Media, Culture and Critique: Future Imperfect – serie

This book presents a polemical account of the historical development of the neoliberal imagination. Inspired by the thought of Frederic Jameson, Bernard Stiegler, and Timothy Morton, it argues that the evolution of virtual and information technologies has transformed the ideological imaginary of capitalism. Owing to the inseparability of the process of commodification from developments in the sphere of media technology – particularly the rise of the digital networks through which information is processed and disseminated – the aesthetic forms of the neoliberal imaginary are not external to the accelerated productivity and adaptability of human beings. Rather, they are essential both to the vision of progress that informs the technoscientific organization of capitalist society and to the practical formation of ‘the self’ that takes place within its networks. A snapshot of the evolving ‘world picture’ that is formed in the neoliberal imagination as articulated in its particular regime of capitalization, The Neoliberal Imagination will appeal to scholars of social theory and social philosophy with interests in neoliberalism.

Between Habit and Thought in New TV Serial Drama: Serial Connections is a consideration of some of the key examples of serial television drama available via transnational streaming platforms in recent times. Through the individual works examined, the book exemplifies the ways in which aesthetics, technology, and capitalism weave a complex social fabric around the production of the respective television series, thus presenting this type of serial drama as a finely engineered cultural production. Taking Bernard Stiegler’s notion of an "image warfare" as its starting point, the author critically investigates the strategies deployed by the shows’ producers to navigate this dynamic, shaped by the "new spirit of capitalism". With creativity intrinsic to the process, on the one hand, and a highly efficient drive for capturing and fixing attention driven by algorithm and economic logic, on the other, the author maps the processes at work in the production of high-value serial drama and considers how, despite this tension, they manage to present meaningful insights into the experience of being in this world: A world shaped by trauma, a desire for justice, and a search for systems of belief that can offer a way through the vicissitudes of contemporary life. Framed by a detailed analysis of the multiple processes that shape these works is a sustained analysis of the serials Mr Robot, Billions, The Leftovers, Rectify, and Westworld, and the dynamics of despair and hope that ripple through them. As such, it will appeal to readers of film and television studies, cultural theory, and those interested in furthering a critical aesthetics for our time.

This book provides a comprehensive account of the work of Bernard Stiegler, one of the most influential living social and political philosophers of the twenty-first century. Focusing on Stiegler’s thought on hyperindustrial society and the development of technological systems through which the social, economic and political life of human beings has been transformed, the author examines Stiegler’s claim that the human species is ‘originally technological’ and that to understand the evolution of human society, we must first understand the interface between human beings and technology.A study of the reciprocal development of technical instruments and human faculties, that offers a chapter-by-chapter account of how this relationship is played out in the digital, informatic and biotechnological programmes of hyperindustrial society, The Thought of Bernard Stiegler develops Stiegler’s idea of technology as a pharmakon: a network of systems that provoke both existential despair and unprecedented modes of aesthetic, literary and philosophical creativity that can potentially revitalize the political culture of human beings.As such, it will appeal to social and political theorists and philosophers concerned with our postmodern inheritance.

Following Bourdieu, this book seeks ‘to think about politics without thinking politically’, advancing the view that politics as conventionally understood does not take place in a social vacuum, but in the context of a certain topography of society that cannot be reduced to formal spaces (such as a parliament). Engaging with Bourdieu’s theory of fields and focusing specifically on the notion of the ‘political field’, the author analyses from a sociological perspective the functioning of the political field, seeing it not simply as a formal space, but as encompassing a sphere that is increasingly autonomous from others and driven by reasons and motives beyond those conventionally recognised as political. Illustrated with cases from the real political life of different countries, Acting Politics examines the nature of the practices of the agents who inhabit the political field, building a picture of a type of competitive political activity that is fundamentally social and symbolic. A sociological reading of the agents, struggles and forms of the contemporary political field, this book thinks with and against Bourdieu in a broad dialogue with different sociological currents and debates in other disciplines. As such, it will appeal to scholars of politics and sociology with interests in social and political theory and political sociology.

This book presents a polemical account of the historical development of the neoliberal imagination. Inspired by the thought of Frederic Jameson, Bernard Stiegler, and Timothy Morton, it argues that the evolution of virtual and information technologies has transformed the ideological imaginary of capitalism. Owing to the inseparability of the process of commodification from developments in the sphere of media technology – particularly the rise of the digital networks through which information is processed and disseminated – the aesthetic forms of the neoliberal imaginary are not external to the accelerated productivity and adaptability of human beings. Rather, they are essential both to the vision of progress that informs the technoscientific organization of capitalist society and to the practical formation of ‘the self’ that takes place within its networks. A snapshot of the evolving ‘world picture’ that is formed in the neoliberal imagination as articulated in its particular regime of capitalization, The Neoliberal Imagination will appeal to scholars of social theory and social philosophy with interests in neoliberalism.

