똑바로 쓴 경제이야기 - 오마이뉴스 시리즈

똑바로 쓴 경제이야기 - 오마이뉴스 시리즈




47화집단 유급, 총선 연기... 최악도 대비해야 한다

[똑경제-우석훈 박사] 추경, 정말 어려운 사람에게 가야
더 강하고 더 빈번해진다'판데믹'이라는 현상에 대해서 생태학이 관심을 가지고 수리 모델을 개발하던 것은 90년대 초중반 정도로 기억한다. 종의 이동과 관련된 모델의 후속 작업 같은 것이었다. 인간의 지역적 이동이 늘어나면서 ...
20.02.26 19:00 ㅣ 우석훈(wasang)

46화중국에도 뒤처진 플랫폼 경제, 그래도 희망은 있다

[똑경제-최배근 건국대 교수] 산업 재편 없이 소득주도성장은 지속 불가능
[1] '함정'에 빠진 세계 경제, 다음 쓰나미에 준비됐나[2] 한국 경제 분기점은 1992년, 그 때 잘 대응했더라면[3] '최순실 사태' 없었어도 보수 재집권 어려웠다[4] 데이터 경제로의 전환, 삼성·현대차의 명운 가른다[5]&n...
20.02.19 08:33 ㅣ 최배근(trustnet)

45화하품 나오는 부동산 공약들, 20대 국회 끝나 다행일 뿐

[똑경제-최은영 한국도시연구소 소장] 마지막까지 이토록 무능하다니
'그' 의원이 생각난 이유 박근혜 정부 때인 2014년 민간택지 분양가상한제를 실질적으로 폐지하도록 '주택법'을 개정할 때도, 건설업체 특혜 종합선물세트였던 '민간임대주택에 관한 특별법(뉴스테이법)'을 2015년 제정...
20.02.06 20:08 ㅣ 최은영(choiey6012)

44화일본인보다 덩치 큰 한국인, 체력은 바닥인 이유

[똑경제-우석훈 박사] 나는 평일에도 수영을 하고 싶다
주중에 수영하려면 강습권을 끊어라?내가 사는 동네는 서울 종로인데, 수영장 가기가 좀 어렵다. 전에는 송파구에 살았는데, 그 때는 지금보다 형편이 훨씬 나았다. 그 지역 민주당 구청장이 다른 건 몰라도 수영장 확보 만큼은 진짜 열심...
20.01.29 19:15 ㅣ 우석훈(wasang)

43화'플랫폼 경제'로 진화 못하면 일본처럼 망한다

[똑경제-최배근 교수] '이익 공유' 체질화 없이는 우리 미래도 없어
한국 경제 어려움의 중심에 제조업 위기가 작용하고 있다는 사실은 많은 사람들이 동의한다. 1단계 제조업 위기의 결과 제조업의 고용 역할이 약화되기 시작했고, 2단계 위기의 결과 생산액의 정체로 이어지고 있다. 3단계 위기는 제조업의 위상(존...
20.01.23 19:48 ㅣ 최배근(trustnet)

42화혁신적 포용국가? 그게 대체 무슨 말입니까?

[똑경제-황세원 LAB2050 연구실장] 실행이 담보되는 국가 비전 세우는 방법
"비전을 세우는 것이 먼저고, 세부적인 계획은 모두 그 뒤를 따라가는 것이다."이런 당연한 소리를 할 필요가 있을까? 있다. 적어도 한국에서는. 특히 정책이 만들어지고 실행되는 과정을 보면 그렇다. 비전이 보이지 않고, 있더라도 모호하거...
20.01.15 12:01 ㅣ 황세원(joonchigirl)

41화투기와의 전쟁... 당장 이것부터 실시하라

[똑경제-최은영 한국도시연구소 소장] 집값 상승 누구 책임인가?
누구를 위한 집값 상승인가새해까지 남은 10초를 거꾸로 세는 사람들의 함성, 보신각 종소리와 함께 시작하는 새해를 사람들은 들뜬 마음으로 맞는다. 하지만 해마다 돌아오는 1월을 살아남은 자의 슬픔으로 맞는 사람들이 있다. 2009년 1월 20...
20.01.09 14:39 ㅣ 최은영(choiey6012)

40화구중궁궐 밀실행정, 촛불 정부도 바뀐게 없다

[똑경제-우석훈] 문재인 정부 후반기, 성공적인 경제정책을 위하여
전임 대통령의 탄핵으로 극도로 혼동스러운 시기에 5월 대선과 함께 문재인 정부가 출발했다. 촛불 정부로 한참 인기가 높던 시절, 많은 사람들이 이 정부가 정책적으로 성공하기를 기원했던 것 같다. 이제 딱 절반을 돌아...
19.12.25 15:26 ㅣ 우석훈(wasang)

39화데이터 경제로의 전환, 삼성·현대차의 명운 가른다

[똑경제-최배근 건국대 교수] 제조업의 위기는 필연적
문재인 정부가 출범할 때 상황은 우리가 살고 있는 마을이 침수되지 않도록 오랫동안 사용해오던 둑이 무너져 물이 범람하며 사람과 살던 집이 물속에 잠기게 된 경우에 비유할 수 있다. 이런 상황에서 정부가 할 일은 무엇인가? 마을이 침수되...
19.12.23 08:20 ㅣ 최배근(trustnet)

38화'최저선' 없는 사회... 공포 속에 사람들이 죽어간다

[똑경제-황세원 LAB2050 연구실장] 하강하는 사람들을 떠받치려면
얼마 전, '가족 살해 후 자살' 사건들을 취재한 신문기자와 얘기 나눌 기회가 있었다. 한 때 '동반자살'이라고 불렸던, 어린 자녀를 포함한 가족들을 먼저 살해하고 스스로 목숨을 끊는 사건이 요즘도 계속 이어진다. '송파 세 모녀 사...
19.12.11 07:54 ㅣ 황세원(joonchigirl)

37화제철 만난 '종부세 폭탄론', 한 번 속지 두 번 속나

[똑경제-최은영 한국도시연구소장] 국민을 무시하는 언론의 행태
'오디오'가 아니고 '전축'이라 불리던 시절, 고장난 LP판을 틀면 판이 튀면서 똑같은 소절이 반복되곤 했다. 다시 소환된 노무현 정부 때의 '종부세 폭탄론'이 언론을 통해 무한 반복되고 있는 것을 보면서, 전축 바늘이 한 곳에 머물며 내던 그 기...
19.12.05 18:13 ㅣ 최은영(choiey6012)

