.

Ahrushche' !eca"e a general so as to "a5e decisions on the !attle of Aurs5, not on

the spot, !ut at the twentieth anni'ersary, when he was "aster of the State.

Aennedy re"ained an orator e'en to the point of proclai"ing the eulogy o'er his ownto"!, since $heodore Sorenson continued to edit speeches for the successor in the

style which had characteried the personality of the deceased. $he ad"ira!le people

in who" the syste" personifies itself are well 5nown for not !eing what they are;

they !eca"e great "en !y stooping !elow the reality of the s"allest indi'idual life,

and e'eryone 5nows it.

6.

#alse choice in spectacular a!undance, a choice which lies in the +u4taposition of

co"peting and co"pli"entary spectacles and also in the +u4taposition of roles

(signified and carried "ainly !y things) which are at once e4clusi'e and o'erlapping,

de'elops into a struggle of 'aporous 2ualities "eant to sti"ulate loyalty to

2uantitati'e tri'iality. $his resurrects false archaic oppositions, regionalis"s and

racis"s which ser'e to raise the 'ulgar hierarchic ran5s of consu"ption to a

preposterous ontological superiority. &n this way, the endless series of tri'ial

confrontations is set up again. fro" co"petiti'e sports to elections, "o!iliing a su!*

ludic interest. 3here'er there is a!undant consu"ption, a "a+or spectacular

opposition !etween youth and adults co"es to the fore a"ong the false roles false

!ecause the adult, "aster of his life, does not e4ist and !ecause youth, the

transfor"ation of what e4ists, is in no way the property of those who are now young,

!ut of the econo"ic syste", of the dyna"is" of capitalis". $hings rule and are

young; things confront and replace one another.

6-.

3hat hides under the spectacular oppositions is a unity of "isery. Behind the "as5s

of total choice, different for"s of the sa"e alienation confront each other, all of

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the" !uilt on real contradictions which are repressed. $he spectacle e4ists in a

concentrated or a diffuse for" depending on the necessities of the particular stage

of "isery which it denies and supports. &n !oth cases, the spectacle is nothing "ore

than an i"age of happy unification surrounded !y desolation and fear at the tran2uil

center of "isery.

60.

$he concentrated spectacle !elongs essentially to !ureaucratic capitalis", e'en

though it "ay !e i"ported as a techni2ue of state power in "i4ed !ac5ward

econo"ies or, at certain "o"ents of crisis, in ad'anced capitalis". &n fact, !ureaucra

tic property itself is concentrated in such a way that the indi'idual !ureaucrat

relates to the ownership of the glo!al econo"y only through an inter"ediary, the

!ureaucratic co""unity, and only as a "e"!er of this co""unity. =oreo'er, the

production of co""odities, less de'eloped in !ureaucratic capitalis", also ta5es on a

concentrated for"8 the co""odity the !ureaucracy holds on to is the totality of

social la!or, and what it sells !ac5 to society is wholesale sur'i'al. $he dictatorship

of the !ureaucratic econo"y cannot lea'e the e4ploited "asses any significant "arginof choice, since the !ureaucracy itself has to choose e'erything and since any other

e4ternal choice, whether it concern food or "usic, is already a choice to destroy the

!ureaucracy co"pletely. $his dictatorship "ust !e acco"panied !y per"anent

'iolence. $he i"posed i"age of the good en'elops in its spectacle the totality of what

officially e4ists, and is usually concentrated in one "an, who is the guarantee of

totalitarian cohesion. %'eryone "ust "agically identify with this a!solute cele!rity or

disappear. $his cele!rity is "aster of non*consu"ption, and the heroic i"age which

gi'es an accepta!le "eaning to the a!solute e4ploitation that pri"iti'e accu"ulation

accelerated !y terror really is. &f e'ery Chinese "ust learn =ao, and thus !e =ao, it

is !ecause he can !e nothing else. 3here'er the concentrated spectacle rules, so

does the police.

6.

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$he diffuse spectacle acco"panies the a!undance of co""odities, the undistur!ed

de'elop"ent of "odern capitalis".


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lightning speed. style of dress e"erges fro" a fil"; a "againe pro"otes night

spots which launch 'arious clothing fads. @ust when the "ass of co""odities slides

toward puerility, the puerile itself !eco"es a special co""odity; this is epito"ied !y

the gadget. 3e can recognie a "ystical a!andon to the transcendence of the

co""odity in free gifts, such as 5ey chains which are not !ought !ut are included !yad'ertisers with prestigious purchases, or which flow !y e4change in their own

sphere. ne who collects the 5ey chains which ha'e !een "anufactured for collection,

accu"ulates the indulgences of the co""odity, a glorious sign of his real presence

a"ong the faithful. eified "an ad'ertises the proof of his inti"acy with the

co""odity. $he fetishis" of co""odities reaches "o"ents of fer'ent e4altation

si"ilar to the ecstasies of the con'ulsions and "iracles of the old religious fetishis".

$he only use which re"ains here is the funda"ental use of su!"ission.

6.

$he pseudo*need i"posed !y "odern consu"ption clearly cannot !e opposed !y any

genuine need or desire which is not itself shaped !y society and its history. $he

a!undant co""odity stands for the total !reach in the organic de'elop"ent of social

needs. &ts "echanical accu"ulation li!erates unli"ited artificiality, in the face of

which li'ing desire is helpless. $he cu"ulati'e power of independent artificiality sows

e'erywhere the falsification of social life.