Following Bourdieu, this book seeks ‘to think about politics without thinking politically’, advancing the view that politics as conventionally understood does not take place in a social vacuum, but in the context of a certain topography of society that cannot be reduced to formal spaces (such as a parliament). Engaging with Bourdieu’s theory of fields and focusing specifically on the notion of the ‘political field’, the author analyses from a sociological perspective the functioning of the political field, seeing it not simply as a formal space, but as encompassing a sphere that is increasingly autonomous from others and driven by reasons and motives beyond those conventionally recognised as political. Illustrated with cases from the real political life of different countries, Acting Politics examines the nature of the practices of the agents who inhabit the political field, building a picture of a type of competitive political activity that is fundamentally social and symbolic. A sociological reading of the agents, struggles and forms of the contemporary political field, this book thinks with and against Bourdieu in a broad dialogue with different sociological currents and debates in other disciplines. As such, it will appeal to scholars of politics and sociology with interests in social and political theory and political sociology.

This book provides a comprehensive account of the work of Bernard Stiegler, one of the most influential living social and political philosophers of the twenty-first century. Focusing on Stiegler’s thought on hyperindustrial society and the development of technological systems through which the social, economic and political life of human beings has been transformed, the author examines Stiegler’s claim that the human species is ‘originally technological’ and that to understand the evolution of human society, we must first understand the interface between human beings and technology.A study of the reciprocal development of technical instruments and human faculties, that offers a chapter-by-chapter account of how this relationship is played out in the digital, informatic and biotechnological programmes of hyperindustrial society, The Thought of Bernard Stiegler develops Stiegler’s idea of technology as a pharmakon: a network of systems that provoke both existential despair and unprecedented modes of aesthetic, literary and philosophical creativity that can potentially revitalize the political culture of human beings.As such, it will appeal to social and political theorists and philosophers concerned with our postmodern inheritance.

Focusing on two concepts that were central to modernism and continue to be important, albeit in different ways, this book explores the nature of the simple and the complex, and the relationship that exists between them. With attention to trends in big data and digital media, society, politics, and culture, and the shift from groups towards networks in social life, it considers how the simple is transformed by the new realities of the internet-powered, global society, and what its role might be in helping us to understand them, both from the point of view of methods in the social sciences and humanities, and in life. Rejecting the positivist idea that the simple remains a static background against which the open-ended complexity of our world continues to expand, the author contends that the growth in complexity is mirrored in the 'relativization of simplicity', a phenomenon that is highlighted by gradual social changes that the era of digital media is now making apparent.Through a series of questions raised by our new digital lives, How Digital Social Life Matters argues for significant changes in how we see the world. Focussing on the relationship between theory and methods, it offers a critical phenomenology of experiences associated with the network society and networked individualism in an era of ‘big data’. It uses an examination of the concept and phenomenon of the simple, unpacking its new dynamics, its new meanings and its new depth, as a way of demonstrating the need for new conceptions of the complex in such contexts as reality, the universe, and the cosmos. As such, it will appeal to social theorists, communication scholars, and philosophers with interests in the fields of relational sociology, digital media, and object-oriented ontology. It also engages more broadly with scholars with a sociologically-informed interest in reimagining the social roles of politics, science, nature, media, globalization, the environment, and social interaction for our new digital era.

Focusing on two concepts that were central to modernism and continue to be important, albeit in different ways, this book explores the nature of the simple and the complex, and the relationship that exists between them. With attention to trends in big data and digital media, society, politics, and culture, and the shift from groups towards networks in social life, it considers how the simple is transformed by the new realities of the internet-powered, global society, and what its role might be in helping us to understand them, both from the point of view of methods in the social sciences and humanities, and in life. Rejecting the positivist idea that the simple remains a static background against which the open-ended complexity of our world continues to expand, the author contends that the growth in complexity is mirrored in the 'relativization of simplicity', a phenomenon that is highlighted by gradual social changes that the era of digital media is now making apparent.Through a series of questions raised by our new digital lives, How Digital Social Life Matters argues for significant changes in how we see the world. Focussing on the relationship between theory and methods, it offers a critical phenomenology of experiences associated with the network society and networked individualism in an era of ‘big data’. It uses an examination of the concept and phenomenon of the simple, unpacking its new dynamics, its new meanings and its new depth, as a way of demonstrating the need for new conceptions of the complex in such contexts as reality, the universe, and the cosmos. As such, it will appeal to social theorists, communication scholars, and philosophers with interests in the fields of relational sociology, digital media, and object-oriented ontology. It also engages more broadly with scholars with a sociologically-informed interest in reimagining the social roles of politics, science, nature, media, globalization, the environment, and social interaction for our new digital era.