36화차기 총리 인선에 대한 고언

[똑경제-우석훈 교수] 경제의 눈으로 본 총리 인선
요즘 총리 인선에 대한 얘기가 여의도에서는 가장 핫한 얘기인가 보다. 만나는 사람마다 이낙연 총리 후임에 대해서 한 마디씩 한다. 다 각각의 의견과 희망이 섞여 있는 얘기들이다.그러나 누가 총리가 되더라도, 집권 하반기를 향해 가는...
19.11.27 08:56 ㅣ 우석훈(wasang)

35화'최순실 사태' 없었어도 보수 재집권 어려웠다

[똑경제-최배근 건국대 교수] 박근혜 정부에서 막을 내린 박정희 모델
[최배근 칼럼 1] '함정'에 빠진 세계 경제, 다음 쓰나미에 준비됐나[최배근 칼럼 2] 한국 경제 분기점은 1992년, 그 때 잘 대응했더라면 일자리 증가율의 하락 및 노동소득 비중의 하락에 따라 내수 취약성이 구조화되면...
19.11.21 13:49 ㅣ 최배근(trustnet)

34화'워라밸' 외치는 사회, 노동시간 단축보다 중요한 것은?

[똑경제-황세원 LAB2050 연구실장] 그들이 지역으로 내려간 이유
"워라밸이라는 건 저희와는 어울리지 않는 말이에요."언감생심 그런 생각을 어떻게 하겠느냐는 맥락이 아니다. 그런 단계는 이미 지나갔다는, 아니 처음부터 그와 다른 차원의 고민을 하면서 살아왔다는 말이었다.지난 주말, 제주도에서 열...
19.11.13 08:25 ㅣ 황세원(joonchigirl)

33화"집값은 계속 오른다"는 가짜 카산드라들의 예언

[똑경제-최은영] 정확한 분석 없는 자기실현적 주장 불과
문재인 정부 주거정책을 저주하는 그들트로이의 카산드라 공주는 예언의 신 아폴론에게 예언 능력을 받았지만 그의 사랑을 거절해 다른 사람을 설득할 수 있는 능력을 빼앗겼다. '목마를 성안으로 들이면 트로이가 멸망한다'는 그녀...
19.11.06 18:08 ㅣ 최은영(choiey6012)

32화7급 이하 공무원은 '고졸'로 채용하자

[똑경제-우석훈] 고등학교만 졸업해도 잘 살 수 있는 사회 만들어야
대학을 위해서 살아가는 한국인들자본주의 사회에서 대학은 참 정의하기 어려운 기구다. 경제학자 개리 베커는 인간의 범죄는 물론 교육도 이익과 비용이라는 두 가지 기준으로 모두 설명하려고 했다. 인적자본이라는 관점에서 대학은 개인의 ...
19.10.30 18:04 ㅣ 우석훈(wasang)

31화한국 경제 분기점은 1992년, 그 때 잘 대응했더라면

[똑경제-최배근 건국대 교수] 제조업 비중 줄어드는 '탈공업화' 시작된 해
[이전 칼럼] '함정'에 빠진 세계 경제, 다음 쓰나미에 준비됐나 청년에게 미래가 보이지 않는 사회우리에게 몰려오고 있는 쓰나미에 대한 대비를 하려면 최소한 쓰나미가 어디에서 오고 있는지 알아야 한다. 의사가 환자를 치료하...
19.10.23 18:55 ㅣ 최배근(trustnet)

30화장기근속 우대 없는 사회, 단기근속 차별 없는 사회

[똑경제-황세원 LAB2050 연구실장] 청년들에게 '선택할 자유'를 보장하자
"도무지 이해가 안 돼요. 하도 주관이 뚜렷하니까 이제 반대까지는 하지 않지만, 실망감을 숨길 수가 없어서 대하기가 영 껄끄러워요. 대체 왜 편하고 좋은 길을 놔 두고 힘들고 불안정한 길을 가려고 하는 걸까요?"20~30대가 원하는 '좋은 일'...
19.10.16 14:34 ㅣ 황세원(joonchigirl)

29화분양가상한제 발목, 기재부는 아직도 박근혜 정권인가

[똑경제-최은영 한국도시연구소 소장] 주무부처 제쳐놓고 부동산 부양정책
박근혜 정부의 '빚내서 집사라' 정책의 실행자는 최경환 기획재정부 장관이었다. 주거 정책의 주무 부처는 국토교통부지만 기획재정부 장관으로 임명된 그는 '부동산 규제가 한 겨울에 여름옷을 입은 격'이라며 강력...
19.10.10 18:05 ㅣ 최은영(choiey6012)

28화황교안에게 묻고 싶다, 다시 '놀부의 경제학'인가

[똑경제-우석훈] '민부론' 들고나온 그에게 던지는 세가지 질문
꼭 선거 때면 진보 경제 표방하는 한국 보수자유한국당의 황교안 대표가 '민부론'이라는 이름으로 경제 정책에 대한 개괄적인 플랜을 보여주었다. 총선이 가까워지는데, 뭔가 정책적인 대결을 준비하는 일은 좋은 일이다.좀...
19.10.02 13:29 ㅣ 우석훈(wasang)

27화'함정'에 빠진 세계 경제, 다음 쓰나미에 준비됐나

[똑경제-최배근 건국대 교수] 2008년 금융위기 이후 '경제의 좀비화' 심화
지난 수십 년간 경제학 교수로 살아오면서 가장 안타까운 점은 경제적 재난이 닥칠 때 정치권의 무책임 때문에 정보가 부족하거나 판단 능력이 부족한 일반 서민들이 피해를 뒤집어쓴다는 것이다. 바다에서 지진이 발생하면 뒤이어 쓰나미가 몰려온...
19.09.25 14:29 ㅣ 최배근(trustnet)

26화고속도로 수납원들은 왜 톨게이트 위로 올라갔을까

[똑경제-황세원] 기술 변화 따른 일자리 감소 문제에 대한 사회적 해법
"톨게이트 노동자 문제를 어떻게 보세요?"얼마 전, 노동 문제와 관련된 일을 하는 분으로부터 들은 질문이다. 공식적인 자리는 아니었고 담소를 나누는 중이었는데도 그 질문에 즉답을 하기가 조심스러웠다.노동 분야에 경험과 식견이 ...
19.09.18 08:25 ㅣ 황세원(joonchigirl)

25화'상한제' 돌 던지는 사람들, 그땐 옳고 지금은 틀린가

[똑경제-최은영 한국도시연구소 소장] 머뭇거리면 감당 못할 집값 폭등 재앙 올 것
집값 폭등의 제도적 기반 '부동산 3법 개정' 지난 2014년 12월 31일 국회는 박근혜 정부의 이른바 '부동산 3법' 개정안을 통과시켰다. 이때 개정된 <재건축초과이익 환수에 관한 법률>은 재건축사업의 부담금을 3년간 면제...
19.09.11 20:05 ㅣ 최은영(choiey6012)

24화아무도 버리지 않는 사회를 향한 '개문발차'

[똑경제-우석훈] 한국, 기본소득의 최전선
기본소득은 누구에게나 일정 소득을 주자는 아주 간단한 원리 위에 작동되는 정책이다. '음의 소득세'라는 이름으로 닉슨 시절, 경제학자 밀턴 프리드먼의 제안에 의해서 진짜로 시행될 뻔했다.그 시절 논의의 영향으로 알래스카주에서 실...
19.08.22 14:03 ㅣ 우석훈(wasang)

23화제조업 대기업, 좋은 일자리 맞습니까?