69.

&n the i"age of the society happily unified !y consu"ption, real di'ision is only

suspended until the ne4t non*acco"plish"ent in consu"ption. %'ery single product

represents the hope for a daling shortcut to the pro"ised land of total

consu"ption and is cere"oniously presented as the decisi'e entity. But as with the

diffusion of see"ingly aristocratic first na"es carried !y al"ost all indi'iduals of the

sa"e age, the o!+ects which pro"ise uni2ue powers can !e reco""ended to the

de'otion of the "asses only if they re produced in 2uantities large enough for "ass

consu"ption. product ac2uires prestige when it is placed at the center of social life

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as the re'ealed "ystery of the ulti"ate goal of production. But the o!+ect which was

prestigious in the spectacle !eco"es 'ulgar as soon as it is ta5en ho"e !y its

consu"er and !y all its other consu"ers. &t re'eals its essential po'erty (which

naturally co"es to it fro" the "isery of its production) too late. But !y then another

o!+ect already carries the +ustification of the syste" and de"ands to !eac5nowledged.

7:.

$he fraud of satisfaction e4poses itself !y !eing replaced, !y following the change of

products and of the general conditions of production. $hat which asserted itsdefiniti'e e4cellence with perfect i"pudence ne'ertheless changes, !oth in the

diffuse and the concentrated spectacle, and it is the syste" alone which "ust

continue8 Stalin as well as the out"oded co""odity are denounced precisely !y those

who i"posed the". %'ery new lie of ad'ertising is also an a'owal of the pre'ious lie.

$he fall of e'ery figure with totalitarian power re'eals the illusory co""unity which

had appro'ed hi" unani"ously, and which had !een nothing "ore than an

agglo"eration of solitudes without illusions.

71.

3hat the spectacle offers as eternal is !ased on change and "ust change with its

!ase. $he spectacle is a!solutely dog"atic and at the sa"e ti"e cannot really achie'e

any solid dog"a. othing stops for the spectacle; this condition is natural to it, yet

co"pletely opposed to its inclination.

7.

$he unreal unity proclai"ed !y the spectacle "as5s the class di'ision on which the

real unity of the capitalist "ade of production rests. 3hat o!liges the producers to

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participate in the construction of the world is also what separates the" fro" it.

3hat !rings together "en li!erated fro" their local and national !oundaries is also

what pulls the" apart. 3hat re2uires a "are profound rationality is also what

nourishes the irrationality of hierarchic e4ploitation and repression. 3hat creates

the a!stract power of society creates its concrete unfreedo".

Chapter 0 $he Proletariat as Su!+ect and as epresentation

$he e2ual right of all to the goods and en+oy"ent of this world, the destruction of all

authority, the negation of all "oral restraints these, at !otto", are the raison detre of the =arch 1th insurrection and the charter of the fearso"e organiation

that furnished it with an ar"y.

%n2uete parle"entaire sur l insurrection du 1 "ars

7-.

$he real "o'e"ent which suppresses e4isting conditions rules o'er society fro" the

"o"ent of the !ourgeoisie s 'ictory in the econo"y, and 'isi!ly after the political

translation of this 'ictory. $he de'elop"ent of producti'e forces shatters the old

relations of production and all static order turns to dust. 3hate'er was a!solute

!eco"es historical.

70.

By !eing thrown into history, !y ha'ing to participate in the la!or and struggles which

"a5e up history, "en find the"sel'es o!liged to 'iew their relations in a clear

"anner. $his history has no o!+ect distinct fro" what ta5es place within it, e'en

though the last unconscious "etaphysical 'ision of the historical epoch could loo5 at

the producti'e progression through which history has unfolded as the 'ery o!+ect of

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history. $he su!+ect of history can !e none other than the li'ing producing hi"self,

!eco"ing "aster and possessor of his world which is history, and e4isting as

consciousness of his ga"e.

7.

$he class struggles of the long re'olutionary epoch inaugurated !y the rise of the

!ourgeoisie, de'elop together with the thought of history, the dialectic, the thought

which no longer stops to loo5 for the "eaning of what is, !ut rises to a 5nowledge of

the dissolution of all that is, and in its "o'e"ent dissol'es all separation.

76.


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world only !y renouncing it, since in order to spea5, it "ust presuppose that this total

history to which it has reduced e'erything is already co"plete, and that the only

tri!unal where the +udg"ent of truth could !e gi'en is closed.

77.

3hen the proletariat de"onstrates !y its own e4istence, through acts, that this

thought of history is not forgotten, the e4posure of the conclusion is at the sa"e

ti"e the confir"ation of the "ethod.

7.

$he thought of history can !e sa'ed only !y !eco"ing practical thought; and the

practice of the proletariat as a re'olutionary class cannot !e less than historical

consciousness operating on the totality of its world. ll the theoretical currents of

the re'olutionary wor5ers "o'e"ent grew out of a critical confrontation with


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at that ti"e had already seriously studied econo"ics, if we did not see in this the

product of a relic of the antithetical


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what is in 2uestion is an understanding of struggle, and not of law. 3e 5now only one

science8 the science of history ($he er"an &deology).

.

