Find Me a Self-Determing Idea and I Will Find You a Unicorn
No idea, no worldview, no argument has ever just fallen out of the sky. The material surroundings and social relations of a given epoch play an unfathomable role in shaping the prevailing ideas of that epoch. When one detaches ideas of an epoch from the material conditions of that epoch one presents these notions as universalities,as an obvious common interest, recasting them as ‘common sense’.
We look back at feudalism as an outdated relic of the past, whilst simultaneously looking at capitalism as a natural self evident system. This paradoxical perspective mirrors that of theologians who whilst viewing their religion as being of divine origin, readily dismiss all others as mere human inventions. Just as the divine right of kings during feudal times was seen as an obvious natural order, similarly the social relations under capitalism are framed as an unquestionable eternal way of life.
“It is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence, but their social existence that determines their consciousness.” The same way the foundation is the base a building is constructed on, the mode in which we labour to reproduce our life is the base of the entire social edifice. We see a structure of ideology that is conditioned by the economic basis of society which maintains and in its own way shapes material society. We have a judicial system that legitimises and maintains our current mode of production through private property laws and ‘free’ labour contracts. Everywhere we see forms of culture that serve to regulate and routinise our economic structure; competition is injected all across media and TV, the pursuit of wealth is painted as the fundamental life goal, individualism is spread far and wide with various naive motivational slogans that ignore realities conditions. This has expanded into more crass forms with what we know as ‘hustle culture’ and the sudden growth of these pseudo intellectuals who claim to reveal the truth about society whilst simultaneously reinforcing and validating the status-quo by blaming individuals for being a waged worker rather than acknowledging the real material forces that shape their circumstances.
We all agree everything has a cause, it is no different for culture. The ideas, values, and institutions we see around us aren’t just random; they emerge from and support the material economic base of production. During the medieval times the priests were always on hand to point out the hierarchical social arrangement was due to god and one shall not interfere with god's plan, holding the peasants in check with the most desired promise of life after death. As the economic base of Europe was developing, so did the religious ideas, shifting its stance to fit the new mode of production. Protestantism was born with Martin Luther's 95 theses, a series of arguments challenging the catholic church. Preaching against the absolute monarchy and infallibility of the king and pope. Protestantism developed as the feudal mode of production declined, slavery was now seen as vile and unchristian, serfdom likewise, but wage-slavery was very much acceptable.
Screenprint
Canvas
100 x 150cm