[똑경제-황세원] 저성장 사회에서 '좋은 일자리' 만드는 방법
얼마 전 어느 회의에 갔다가 지역 경제단체 실무자에게서 들은 이야기다. 조선업 불황으로 한동안 비어 있던 도크에 일감이 하나 들어왔다. 급히 인력을 채용해야 하는데 조선업 경력이 있는 노동자들은 대부분 지역을 떠난 상황이었다. 원청 ...
19.08.14 08:10 ㅣ 황세원(joonchigirl)

22화최저임금만으론 역부족, '최고임금' 도입할 때다

[똑경제-김유선] 양자 동시 추진해야 소득 불평등 해소 가능
소득불평등이 빠른 속도로 확대되고 있다. 미국에서는 상위 1% 소득이 1980년 11%에서 2014년 20%로 증가했고, 상위 10% 소득이 34%에서 47%로 증가했다. 중간 40% 소득은 46%에서 40%로 감소했고, 하위 50% 소득은 20%에서 13%로 감소했다. 최상위...
19.08.07 07:59 ㅣ 김유선(yoosun)

21화자유무역으로 성공한 한-일, 자유무역 포기할 수 없다

[똑경제-김택환] 문재인 대통령과 아베 총리는 조건없는 대화를
세계화로 인한 자유무역으로 가장 경제적인 이익을 거두고 있는 나라들은 어떤 나라들일까?세계적인 복합미디어기업 베텔스만이 운영하는 베텔스만 재단이 지난해 '세계화 보고서 2018년', 부제로 '누가 세계화로 가장 큰 이익을 거...
19.07.31 10:58 ㅣ 김택환(twkim1127)

20화유승민이 발의한 법, 이 정도도 빨갛게 보이나

[똑경제-우석훈 생각] 19대 이어 20대 국회서도 잠자고 있는 사회적경제기본법
2008년 글로벌 금융위기 이후 전세계는 사회적 경제에 관한 투자를 늘려나가는 중이다. 우리나라에도 관련된 기본법이 19대 국회에 올라갔었다. 당시 여당이었던 새누리당의 원내대표인 유승민이 발의한 것이라서, 당연히 통과되는 줄 알...
19.07.25 15:40 ㅣ 우석훈(wasang)

19화정규직·비정규직이란 말, 이젠 버려야 하는 이유

[똑경제-황세원] '비정규직 정규직화' 관련 갈등의 원인과 문제점
"우리 주위의 모든 일자리 중에서 정규직 일자리는 몇 퍼센트나 될까요?"강의 등 여러 사람들 앞에서 말할 기회가 있을 때마다 이런 질문을 한다. 파트타임, 임시직, 공공부문의 재정 일자리를 다 포함해서 묻는 것이라고 부연설명을...
19.07.17 08:35 ㅣ 황세원(joonchigirl)

18화최저임금 때문에 고용참사? 그 입 다물라

[똑경제-김유선] 최저임금 인상의 임금, 고용, 소득 효과
2020년 최저임금 결정이 오늘 내일 하고 있다. 노동계는 최저임금 1만 원, 다시 말해 1650원(19.8%) 인상을 요구하고 있고, 재계는 거꾸로 8천 원, 즉 350원(4.2%) 삭감을 요구하고 있다. 2020년 최저임금이 노사 양쪽 요구 중 어느 하나를 고스란...
19.07.10 07:51 ㅣ 김유선(yoosun)

17화한일 경제전쟁, 깨어있는 시민이 나서야

[똑경제-김택환] 독일 성모교회의 재건이 한일관계에 던지는 교훈
1945년 2월, 2차 세계대전이 막바지로 치닫고 수많은 피란민들이 독일 드레스덴으로 몰려들기 시작했다. 이들은 대학도시 하이델베르크처럼 폭격이 없을 것이라는 희망을 품었다. 드레스덴은 군사 산업도시가 아니었기 때문이다. 하지만 이들의 기...
19.07.03 10:17 ㅣ 김택환(twkim1127)

16화오죽하면 천하의 김상조가 친 삼성 소리를 들을까

[똑경제-우석훈 생각] 신임 청와대 정책실장에게 보내는 편지
신임 김상조 청와대 정책실장님. 실장님을 형이라고 불러야 할지, 선배라고 불러야 할지, 좀 애매하기는 합니다. 호칭이야 어떻든, 우선 축하드립니다. 장하성 선생님하고는 학교에서 자주 보면서 조그만 토론모임 같은 거라도 하면 ...
19.06.26 08:18 ㅣ 우석훈(wasang)

15화고용위기에 수천억, 그 돈은 다 어디로 갔을까

[똑경제-황세원] 같은 조선소 폐쇄, 스웨덴 말뫼와 전북 군산의 서로 다른 위기 해법
"실직자 한 명 한 명에게 맞춤형 지원을 했지요. 아, 맞춤형(tailored)이라는 말의 뜻을 아시죠?"지난해 10월, 스웨덴 말뫼에서 일마 리팔루 전 시장을 인터뷰하고 있을 때였다. 100년 넘게 도시 경제를 지탱했던 조선업이 붕괴되고 노동자 수...
19.06.19 08:47 ㅣ 황세원(joonchigirl)

14화'소주성' 비판한 박정수 교수와 보수언론의 치명적 오류

[똑경제-김유선] 성장에 못 미치는 임금인상, 문제는 물가통계 아닌 임금통계
노동 문제에 관심을 갖기 시작한지 40여 년이 지났다. 돌이켜보면 노동조합이 가장 잘 나갔을 때가 1990년대 초반이었던 것 같다. 그때는 매년 봄 임금교섭을 '한 해 농사'라 불렀다. 임금교섭 시기만 되면 경총 등 재계에서는 '생산성 오른 만큼만...
19.06.12 08:15 ㅣ 김유선(yoosun)