$he !ourgeois epoch, which wants to gi'e a scientific foundation to history, o'erloo5s

the fact that this a'aila!le science needed a historical foundation along with the

econo"y. &n'ersely, history directly depends on econo"ic 5nowledge only to the

e4tent that it re"ains econo"ic history. $he e4tent to which the 'iewpoint of

scientific o!ser'ation could o'erloo5 the role of history in the econo"y (the glo!al

process which "odifies its own !asic scientific pre"ises) is shown !y the 'anity ofthose socialist calculations which thought they had esta!lished the e4act periodicity

of crises. ow that the constant inter'ention of the State has succeeded in

co"pensating for the effect of tendencies toward crisis, the sa"e type of reasoning

sees in this e2uili!riu" a definiti'e econo"ic har"ony . $he pro+ect of "astering the

econo"y, the pro+ect of appropriating history, if it "ust 5now and a!sor! the science

of society, cannot itself !e scientific. $he re'olutionary 'iewpoint of a "o'e"ent

which thin5s it can do"inate current history !y "eans of scientific 5nowledge

re"ains !ourgeois.

-.

$he utopian currents of socialis", although the"sel'es historically grounded in the

criti2ue of the e4isting social organiation, can rightly !e called utopian to the e4tent

that they re+ect history na"ely the real struggle ta5ing place, as well as the passage

of ti"e !eyond the i""uta!le perfection of their picture of a happy society !ut not

!ecause they re+ect science. n the contrary. the utopian thin5ers are co"pletely

do"inated !y the scientific thought of earlier centuries. $hey sought the co"pletion

of this general rational syste"8 they did not in any way consider the"sel'es disar"ed

prophets, since they !elie'ed in the social power of scientific proof and e'en, in the

case of Saint*Si"onis", in the seiure of power !y science.


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conception of the utopians did not e4tend to the 5nowledge that so"e social groups

ha'e interests in the e4isting situation, forces to "aintain it, and also for"s of false

consciousness corresponding to such positions. $his conception did not e'en reach the

historical reality of the de'elop"ent of science itself, which was oriented largely !y

the social de"and of agents who selected not only what could !e ad"itted, !ut alsowhat could !e studied. $he utopian socialists, re"aining prisoners of the "ode of

e4position of scientific truth, concei'ed this truth in ter"s of its pure a!stract

i"age an i"age which had !een i"posed at a "uch earlier stage of society. s Sorel

o!ser'ed, it is on the "odel of astrono"y that the utopians thought they would

disco'er and de"onstrate the laws of society. $he har"ony en'isaged !y the",

hostile to history, grows out of the atte"pt to apply to society the science least

dependent on history. $his har"ony is introduced with the e4peri"ental innocence of

ewtonianis", and the happy destiny which is constantly postulated plays in their

social science a role analogous to the role of inertia in rational (=ateriau4 pour une

theorie du proletariat).

0.

$he deter"inistic*scientific facet in =ar4 s thought was precisely the gap through

which the process of ideologiation penetrated, during his own lifeti"e, into the

theoretical heritage left to the wor5ers "o'e"ent. $he arri'al of the historical

su!+ect continues to !e postponed, and it is econo"ics, the historical science par

e4cellence, which tends increasingly to guarantee the necessity of its own future

negation. But what is pushed out of the field of theoretical 'ision in this "anner is

re'olutionary practice, the only truth of this negation. 3hat !eco"es i"portant is to

study econo"ic de'elop"ent with patience, and to continue to accept suffering with a


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do"inant thought and !eca"e precise in the for" of criti2ues of particular

disciplines, principally the criti2ue of the funda"ental science of !ourgeois society,

political econo"y. &t is this "utilation, later accepted as definiti'e, which has

constituted "ar4is".

.

$he wea5ness of =ar4 s theory is naturally the wea5ness of the re'olutionary

struggle of the proletariat of his ti"e. $he wor5ing class did not set off the

per"anent re'olution in the er"any of 10; the Co""une was defeated in isolation.

e'olutionary theory thus could not yet achie'e its own total e4istence. $he fact that=ar4 was reduced to defending and clarifying it with cloistered, scholarly wor5, in

the British =useu", caused a loss in the theory itself. $he scientific +ustifications

=ar4 ela!orated a!out the future de'elop"ent of the wor5ing class and the

organiational practice that went with the" !eca"e o!stacles to proletarian

consciousness at a later stage.

6.

ll the theoretical insufficiencies of content as well as for" of e4position of the

scientific defense of proletarian re'olution can !e traced to the identification of the

proletariat with the !ourgeoisie fro" the standpoint of the re'olutionary seiure of

power.

7.