Between Habit and Thought in New TV Serial Drama: Serial Connections is a consideration of some of the key examples of serial television drama available via transnational streaming platforms in recent times. Through the individual works examined, the book exemplifies the ways in which aesthetics, technology, and capitalism weave a complex social fabric around the production of the respective television series, thus presenting this type of serial drama as a finely engineered cultural production. Taking Bernard Stiegler’s notion of an "image warfare" as its starting point, the author critically investigates the strategies deployed by the shows’ producers to navigate this dynamic, shaped by the "new spirit of capitalism". With creativity intrinsic to the process, on the one hand, and a highly efficient drive for capturing and fixing attention driven by algorithm and economic logic, on the other, the author maps the processes at work in the production of high-value serial drama and considers how, despite this tension, they manage to present meaningful insights into the experience of being in this world: A world shaped by trauma, a desire for justice, and a search for systems of belief that can offer a way through the vicissitudes of contemporary life. Framed by a detailed analysis of the multiple processes that shape these works is a sustained analysis of the serials Mr Robot, Billions, The Leftovers, Rectify, and Westworld, and the dynamics of despair and hope that ripple through them. As such, it will appeal to readers of film and television studies, cultural theory, and those interested in furthering a critical aesthetics for our time.

This book examines the relation between agitation and social change in the digital context. Focusing on the phenomenon commonly referred to as social media storms, it conceptualizes digitalized agitation, reflecting upon its transformative potential and socio-political effects.Situating its analysis within the occidental context, the book firstly elaborates on the modern sociopolitical uses of agitation, addressing three of its key configurations: revolutionary, totalitarian, and entrepreneurial. Secondly, it focuses on the contemporary applications of agitation, exploring the workings of social media frenzies from the perspective of (a)moral and (re)activist entrepreneurship. Examining the ways in which the increasing mediatization of entrepreneurial agitation established mimetic frenzy as a dominant subjective (pre)disposition of our times, the book draws on a wide range of contemporary examples, from conspiracy theories to online call-outs. It argues that social media frenzies emerge out of the false need to agitate and to be agitated, contending that digital agitation is a source of compensatory intoxication, functioning as today’s opium of the people.This book is of relevance to anyone concerned with social change. It will be of particular use to academics, postgraduates, and advanced undergraduate students working in the areas of Sociology, Media, Cultural Studies, and Politics.

Predicting our future as individuals is central to the role of much emerging technology, from hiring algorithms that predict our professional success (or failure) to biomarkers that predict how long (or short) our healthy (or unhealthy) life will be. Yet, much in Western culture, from scripture to mythology to philosophy, suggests that knowing one’s future may not be in the subject’s best interests and might even lead to disaster. If predicting our future as individuals can be harmful as well as beneficial, why are we so willing to engage in so much prediction, from cradle to grave?This book offers a philosophical answer, reflecting on seminal texts in Western culture to argue that predicting our future renders much of our existence the automated effect of various causes, which, in turn, helps to alleviate the existential burden of autonomously making sense of our lives in a more competitive, demanding, accelerated society. An exploration of our tendency in a technological era to engineer and so rid ourselves of that which has hitherto been our primary reason for being – making life plans for a successful future, while faced with epistemological and ethical uncertainties – Predicted Humans will appeal to scholars of philosophy and social theory with interests in questions of moral responsibility and meaning in an increasingly technological world.

Predicting our future as individuals is central to the role of much emerging technology, from hiring algorithms that predict our professional success (or failure) to biomarkers that predict how long (or short) our healthy (or unhealthy) life will be. Yet, much in Western culture, from scripture to mythology to philosophy, suggests that knowing one’s future may not be in the subject’s best interests and might even lead to disaster. If predicting our future as individuals can be harmful as well as beneficial, why are we so willing to engage in so much prediction, from cradle to grave?This book offers a philosophical answer, reflecting on seminal texts in Western culture to argue that predicting our future renders much of our existence the automated effect of various causes, which, in turn, helps to alleviate the existential burden of autonomously making sense of our lives in a more competitive, demanding, accelerated society. An exploration of our tendency in a technological era to engineer and so rid ourselves of that which has hitherto been our primary reason for being – making life plans for a successful future, while faced with epistemological and ethical uncertainties – Predicted Humans will appeal to scholars of philosophy and social theory with interests in questions of moral responsibility and meaning in an increasingly technological world.

Media Realities is an intellectual intervention into today’s most urgent debates about truth, perception, and power.Including essays by journalists, artists, philosophers, and theorists, this interdisciplinary volume exposes how mass media—old and new—shape not just what we know, but what we believe to be real. From Ukraine to China to Africa, from journalism to art to propaganda, this book asks: Who gets to define reality—and who gets left out?Edited by scholars based in China, it challenges dominant Western portrayals of global politics and gives voice to perspectives too often dismissed or discredited. Contributions from the Global South, China, Germany, and beyond confront a simple truth: we don't all see the same world, and the media don't just reflect society—they perform it. Media Realities is not just a book about media. It is a book about reality itself—and how it is made, sold, and believed.With contributors from across the fields of media, sociology, journalism, philosophy, political theory, and art, this volume will appeal to scholars and upper-level students with interests in the sociology of media and global political dynamics.