13화홍준표-유시민 '홍카레오'가 아쉬운 까닭

[똑경제-김택환] 포퓰리즘 4.0 시대, 포털 규제와 공영방송이 해야 할 일
독일을 포함해 유럽에서 '포퓰리즘 4.0'에 대한 비판이 거세다. 신문, 방송, 인터넷을 거쳐 유튜브 등 SNS가 대세를 이루면서 '사실과 진실'보다는 '주장과 선동'이 난무하기 때문이다. 가짜 뉴스도 홍수를 이룬다. 오죽하면 독일은 가짜뉴스를 공...
19.06.05 08:57 ㅣ 김택환(twkim1127)

12화토건예산의 손톱만큼만 작가에 투자해보자

[똑경제-우석훈 생각] 경제 성장 패턴의 새로운 시각
내가 학부에서 경제학 배우던 시절에는 '노동집약형 산업'과 '자본집약형 산업' 정도만 배웠다. 지난 해 노벨경제학상을 받은 폴 로머 등의 내생성장론이 등장하면서 기술, 제도, 지식, 이런 것들이 성장의 주요 요소로 분석되기...
19.05.29 08:01 ㅣ 우석훈(wasang)

11화'복제 도시'에 살 것인가, '원본 도시'를 만들 것인가

[똑경제-황세원] 공공기관 지방 이전 정책의 실효성을 묻다
지난해부터 지방 제조업 일자리에 대한 연구를 위해 전국을 다니고 있다. 그러던 중 깨달은 것 하나가 '복제'의 매커니즘, 그리고 그에 걸리는 시간에 대한 것이다.우선 이 이야기를 꺼내려면 필자가 일간지 기자로 일하던 시절 알게...
19.05.22 12:07 ㅣ 황세원(joonchigirl)

10화우리 노동시장이 경직됐다는 새빨간 거짓말

[똑경제-김유선] 전경련의 주장이 말도 안 되는 까닭
10년 전에는 정부와 재계에서는 입만 열면 '한국의 고용보호수준이 높고, 노동시장이 경직적'이라고 얘기했다. 하지만 요즈음은 그런 얘기 잘 안 한다. 사실이 아님이 분명해졌고, 자칫하면 망신당하기 딱 알맞기 때문이다. 기껏해야 '전체 노동시...
19.05.15 07:58 ㅣ 김유선(yoosun)

9화청년일자리 해결에 올인하라

[똑경제-김택환] '청년 완전고용' 독일에서 배워야 할 것들
"청년이 죽으면 민족이 죽는다."독립운동가로 청년운동에 앞장 선 도산 안창호 선생이 한 말이다. 한 나라에 청년이 얼마나 중요한 지를 잘 표현한 문장이다. 100년 전 이 땅의 청년들 미래는 그야말로 암울했다. 무능한 봉건 왕조는 몰락했고,...
19.05.08 08:18 ㅣ 김택환(twkim1127)

8화2020년 총선, 민주당은 '왜?'에 답해야 한다

[똑경제-우석훈의생각] 더 이상 분노만으로는 안돼... 정책의 실종을 우려함
2020년 4월 5일에 총선이 열린다. 많은 사람들이 늘상 대통령 선거만을 보지만, 정치는 물론이고 사회의 중요한 변화는 총선과 지방선거에서 많이 나온다. 지난 2016년 총선으로 더불어민주당은 제1당이 되었다. 그 흐름을 ...
19.05.02 08:05 ㅣ 우석훈(wasang)

7화첫 직장에서 장기근속? 그럴 수 있는 사회입니까?

[똑경제-황세원] 정부와 기성세대가 낸 정책에 '청년'이 되묻다
정책에는 눈이 있다. 사회 현상을 어떻게 바라보는지에 대한 '관점'이 들어있는 것이다. 최근 현 정부가 내놓은 청년 정책을 보면 바로 그 관점을 볼 수 있다."청년(또는 청소년)은 학교를 졸업한 뒤 최대한 빠르게 '첫 직장'에 들어가서 ...
19.04.24 08:56 ㅣ 황세원(joonchigirl)

6화최저임금이 너무 올랐다고 생각하는 사람들 보시오

[똑경제-김유선] 그들을 위한 이론과 실증분석 맞춤 강의
많은 사람들이 최저임금을 저임금 노동자에게 공정한 임금을 보장하고, 임금불평등을 완화하고, 소득분배구조를 개선하는 바람직한 제도라고 생각한다. 하지만 모든 사람이 그렇게 생각하는 것은 아니다. 고용에 부정적 영향을 미치는 바...
19.04.17 11:24 ㅣ 김유선(yoosun)

5화'오마하의 현인' 워런 버핏의 북한 투자를 기대한다

[똑경제-김택환] 버핏의 북한 투자는 비핵화와 개혁 개방을 앞당길 것
세계 최고 부자 중 한 명인 투자회사 버크셔 해서웨이의 워런 버핏 회장은 저가인 2만 원 짜리 삼성전자의 폴더 폰을 아직 사용하고 있는 것으로 알려지면서 세계적인 화제를 불러 일으켰다. 이는 지난 3월 28일 미국의 경제방송인 CNBC와의 인터뷰...
19.04.10 08:49 ㅣ 김택환(twkim1127)

4화'집 없는 사람' 45%, 고위공직자 쿼터제를 제안함

[똑경제-우석훈의생각] 김의겸 전 대변인과 장관 후보자 사퇴를 바라보며
청와대 대변인이 재건축 건물 매입 문제로 결국 사퇴를 했다. 그 여파로 청문 보고서를 기다리던 장관 두 명이 결국 낙마했다. 나는 이번 사건이 현 정부 출범 이후 최대의 사건이라고 생각한다. 엄청난 불법이 있거나, 돈의 규모가 크기 때문...
19.04.03 12:03 ㅣ 우석훈(wasang)

3화"장래희망? 건물주요" 대답에 어른들이 해야 할 일

[똑경제-황세원] 수천억짜리 청년일자리 대책이 먹히지 않는 진짜 이유
지난해 고등학생 대상으로 '좋은 일의 기준'에 대해 강의한 적이 있었다. 강의 중에 "대한민국에서 월급 200만 원 정도 받는다면 전체 일하는 사람 중에서 중간쯤 되는 것이다"(2017년 임금근로자 중위소득 210만 원, 통계청)라고 설명했더니, 몇몇...
19.03.27 08:40 ㅣ 황세원(joonchigirl)