By grounding the proof of the scientific 'alidity of proletarian power on repeated

past atte"pts, =ar4 o!scured his historical thought, fro" the =anifesto on, and was

forced to support a linear i"age of the de'elop"ent of "odes of production !rought

on !y class struggles which end, each ti"e, with a re'olutionary transfor"ation of

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the entire society or with "utual destruction of the classes in struggle. But in the

o!ser'a!le reality of history, as =ar4 pointed out elsewhere, the siatic "ode of

production preser'ed its i""o!ility in spite of all class confrontations, +ust as the

serf uprisings ne'er defeated the landlords, nor the sla'e re'olts of nti2uity the

free "en. $he linear sche"a loses sight of the fact that the !ourgeoisie is the onlyre'olutionary class that e'er won; at the sa"e ti"e it is the only class for which the

de'elop"ent of the econo"y was the cause and the conse2uence of its ta5ing hold of

society. $he sa"e si"plification led =ar4 to neglect the econo"ic role of the State

in the "anage"ent of a class society. &f the rising !ourgeoisie see"ed to li!erate the

econo"y fro" the State, this too5 place only to the e4tent that the for"er State

was an instru"ent of class oppression in a static econo"y. $he !ourgeoisie de'eloped

its autono"ous econo"ic power in the "edie'al period of the wea5ening of the State,

at the "o"ent of feudal frag"entation of !alanced powers. But the "odern State

which, through =ercantilis", !egan to support the de'elop"ent of the !ourgeoisie,

and which finally !eca"e its State at the ti"e of laisser faire, laisser passer, was to

re'eal later that it was endowed with the central power of calculated "anage"ent of

the econo"ic process. 3ith the concept of Bonapartis", =ar4 was ne'ertheless a!le

to descri!e the shape of the "odern statist !ureaucracy, the fusion of capital and St

ate, the for"ation of a national power of capital o'er la!or, a pu!lic force organied

for social ensla'e"ent, where the !ourgeoisie renounces all historical life which is

not reduced to the econo"ic history of things and would li5e to !e conde"ned to the

sa"e political nothingness as other classes.


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one "as5s the concrete originality of the proletarian pro+ect, which can attain

nothing unless it carries its own !anners and 5nows the i""ensity of its tas5s. $he

!ourgeoisie ca"e to power !ecause it is the class of the de'eloping econo"y. $he

proletariat cannot itself co"e to power e4cept !y !eco"ing the class of

consciousness. $he growth of producti'e forces cannot guarantee such power, e'en!y way of the increasing dispossession which it !rings a!out. @aco!in seiure of

power cannot !e its instru"ent. o ideology can help the proletariat disguise its

partial goals as general goals, !ecause the proletariat cannot preser'e any partial

reality which is really its own.

9.

&f =ar4, in a gi'en period of his participation in the struggle of the proletariat,

e4pected too "uch fro" scientific forecasting, to the point of creating the

intellectual foundation for the illusions of econo"is", it is 5nown that he did not

personally succu"! to those illusions. &n a well*5nown letter of /ece"!er 7, 167,

acco"panying an article where he hi"self criticied Capital, an article which %ngels

would later present to the press as the wor5 of an ad'ersary, =ar4 clearly disclosed

the li"its of his own science8 . . . $he su!+ecti'e tendency of the author (which was

perhaps i"posed on hi" !y his political position and his past), na"ely the "anner in

which he 'iews and presents to others the ulti"ate results of the real "o'e"ent, the

real social process, has no relation to his own actual analysis. $hus =ar4, !y

denouncing the tendentious conclusions of his own o!+ecti'e analysis, and !y the

irony of the perhaps with reference to the e4tra*scientific choices i"posed on hi",

at the sa"e ti"e shows the "ethodological 5ey to the fusion of the two aspects.

9:.

$he fusion of 5nowledge and action "ust !e realied in the historical struggle itself,

in such a way that each of these ter"s guarantees the truth of the other. $he

for"ation of the proletarian class into a su!+ect "eans the organiation of

re'olutionary struggles and the organiation of society at the re'olutionary "o"ent8

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it is then that the practical conditions of consciousness "ust e4ist, conditions in

which the theory of pra4is is confir"ed !y !eco"ing practical theory.


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power, foreseeing the reconstitution of a do"inant !ureaucratic class and the

dictatorship of the "ost 5nowledgea!le, or those who would !e reputed to !e such.

=ar4 thought that the growth of econo"ic contradictions insepara!le fro"

de"ocratic education of the wor5ers would reduce the role of the proletarian State

to a si"ple phase of legaliing the new social relations i"posing the"sel'eso!+ecti'ely, and denounced Ba5unin and his followers for the authoritarianis" of a

conspiratorial elite which deli!erately placed itself a!o'e the &nternational and

for"ulated the e4tra'agant design of i"posing on society the irresponsi!le

dictatorship of those who are "ost re'olutionary, or those who would designate

the"sel'es to !e such. Ba5unin, in fact, recruited followers on the !asis of such a

perspecti'e8 &n'isi!le pilots in the center of the popular stor", we "ust direct it,

not with a 'isi!le power, !ut with the collecti'e dictatorship of all the allies.

dictatorship without !adge, without title, without official right, yet all the "ore

powerful !ecause it will ha'e none of the appearances of power. $hus two ideologies

of the wor5ers re'olution opposed each other, each containing a partially true

criti2ue, !ut losing the unity of the thought of history, and instituting the"sel'es

into ideological authorities. Powerful organiations, li5e er"an Social*/e"ocracy and

the &!erian narchist #ederation faithfully ser'ed one or the other of these

ideologies; and e'erywhere the result was 'ery different fro" what had !een

desired.

9.