2화언론이 말하지 않는 최저임금 인상의 진실

[똑경제-김유선] 최저임금인상 2년 효과... 임금 불평등 줄고, 저임금 계층 감소했다
문재인 정부가 출범한지도 꼬박 두 해가 다 되어 간다. 지난 2년 동안 언론에서 두드러진 변화를 꼽으라면, '기승전 최저임금'이란 말이 생길 정도로 하루가 멀다 않고 최저임금 보도가 쏟아진 점일 게다. 그러다보니 2017년 대통령 선...
19.03.20 08:54 ㅣ 김유선(yoosun)

1화토건 이긴 정권 없었다 이제 탈토건 위원회를 만들자

[똑경제-우석훈의 생각] 지역숙원사업, 삭발, 상경투쟁 언제까지 할 셈인가
진보와 보수라고 표현하든, 좌우라고 표현하든, 한국에도 여야 개념이 있고, 정권교체라는 말이 있다. 그리고 정치가 바뀌는 것만큼 경제에도 변화가 있을 것이라고 사람들은 기대를 한다. 지난 주말 종로를 지나가면서 우연히 태...
19.03.13 11:54 ㅣ 우석훈(wasang)

The Ways of the World by David Harvey | Goodreads

The Ways of the World by David Harvey | Goodreads

The Ways of the World

by
David Harvey
4.08 · Rating details · 52 ratings · 13 reviews
David Harvey is one of most famous Marxist intellectuals in the past half century, as well as one of the world's most cited social scientists. Beginning in the early 1970s with his trenchant and still-relevant book Social Justice and the City and through this day, Harvey has written numerous books and dozens of influential essays and articles on topics across issues in politics, culture, economics, and social justice.

In The Ways of the World, Harvey has gathered his most important essays from the past four decades. They form a career-spanning collection that tracks not only the development of Harvey over time as an intellectual, but also a dialectical vision that gradually expanded its reach from the slums of
Baltimore to global environmental degradation to the American imperium. 

While Harvey's coverage is wide-ranging, all of the pieces tackle the core concerns that have always animated his work: 

capitalism past and present, 

social change, freedom, class, imperialism, the city, nature, social justice,
postmodernity, globalization, and the crises that inhere in capitalism.

A career-defining volume, The Ways of the World will stand as a comprehensive work that presents the trajectory of Harvey's lifelong project in full.
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Hardcover, 384 pages

Average rating4.08 ·
Rating details
· 52 ratings · 13 reviews


Feb 08, 2020Grigory rated it it was ok
Shelves: marxism, left, xx-century, xxi-century, imperialism
The book has some interesting insights scattered here and there, but otherwise, it's way too dense.

My opinion is that best David Harvey's books are the ones which have a concrete topic and subject. Because even then they have a lot of general reasoning, digressions and descriptions - just enough I would say. But as vague a topic as "The Ways of the World" just couldn't provide a structure. I would go so far as to say that most essays in the book are as vague as the title itself ...more
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Nov 07, 2020David rated it really liked it
Overview of the world, how the economic works, what’s the problems, and how to fix them.
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Feb 19, 2017Nick Jones rated it really liked it · review of another edition
I did geography throughout secondary school and by the end thoroughly hated it. The ‘physical’ geography, rock and river formations and that sort of stuff, never caught my imagination – so I still walk through the countryside a landscape illiterate; but the ‘human’ geography should have had more potential, but all I remember are statistics for population densities and lists of agricultural products and industries. But, forty years on, I have read a book of essays by a geographer. But I don’t know if I would recognize that many of the essays as geography. A number I would think of as political economy, some are maybe politics, one on the Sacre-Coeur I would think of as history. And I first knew of David Harvey when I was a politics undergraduate and the professor enthusiastically recommended Harvey’s The Limits to Capital as an introduction to Marx’s political economy. And I later read bits of his study of postmodernism which I tend to think of as a cultural phenomenon. But these eleven essays are about space – global and urban – which, I suppose, makes them geography. The important thing, however, is that Harvey does not feel constrained by the confines of academic disciplines – and this is probably because all of his work is unashamedly Marxist: Marxism never keeps to academic departments. Harvey, however, is not slavish to Marx: he is in dialogue with Marx: Marx might be the dominant speaker, but Harvey often says, “Yes, but...” and might disagree or fill in a gap. His contribution to Marxist political economy is placing Marx’s circulation of capital into geographical space. The Ways of the World is an introduction to Harvey’s career, many of the essays looking forward to later book length studies: the early essay on political economics, 'The Geography of Capitalist Accumulation’, looks forward to The Limits on Capital; the essay on the Sacre-Coeur looks towards his later book on Paris, etc. A slight disappointment is that the essay on postmodernism is just a chapter out of his The Condition of Postmodernity and the last essay on the financial crisis is a chapter out of The Enigma of Capital. His later work seems increasingly polemical, but his analysis of the ‘New Imperialism’ of the 21st Century and the recent global financial crisis seem rigorous and sensible to me. Throughout the essays there are a series of constant concerns: urbanisation; the relationship of local political action to global concerns; the relationship of the urban to the global, etc. The Ways of the World is an excellent introduction to Harvey’s work (and introduced me to parts of his thoughts that I had not previously encountered) – and don’t be put off if you find the first three essays heavily theoretical, he becomes more readable as he goes along. (less)
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Sep 15, 2017Muizz Adam rated it really liked it
A good, comprehensive introduction for someone still relatively new to his body of work. Some chapters are dense, but Harvey presents his arguments clearly enough for a layperson to understand. As an architect I found his writing incredibly enlightening, going a long way to explain the modes of production that result in the ongoing construction of built environments. Critical insights with real world relevance, however chilling they may be.
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Feb 13, 2017James rated it liked it
Have to admit I skimmed a lot of this because it was just too dense and dry for an average reader like me. Some interesting insights about physical landscape vs geography infrastructure. Also my first real introduction to some Marxist concepts, most accessible to me here as a critique of capitalism.
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May 04, 2018سامح rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
One of the most important books I have read in my life so far. I consider David Harvey as my personal teacher. I learned alot through his lectures and talks, and this book with it's dense analysis of ranging topics really helped me reshaping my understanding of the world. A must read book. ...more
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Oct 08, 2020Joseph Spuckler rated it really liked it
Shelves: philosophy, political-science
The Ways of the World by David Harvey is a collection of essays on relevant social and economic issues from a Marxist perspective. Harvey is the Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY). A leading social theorist of international standing, he graduated from University of Cambridge with a Ph.D. in Geography in 1961.

First, a few general comments. Marxism is not Soviet communism or Chinese communism. There are many arguments about the Soviet Union, but at no time after Stalin was it more than an authoritarian state. China is the same but with a regulated market. Secondly, Marxism always seems to be written in a technical and philosophical style that makes most political philosophy students long for easier reading like Hegel. I still have difficulty today reading Marxist writings; this book included.