$he strength and the wea5ness of the real anarchist struggle resides in its 'iewing

the goal of proletarian re'olution as i""ediately present (the pretensions of

anarchis" in its indi'idualist 'ariants ha'e always !een laugha!le). #ro" the historical

thought of "odern class struggles collecti'ist anarchis" retains only the conclusion,

and its e4clusi'e insistence on this conclusion is acco"panied !y deli!erate conte"pt

for "ethod. $hus its criti2ue of the political struggle has re"ained a!stract, while its

choice of econo"ic struggle is affir"ed only as a function of the illusion of a

definiti'e solution !rought a!out !y one single !low on this terrain on the day of the

general stri5e or the insurrection. $he anarchists ha'e an ideal to realie. narchis"

re"ains a "erely ideological negation of the State and of classes, na"ely of the

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social conditions of separate ideology. &t is the ideology of pure li!erty which

e2ualies e'erything and dis"isses the 'ery idea of historical e'il. $his 'iewpoint

which fuses all partial desires has gi'en anarchis" the "erit of representing the

re+ection of e4isting conditions in fa'or of the whole of life, and not of a pri'ileged

critical specialiation; !ut this fusion is considered in the a!solute, according toindi'idual caprice, !efore its actual realiation, thus conde"ning anarchis" to an

incoherence too easily seen through. narchis" has "erely to repeat and to replay

the sa"e si"ple, total conclusion in e'ery single struggle, !ecause this first

conclusion was fro" the !eginning identified with the entire outco"e of the

"o'e"ent. $hus Ba5unin could write in 17-, when he left the #ederation @urassiene8

/uring the past nine years, "ore ideas ha'e !een de'eloped within the &nternational

than would !e needed to sa'e the world, if ideas alone could sa'e it, and & challenge

anyone to in'ent a new one. &t is no longer the ti"e for ideas, !ut for facts and acts.

$here is no dou!t that this conception retains an ele"ent of the historical thought of

the proletariat, the certainty that ideas "ust !eco"e practice, !ut it lea'es the

historical terrain !y assu"ing that the ade2uate for"s for this passage to practice

ha'e already !een found and will ne'er change.

9-.

$he anarchists, who distinguish the"sel'es e4plicitly fro" the rest of the wor5ers

"o'e"ent !y their ideological con'iction, reproduce this separation of co"petences

a"ong the"sel'es; they pro'ide a terrain fa'ora!le to infor"al do"ination o'er all

anarchist organiations !y propagandists and defenders of their ideology, specialists

who are in general "ore "ediocre the "ore their intellectual acti'ity consists of the

repetition of certain definiti'e truths. &deological respect for unani"ity of decision

has on the whole !een fa'ora!le to the uncontrolled authority, within the

organiation itself, of specialists in freedo"; and re'olutionary anarchis" e4pects

the sa"e type of unani"ity fro" the li!erated population, o!tained !y the sa"e

"eans. #urther"ore, the refusal to ta5e into account the opposition !etween the

conditions of a "inority grouped in the present struggle and of a society of free

indi'iduals, has nourished a per"anent separation a"ong anarchists at the "o"ent of

co""on decision, as is shown !y an infinity of anarchist insurrections in Spain,

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confined and destroyed on a local le'el.

90.

$he illusion entertained "ore or less e4plicitly !y genuine anarchis" is the per"anent

i""inence of an instantaneously acco"plished re'olution which will pro'e the truth of

the ideology and of the "ode of practical organiation deri'ed fro" the ideology. &n

19-6, anarchis" in fact led a social re'olution, the "ost ad'anced "odel of

proletarian power in all ti"e. &n this conte4t it should !e noted that the signal for a

general insurrection had !een i"posed !y a pronuncia"iento of the ar"y.

#urther"ore, to the e4tent that this re'olution was not co"pleted during the firstdays (!ecause of the e4istence of #ranco s power in half the country, strongly

supported fro" a!road while the rest of the international proletarian "o'e"ent was

already defeated, and !ecause of re"ains of !ourgeois forces or other statist

wor5ers parties within the ca"p of the epu!lic) the organied anarchist "o'e"ent

showed itself una!le to e4tend the de"i*'ictories of the re'olution, or e'en to

defend the". &ts 5nown leaders !eca"e "inisters and hostages of the !ourgeois

State which destroyed the re'olution only to lose the ci'il war.

9.

$he orthodo4 =ar4is" of the Second &nternational is the scientific ideology of the

socialist re'olution8 it identifies its whole truth with o!+ecti'e processes in the

econo"y and with the progress of a recognition of this necessity !y the wor5ing class

educated !y the organiation. $his ideology redisco'ers the confidence in pedagogical

de"onstration which had characteried utopian socialis", !ut "i4es it with a

conte"plati'e reference to the course of history8 this attitude has lost as "uch of

the


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thing to recognie a necessity, and it is 2uite another thing to put oneself at the

ser'ice of this necessity (#inan5apital). $hose who failed to recognie that for

=ar4 and for the re'olutionary proletariat the unitary thought of history was in no

way distinct fro" the practical attitude to !e adopted, regularly !eca"e 'icti"s of

the practice they adopted.

96.

$he ideology of the social*de"ocratic organiation ga'e power to professors who

educated the wor5ing class, and the for" of organiation which was adopted was the

for" "ost suita!le for this passi'e apprenticeship. $he participation of socialists ofthe Second &nternational in political and econo"ic struggles was ad"ittedly concrete

!ut profoundly uncritical. &t was conducted in the na"e of re'olutionary illusion !y

"eans of an o!'iously refor"ist practice. $he re'olutionary ideology was to !e

shattered !y the 'ery success of those who held it. $he separate position of the

"o'e"ent s deputies and +ournalists attracted the already recruited !ourgeois

intellectuals toward a !ourgeois "ode of life. %'en those who had !een recruited

fro" the struggles of industrial wor5ers and who were the"sel'es wor5ers, were

transfor"ed !y the union !ureaucracy into !ro5ers of la!or power who sold la!or as a

co""odity, for a +ust price. &f their acti'ity was to retain so"e appearance of !eing

re'olutionary, capitalis" would ha'e had to !e con'eniently una!le to support

econo"ically this refor"is" which it tolerated politically (in the legalistic agitation of

the social*de"ocrats). But such an antagonis", guaranteed !y their science, was

constantly !elied !y history.

97.

Bernstein, the social*de"ocrat furthest fro" political ideology and "ost openly

attached to the "ethodology of !ourgeois science, had the honesty to want to

de"onstrate the reality of this contradiction; the %nglish wor5ers refor"ist

"o'e"ent had also de"onstrated it, !y doing without re'olutionary ideology. But the

contradiction was definiti'ely de"onstrated only !y historical de'elop"ent itself.

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lthough full of illusions in other respects, Bernstein had denied that a crisis of

capitalist production would "iraculously force the hand of socialists who wanted to

inherit the re'olution only !y this legiti"ate rite. $he profound social uphea'al which

arose with the first world war, though fertile with the awa5ening of consciousness,

twice de"onstrated that the social*de"ocratic hierarchy had not educatedre'olutionarily; and had in no way transfor"ed the er"an wor5ers into

theoreticians8 first when the 'ast "a+ority of the party rallied to the i"perialist war;

ne4t when, in defeat, it s2uashed the Sparta5ist re'olutionaries. $he e4*wor5er

%!ert still !elie'ed in sin, since he ad"itted that he hated re'olution li5e sin. $he

sa"e leader showed hi"self a precursor of the socialist representation which soon

after confronted the ussian proletariat as its a!solute ene"y; he e'en for"ulated

e4actly the sa"e progra" for this new alienation8 Socialis" "eans wor5ing a lot .

9.

enin, as a =ar4ist thin5er, was no "ore than a consistent and faithful Aauts5yist

who applied the re'olutionary ideology of orthodo4 =ar4is" to ussian conditions,

conditions unfa'ora!le to the refor"ist practice carried on elsewhere !y the Second

&nternational. &n the ussian conte4t, the e4ternal "anage"ent of the pro

letariat, acting !y "eans of a disciplined clandestine party su!ordinated to

intellectuals transfor"ed into professional re'olutionaries, !eco"es a profession

which refuses to deal with the ruling professions of capitalist society (the Carist

political regi"e !eing in any case una!le to offer such opportunities which are !ased

on an ad'anced stage of !ourgeois power). &t therefore !eca"e the profession of the

a!solute "anage"ent of society.

99.

3ith the war and the collapse of the social*de"ocratic international in the face of

the war, the authoritarian ideological radicalis" of the Bolshe'i5s spread all o'er the

world. $he !loody end of the de"ocratic illusions of the wor5ers "o'e"ent

transfor"ed the entire world into a ussia, and Bolshe'is", reigning o'er the first

re'olutionary !reach !rought on !y this epoch of crisis, offered to proletarians of all

lands its hierarchic and ideological "odel, so that they could spea5 ussian to the

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ruling class. enin did not reproach the =ar4is" of the Second &nternational for

!eing a re'olutionary ideology, !ut for ceasing to !e one.

1::.

$he historical "o"ent when Bolshe'is" triu"phed for itself in ussia and when

social*de"ocracy fought 'ictoriously for the old world "ar5s the inauguration of the

state of affairs which is at the heart of the do"ination of the "odern spectacle8 the

representation of the wor5ing class radically opposes itself to the wor5ing class.

1:1.

&n all pre'ious re'olutions, wrote osa u4e"!urg in ote #ahne of /ece"!er 1,

191, the co"!atants faced each other directly8 class against class, progra" against

progra". &n the present re'olution, the troops protecting the old order do not

inter'ene under the insignia of the ruling class, !ut under the flag of a social*

de"ocratic party. &f the central 2uestion of re'olution had !een posed openly andhonestly8 capitalis" or socialis"> the great "ass of the proletariat would today ha'e

no dou!ts or hesitations. $hus, a few days !efore its destruction, the radical

current of the er"an proletariat disco'ered the secret of the new conditions which

had !een created !y the preceding process (toward which the representation of the

wor5ing class had greatly contri!uted)8 the spectacular organiation of defense of

the e4isting order, the social reign of appearances where no central 2uestion can any

longer !e posed openly and honestly. $he re'olutionary representation of the

proletariat had at this stage !eco"e !oth the "ain factor and the central result of

the general falsification of society.

1:.