Harvey uses real-world examples and offers criticism to all systems mentioned. Perhaps in a more accurate historical sense, he uses the Paris Riots/Commune of 1871 as an example of a popular people's movement against the government and land use. As a geographer, Harvey examines urbanization and the problems associated with its evolution and development under a (mixed) Capitalist system. Trade is also discussed and the fall of local businesses.

A discussion of beer in Baltimore caught my attention. Baltimore was a one beer town up until 1970 then came regional beers followed by large brewers (Budweiser and Miller). I remember growing up in Cleveland with local beers like P.O.C. and Duke. There were regional beers which were comparable giants -- Stroh’s and Rolling Rock. Now the local beers are dead along with Stroh’s and Rolling Rock is owned by Miller. The cause of the change was market and growth and had nothing to do with the local population. The population did make a choice and outside beers were cheaper because they were brewed on a much larger scale. Is Budweiser better than Duke, or Rolling Rock? Probably not and definitely not the workers at the Duke or Rolling Rock plants. That story was not the main focus of the book but one I clearly related to.

The development and shifts in urban areas are the main topic in the book and also the causes and results of real estate booms and bust cycles. Baltimore and Cleveland were cities mentioned for the housing bust. Although the problem was very serious, it was the “where” that became the issue. Poor people in run down areas do not create a serious problem for others. In fact, Baltimore has more vacated housing than it has homeless. In my own research, I found Bank of America was bulldozing vacant housing and donating the land to the city in Cleveland. The housing bust, however, became an issue when it started affecting the middle class.

This is a book is for serious scholars and graduate-level students in the covered fields. The Ways of the World is a time-consuming read but worth the effort it if you are knowledgeable in the fields. Harvey does not have all the answers and isn’t afraid to admit it. He does make the reader think. Especially think about the endless growth required to keep a capitalist society out of recession. When land resources run low, they are recycled, gentrified, and force people and businesses to move. When products to sell a saturated market are needed we make “new” products. I think a good example of this is (or was) the new phone every two years with wireless plans. Does you phone become obsolete after two years or do you just have to have the latest as a status symbol? China and India are rising and their populations are wanting what the First World already has and in turn, taking in more of the planet's natural resources. Growth will have to end at some point in a world of limited resources. The Way of the World is an interesting examination of the world, currently and historically, and regardless of one’s politics, it brings to the forefront some very important questions.

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May 04, 2017J Earl rated it it was amazing
The Ways of the World is a collection of essays from David Harvey that span his career and presents a wonderful overview of his thought over the past 50 years or so. The rating I am giving is as much for this being an essential selection of his essays in one volume as it an opinion on his actual essays.

To considerably over simplify this collection I will say that these essays present critiques of capitalism, class, justice, globalization and much more through a Marxist lens and a geographical perspective. If you confuse Marxism with communism as presented in various communist states then you may want to brush up on the difference before reading these essays. That said, it can be surprising to realize just how much of capitalism's harm can be viewed through geography. Not physical geography so much but human geography.

These critiques address larger issues through looking at specific events such as strikes, buildings and product displacement. Sometimes looking at the hows and whys behind something requires more than simply understanding the marketplace or supply and demand, it requires understanding what is being changed on the local level and who is being adversely affected by these changes. Harvey does this and presents data to support his assessments and a strong theoretical foundation on which he builds his critiques.

I would recommend this to anyone interested in human geography, Marxist critiques of capitalisms old and new as well as social justice and equality. The read is not one to breeze through but should be readily accessible to any reader who has an interest in the area. Readers who already appreciate Harvey will also like this collection for the simple reason it collects some of his most cited essays into one convenient location.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. (less)
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Jan 23, 2018Matt Bristol rated it really liked it
As a political science and environmental studies graduate, this book served as an amazing opening into Marxist human geography and considering the occupation of the world's physical and philosophical structures by Capital. It's very dense, but worth not rushing through! If you are looking to challenge yourself and think more critically about human geography, this collection of essays is a great place to start. (less)
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Sep 11, 2017Rhys rated it really liked it
A great series of popular essays/chapters from David Harvey.

Though one may have read some of these in the past, the combination of topics and Harvey's added comments make this book interesting in itself.

I particularly liked the chapter on The Nature of Environment and his concept of spatiality.

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May 26, 2017Nishant rated it it was amazing
Shelves: academic-text-book, essay, philosophy, geography, radical, recommended-readings-on-cities
This book, a collection of David Harvey's finest scholarly works, is possibly the best introduction to his ideas and theory. Each essay also includes a short commentary by Harvey himself which briefly contextualizes the main arguments in the main text. (less)
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Aug 05, 2021Melike rated it liked it · review of another edition
Boş vakit okuması yapılacak bir kitap değil. Bakın bunlar yanlış ve düzeltilebilir seçenekler var görmek için güzel olsa da düzeltilecek bir dönemde yaşamayacağının inancını taşıyan ben, biraz sıkıldım okurken. Zaten makalelerin toplaması olduğu için, okuması zevkli diyemiyorum.
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Feb 21, 2016Billy O'Callaghan rated it liked it · review of another edition
David Harvey's latest book, 'The Ways of the World', is an important volume, particularly for readers unfamiliar with his work and ideas, in that it collects eleven key essays, all previous published, from across his long career. Each addresses different facets of urban geography in its broadest sense, giving consideration to inevitable social, environmental, financial, colonial and political evolution.
The opening piece sets the bar, and is essential in helping to explain Harvey's approach to geographical analysis. 'Revolutionary and Counter-Revolutionary Theory in Geography and the Problem of Ghetto Formation' was penned in the aftermath of the 1968 Baltimore riots, when as an Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins University, he undertook a detailed study of the housing conditions that had contributed to the uprising among the black population in the wake of Dr. Martin Luther King's assassination. In search of some perspective, he turned to Marx's 'Capital', and his gathering and analysis of data, coupled with a rigorous interpretation of the facts, earned him admiration among city officials, landlords and financiers, as well as notable plaudits within wider academia. But to ensure that the work would be considered on its own merits and without bias, he deemed it necessary to conceal the Marxist theories which had proven so vital in successfully constructing his case. And encouraged by the resultant reception, he began to immerse himself even deeper in these ideas.
Following on from this essay, he puts such left-leaning explorations front and centre, with 'The Geography of Capitalist Accumulation – a Reconstruction of the Marxian Theory'. In the short commentary addendum (a most helpful feature of the book, and one that, in accompanying each chapter, provides important hindsight considerations as to what has worked and what hasn't), Harvey explains that “The lack of any geographical perspectives in most left theorising and in Marxian political economy in particular was a hot topic in radical geography in the early 1970s” and that “Anarchist tradition... had within it a far more sensitive approach to questions of space, place and environment than mainstream Marxism.” His intention was to assemble the various asides and remarks of Marx on issues such as the production of space and the spatial dimensions of social relations, “to see if they could be synthesised into something more systematic.”
Geography is constantly changing, whether due to the vagaries of nature or the manipulations of mankind. Economics take their toll, as might be exemplified by China's digging itself out of west-inflicted recession by putting 27 million people to work pouring the concrete that will extend its cities. And in one of the book's most readable chapters, 'Monument and Myth', the impact of culture on the subject at hand is demonstrated using the fascinating history of the Sacré-Coeur in Paris.
'The Ways of the World' is a scholarly tome, the dense text reflective of a deep and constantly questioning intellect. But while it resists any kind of casual perusal, the lay reader will, with the necessary determination, find that Harvey's prose style possesses enough clarity to make his ideas accessible if rarely less than thought provoking. He states his aim early on: “to find a framework to understand the processes making and remaking our geography and the consequences thereof for human life and the environment of planet earth.” These collected essays bring him close to achieving that goal. (less)

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Top reviews from the United States

Anne Walker

5.0 out of 5 stars Probably the best overview of his work in book

Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2017

Verified Purchase

Harvey is a legend. Probably the best overview of his work in book.

2 people found this helpful

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David Tonghou

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2017

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Great!

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Earl

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful collection of essays

Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2017

The Ways of the World is a collection of essays from David Harvey that span his career and presents a wonderful overview of his thought over the past 50 years or so. The rating I am giving is as much for this being an essential selection of his essays in one volume as it an opinion on his actual essays.

To considerably over simplify this collection I will say that these essays present critiques of capitalism, class, justice, globalization and much more through a Marxist lens and a geographical perspective. If you confuse Marxism with communism as presented in various communist states then you may want to brush up on the difference before reading these essays. That said, it can be surprising to realize just how much of capitalism's harm can be viewed through geography. Not physical geography so much but human geography.

These critiques address larger issues through looking at specific events such as strikes, buildings and product displacement. Sometimes looking at the hows and whys behind something requires more than simply understanding the marketplace or supply and demand, it requires understanding what is being changed on the local level and who is being adversely affected by these changes. Harvey does this and presents data to support his assessments and a strong theoretical foundation on which he builds his critiques.

I would recommend this to anyone interested in human geography, Marxist critiques of capitalisms old and new as well as social justice and equality. The read is not one to breeze through but should be readily accessible to any reader who has an interest in the area. Readers who already appreciate Harvey will also like this collection for the simple reason it collects some of his most cited essays into one convenient location.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

Read less

12 people found this helpful

==

Top reviews from other countries

David W.

5.0 out of 5 stars I won't pretend I found this easy to understand but I sure as hell enjoyed it

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 11, 2018

Verified Purchase

I won't pretend I found this easy to understand but I sure as hell enjoyed it. Some pages I had to read slowly, multiple times before the full weight of what was being explained to me sunk in (i'm new-ish to this level of analysis) but once it hit home, it was incredible. An amazing and eye opening book.

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Book Review: The Ways of the World by David Harvey

6 comments

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

The Ways of the World offers an intellectual journey through the work of David Harvey over the past five decades, compiling chapters and article excerpts from different periods in his career accompanied by retrospective commentary and insight from Harvey himself. Taken together, this collection serves as an excellent introduction to the theorist’s influential body of thought and makes a convincing call for readers to join the struggle for social justice, writes Erica Frazier.

If you are interested in this book, you may also like to listen to a podcast/video recording of David Harvey in conversation on ‘The Power of Ideas’, recorded at LSE on 10 December 2015. 

The Ways of the World. David Harvey. Profile Books. 2016.

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The Ways of the WorldDavid Harvey’s latest book, The Ways of the World, is a selection of chapter and article excerpts taken from different periods in the geographer/social theorist’s career. It is tempting to describe the book as an academic ‘greatest hits’, because it is a portfolio of an influential figure that also sparks interest in (re-)visiting his previous work. However, there are no ‘throwaway tracks’ here; instead of falling victim to the hodgepodge feeling of some musical collections, there is a strong common theme uniting each element of this book: a Marxian analysis of the systemic inequality created and reinforced through our current political economy, an interpretation that emphasises the dialogue between people and place. Through this collection, Harvey makes a convincing call for readers to join the struggle for social justice.

The book features pieces from the early 1970s on through to Harvey’s current research, and each chapter ends with a commentary from the author. These explain the context in which the bulk of the chapter was originally written, and advances the author’s current thoughts on the subject using the benefit of hindsight. This structure creates a series of nicely self-contained units. The fact that each chapter offers new or unexpected information and perspectives, but can still be read independently, makes the book feel both intellectually rewarding and reader-friendly. Readers will also be drawn in by Harvey’s compelling writing style and the book’s refreshing variety of subjects. It not only offers Harvey’s critical perspectives on political economy, urbanisation and the environment, but also an analysis of contemporary literature and the little-known history behind the construction of a famous Parisian monument.

The book begins with some startling statistics. In recent years, China has seen an almost unimaginable construction boom. The introduction states that from 2011 to 2013, less than three years, the country used well over the amount of concrete poured in the United States throughout the entire twentieth century. Harvey explains that the Chinese economy has largely been reoriented towards debt-fuelled building projects, using this frenzy to introduce his conception of the ways that culture (including the political economy) and the environment shape one another. According to his interpretation, the Chinese government feared the over-accumulation of human capital. Having too many workers and not enough jobs produces a large population of restless people. This danger led the government to undertake construction projects of unprecedented scale, which would re-funnel labour by changing the country’s physical environment. These new surroundings would, in turn, affect the individuals who live there. This general schema conceptualising the interaction between societies and their environment reappears in each subsequent chapter, while remaining closely tied to the book’s thematic focus on exposing exploitation and injustice.

Image Credit: A View From Federal Hill with David Harvey (Daniel Lobo CC BY 2.0)

Chapter Four describes the famous Sacré Cœur Basilica as an attempt by the Catholic hierarchy to expiate France’s sins of secularism and immorality and to discredit the radical revolt of the Parisian Commune. Harvey later explains that, ironically, the site could also have been seen as a memorial to those who died trying to sever the State’s ties to the Church and establish socio-economic equality. Though little doubt remains as to which perspective ultimately prevailed—it is now a religious site—an engaging narrative unfolds as the chapter advances. A complicated series of events led to rebellious and conservative ‘martyrs’ alike meeting their terrestrial fates on the same hallowed heights overlooking the city. The story and its robust historical context are well complemented by contemporary illustrations, photographs and cultural anecdotes. The book demonstrates that Sacré Cœur Basilica is another excellent, and unexpected, example of a society’s exchanges with its environment. However, one of the most surprising portions of the book comes much later in Chapter Eight.