$he organiation of the proletariat on the Bolshe'i5 "odel which e"erged fro"

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ussian !ac5wardness and fro" the a!andon"ent of re'olutionary struggle !y the

wor5ers "o'e"ent of ad'anced countries, found in this !ac5wardness all the

conditions which carried this for" of organiation toward the counter*re'olutionary

in'ersion which it unconsciously contained at its source. $he continuing retreat of the

"ass of the %uropean wor5ers "o'e"ent in the face of the


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against his ad'ersaries in that !e supported the solution i"plied !y earlier choices of

a!solute "inority Power8 the de"ocracy which was 5ept fro" peasants !y "eans of

the state would ha'e to !e 5ept fro" wor5ers as well, which led to 5eeping it fro"

co""unist leaders of unions, fro" the entire party, and finally fro" leading party

!ureaucrats. t the $enth Congress, when the Aronstadt So'iet had !een defeated!y ar"s and !uried under calu"ny, enin pronounced against the leftist !ureaucrats

of the 3or5ers pposition the following conclusion (the logic of which Stalin later

e4tended to a co"plete di'ision of the world)8


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the wor5ers party organied according to the !ourgeois "odel of separation which

furnished the hierarchical*statist cadre for this supple"entary edition of a ruling

class. 3hile in one of Stalin s prisons, nton Ciliga o!ser'ed that technical 2uestions

of organiation turned out to !e social 2uestions (enin and the e'olution).

1:.

e'olutionary ideology, the coherence of the separate, of which eninis" represents

the greatest 'oluntaristic atte"pt, super'ising a reality which re+ects it, with

Stalinis" returns to its truth in incoherence. t that paint ideology is no longer a

weapon, !ut a goal. $he lie which is no longer challenged !eco"es lunacy. eality aswell as the goal dissol'e in the totalitarian ideological procla"ation8 all it says is all

there is. $his is a local pri"iti'is" of the spectacle, whose role is ne'ertheless

essential in the de'elop"ent of the world spectacle. $he ideology which is

"aterialied in this conte4t has not econo"ically transfor"ed the world, as has

capitalis" which reached the stage of a!undance; it has "erely transfor"ed

perception !y "eans of the police.

1:6.

$he totalitarian*ideological class in power is the power of a topsy*tur'y world8 the

stranger it is, the "ore it clai"s not to e4ist, and its force ser'es a!o'e all to affir"

its none4istence. &t is "odest only on this point, !ecause its official none4istence

"ust also coincide with the nec plus ultra of historical de'elop"ent which "ust at the

sa"e ti"e !e attri!uted to its infalli!le co""and. %4tended e'erywhere, the

!ureaucracy "ust !e the class in'isi!le to consciousness; as a result all social life

!eco"es insane. $he social organiation of the a!solute lie flows fro" this

funda"ental contradiction.

1:7.

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Stalinis" was the reign of terror within the !ureaucratic class itself. $he terroris"

at the !ase of this class s power "ust also stri5e this class !ecause it possesses no

+uridical guarantee, no recognied e4istence as owning class, which it could e4tend to

e'ery one of its "e"!ers. &ts real property !eing hidden, the !ureaucracy !eca"e

proprietor !y way of false consciousness. #alse consciousness can "aintain itsa!solute power only !y "eans of a!solute terror, where all real "oti'es are ulti"ately

lost. $he "e"!ers of the !ureaucratic class in power ha'e a right of ownership o'er

society only collecti'ely, as participants in a funda"ental lie8 they ha'e to play the

role of the proletariat directing a socialist society; they ha'e to !e actors loyal to a

script of ideological disloyalty. But effecti'e participation in this falsehood re2uires

that it !e recognied as actual participation. o !ureaucrat can support his right to

power indi'idually, since pro'ing that he s a socialist proletarian would "ean

presenting hi"self as the opposite of a !ureaucrat, and pro'ing that he s a

!ureaucrat is i"possi!le since the official truth of the !ureaucracy is that it does

not e4ist. $hus e'ery !ureaucrat depends a!solutely on the central guarantee of the

ideology which recognies the collecti'e participation in its socialist power of all the

!ureaucrats it does not annihilate. &f all the !ureaucrats ta5en together decide

e'erything, the cohesion of their own class can !e assured only !y the concentration

of their terrorist power in a single person. &n this person resides the only practical

truth of falsehood in power8 the indisputa!le per"anence of its constantly ad+usted

frontier. Stalin decides without appeal who is ulti"ately to !e a possessing

!ureaucrat; in other words, who should !e na"ed a proletarian in power and who a

traitor in the pay of the =i5ado or of 3all Street. $he !ureaucratic ato"s find the

co""on essence of their right only in the person of Stalin. Stalin is the world

so'ereign who in this "anner 5nows hi"self as the a!solute person for whose

consciousness there is no higher spirit. $he so'ereign of the world has effecti'e

consciousness of what he is the uni'ersal power of efficacy in the destructi'e'iolence which he e4erts against the Self of his su!+ects, the contrasting others.

@ust as he is the power that defines the terrain of do"ination, he is the power which

ra'ages this terrain.

1:.

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3hen ideology, ha'ing !eco"e a!solute through the possession of a!solute power,

changes fro" partial 5nowledge into totalitarian falsehood, the thought of history is

so perfectly annihilated that history itself, e'en at the le'el of the "ost e"pirical

5nowledge, can no longer e4ist. $he totalitarian !ureaucratic society li'es in a

perpetual present where e'erything that happened e4ists for it only as a placeaccessi!le to its police. $he pro+ect already for"ulated !y apoleon of the ruler

directing the energy of "e"ory has found its total concretiation in a per"anent

"anipulation of the past, not only of "eanings !ut of facts as well. But the price paid

for this e"ancipation fro" all historical reality is the loss of the rational reference

which is indispensa!le to the historical society, capitalis". &t is 5nown how "uch the

scientific application of insane ideology has cost the ussian econo"y, if only through

the i"posture of ysen5o. $he contradiction of the totalitarian !ureaucracy

ad"inistering an industrialied society, caught !etween its need for rationality and

its re+ection of the rational, is one of its "ain deficiencies with regard to nor"al

capitalist de'elop"ent. @ust as the !ureaucracy cannot resol'e the 2uestion of

agriculture the way capitalis" had done, it is ulti"ately inferior to capitalis" in

industrial production, planned fro" the top and !ased on unreality and generalied

falsehood.

1:9.

Between the two world wars, the re'olutionary wor5ers "o'e"ent was annihilated !y

the +oint action of the Stalinist !ureaucracy and of fascist totalitarianis" which had

!orrowed its for" of organiation fro" the totalitarian party tried out in ussia.

#ascis" was an e4tre"ist defense of the !ourgeois econo"y threatened !y crisis and

!y proletarian su!'ersion. #ascis" is a state of siege in capitalist society, !y "eans

of which this society sa'es itself and gi'es itself stop*gap rationaliation !y "a5ing

the State inter'ene "assi'ely in its "anage"ent. But this rationaliation is itself

!urdened !y the i""ense irrationality of its "eans. lthough fascis" rallies to the

defense of the "ain points of !ourgeois ideology which has !eco"e conser'ati'e (the

fa"ily, property, the "oral order, the nation), reuniting the petty*!ourgeoisie and

the une"ployed routed !y crisis or decei'ed !y the i"potence of socialist re'olution,

it is not itself funda"entally ideological. &t presents itself as it is8 a 'iolent

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resurrection of "yth which de"ands participation in a co""unity defined !y archaic

pseudo*'alues8 race, !lood, the leader. #ascis" is technically*e2uipped archais". &ts

deco"posed ersat of "yth is re'i'ed in the spectacular conte4t of the "ost "odern

"eans of conditioning and illusion. $hus it is one of the factors in the for"ation of

the "odern spectacle, and its role in the destruction of the old wor5ers "o'e"ent"a5es it one of the funda"ental forces of present*day society.


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is usually acco"panied !y an indefinitely e4tended freedo" of spectacular false

choices, a pseudo*freedo" which re"ains irreconcila!le with the !ureaucratic

ideology.

111.

t the present "o"ent of its de'elop"ent, the !ureaucracy s title to ideological

property is already collapsing internationally. $he power which esta!lished itself

nationally as a funda"entally internationalist "odel "ust ad"it that it can no longer

pretend to "aintain its false cohesion o'er and a!o'e e'ery national frontier. $he

une2ual econo"ic de'elop"ent of so"e !ureaucracies with co"peting interests, whosucceeded in ac2uiring their socialis" !eyond the single country, has led to the

pu!lic and total confrontation !etween the ussian lie and the Chinese lie. #ro" this

point on, e'ery !ureaucracy in power, or e'ery totalitarian party which is a candidate

to the power left !ehind !y the Stalinist period in so"e national wor5ing classes,

"ust follow its own path. $he glo!al deco"position of the alliance of !ureaucratic

"ystification is further aggra'ated !y "anifestations of internal negation which

!egan to !e 'isi!le to the world with the %ast Berlin wor5ers re'olt, opposing the

!ureaucrats with the de"and for a go'ern"ent of steel wor5ers, "anifestations

which already once led all the way to the power of wor5ers councils in


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organiation of ideology stu!!ornly sur'i'es the e4perience of all its results. s, see5

the e2uili!riu" point of a co"pro"ise in order to fuse with a wea5 national

!ourgeoisie, as in lgeria at the !eginning of its war of independence. #inally, in the

for"er colonies of !lac5 frica which re"ain openly tied to the "erican and

%uropean !ourgeoisie, a !ourgeoisie constitutes itself (usually on the !asis of thepower of traditional tri!al chiefs) !y seiing the State. $hese countries, where

foreign i"perialis" re"ains the real "aster of the econo"y, enter a stage where the

co"pradores ha'e gotten an indigenous State as co"pensation for their sale of

indigenous products, a State which is independent in the face of the local "asses !ut

not in the face of i"perialis". $his is an artificial !ourgeoisie which is not a!le to

accu"ulate, !ut which si"ply s2uanders the share of surplus 'alue fro" local la!or

which reaches it as well as the foreign su!sidies fro" the States or "onopolies which

protect it. Because of the o!'ious incapacity of these !ourgeois classes to fulfill the

nor"al econo"ic function of a !ourgeoisie, each of the" faces a su!'ersion !ased on

the !ureaucratic "odel, "ore or less adapted to local peculiarities, and eager to seie

the heritage of this !ourgeoisie. But the 'ery success of a !ureaucracy in its

funda"ental pro+ect of industrialiation necessarily contains the perspecti'e of its

historical defeat8 !y accu"ulating capital it accu"ulates a proletariat and thus

creates its own negation in a country where it did not yet e4ist.

110.

&n this co"ple4 and terri!le de'elop"ent which has carried the epoch of class

struggles toward new conditions, the proletariat of the industrial countries has

co"pletely lost the affir"ation of its autono"ous perspecti'e and also, in t

the society of the spectacle and comments on the society of the spectacle

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