Chapter Eight advances a series of literary critiques offering a variation on the theme of cultural and environmental interaction by specifically posing the question of scale. It is also one of the most personal passages in the book. The chapter forms parallels with Welsh author Raymond Williams’s fictional works to demonstrate the difficulties and contradictions of Harvey’s own experience working with employees at a car plant in Cowley, England, in the late 1980s. It outlines their unsuccessful fight to keep the factory open as well as the way Harvey ultimately made sense of the experience. The processes of globalisation and competition were nearly impossible to counter because the resistance came from one small, local group.

However, Williams’s writing also shows how place plays an important role in shaping a society. Local movements must be constructed to provide solid foundations for the kind of wider social change that could challenge the injustices of global capitalism. Yet models for social transformation cannot be churned out through the same standardised mass production processes used for automobiles. The challenge is to achieve large-scale change that is locally powerful, or conversely, local change which can be successfully adapted to other contexts. This tension between the local and global highlights a very unevenly matched struggle which could leave readers feeling disheartened. Fortunately, Harvey does not remain content with the simple—and often much easier—role of the critic.

In addition to describing his involvement with labour unions and urban development projects, the book also offers ideas for building an effective opposition to the domination of capital and establishing a more just society. The first chapter of the book suggests ways that researchers could build new systems of social theory. Later chapters discuss the potential for new social movements and the mobilisation of marginalised urban populations. Here it is useful to mention that Harvey has also sought to promote social justice through democratising learning. He has a website featuring a series of free videos interpreting Capital by Karl Marx, which could help readers access some portions of this book.

Harvey’s latest book has a wide appeal. It would be particularly useful for those who are unacquainted or only vaguely familiar with the author’s work. The book’s breadth can be used as a starting point for readers to discover Harvey’s extended studies in the subjects most closely aligned to their own work or interests. Moreover, students and scholars from nearly any domain in the social sciences could benefit from how this collection demonstrates the ways in which Marxist theory can be applied to a range of subjects and fields. The book is an excellent introduction to Harvey’s work and personal engagements, and is also simply an enjoyable read.

Erica Frazier is a doctoral student pursuing a joint PhD in political science under the direction of Prof. John Barry at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland and Prof. Karin Fischer with the REMELICE laboratory at the Université d’Orléans, France. Her current research interests include political economy, green and labour politics and political discourses, cultures and movements in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Note: This review gives the views of the author, and not the position of the LSE Review of Books blog, or of the London School of Economics.

About the author

Rose Deller

Posted In: Asia | Britain and Ireland | Economics | Europe and Neighbourhoods | History | Politics | USA and Canada

Tel qu'en lui-meme... — Mallarmé poem in honor of Edgar Allan Poe.

Tel qu'en lui-meme... — Chronicles of Love and Resentment

Tel qu’en lui-meme…

No. 15: Saturday, October 28th, 1995

Tel qu’en Lui-même enfin l’Eternité le change
Le Poëte suscite avec un glaive nu
Son siècle épouvanté de n’avoir pas connu
Que la mort triomphait dans cette voix étrange!

[At last changed by Eternity into himself
The poet arouses with a naked sword
His century terrified not to have known
That death triumphed in that strange voice.]

What do we become after we are dead? Many think this the key religious question. We like to imagine ourselves living in some kind of afterlife, heaven or hell, or, in the hopeful Catholic institution of purgatory, where we can rid ourselves of the sins we are unlikely to have sufficiently purged during our lifetime. We try to imagine what paradise might be like; what enjoyments are available to the blessed? (The torments of hell need little imaginary effort; we’ve already experienced enough of these on earth.)

Yet it isn’t difficult to conceive what will happen to us after we are dead; the model for the afterlife, as of all supernatural phenomena, of all transcendence, is the verticality of the sign’s relation to its referent.

If I am nothing but this mortal body and its associated sensations, then there is indeed no way to imagine an afterlife. After its death, the body cannot continue to live. What survives, it is usually said, is our soul or spirit. In today’s vocabulary, we may call this our self.

 Let us recall how the death of others is experienced. In the case of our family and personal friends, we rehearse our memories of them, we cherish objects associated with them. For those who have had a more general impact, we remember their works: the companies they built, the devices they invented, the treaties they signed, the books or music they composed.

Where is the self in all this? Mallarmé wrote the poem quoted above for the unveiling of a monument in honor of Edgar Allan Poe. Poe was an alcoholic who had led an unhappy, dissolute life. But his death makes such facts secondary; as he lives in our memory, it is in his art that Poe is truly Lui-même. Nor is this a sentimental figure of speech; it is a matter of historical fact. Perhaps Poe himself might have preferred to survive in some other guise, but we do not memorialize the dead in answer to their wishes. The himself that history makes of him is a function of his public image. It is subject to modification, but the dead person himself is no longer in control of this modification.

Death is a fact of life for all higher animals. What then could lead human beings at some point in history to begin to commemorate it? Poe is a name, a proper noun. The name is coeval with the self, which is in the first place a self-for-others; others give me my name, and call me by it. The idea that we have a self that survives our death depends on the existence of signs; in Greek, the word for both tomb and sign is the same: sêma. If we honor the dead, it is because death is a moment of crisis, when the referent of a public meaning, a proper name, is no longer directly available. What we fear is not the mere fact of death itself, but the extinction of a communally agreed-upon meaning. Death is the sign of a violence perpetrated against the community.

What then do I become after death? What I mean to others. Before, I had the potential to modify this meaning, even if I could not define it. Now that I am dead, I have no further chance to reposition myself in the marketplace of meaning–although my position within it will continue to evolve, modified by factors beyond my control.

Is this immortality? Today, market rationalization has caught up with the afterlife; the contemporary vision of the soul’s transcendent permanence is as fame. The pathos revealed in the horrors of daytime talk-shows reflects our hunger for what Andy Warhol so prophetically called our fifteen minutes of fame–hopefully enough to get us a footnote in a history book. The traditional ideas of heaven and hell belong to stable communities who can expect to remember their ancestors “forever”; industrial market society has changed all that.

Yet it has not changed the essence of our situation. Animals do not want to die, but they have no desire for, or concept of, immortality. That is a human trait, and like all human traits it is the result of our possession of language. We can only desire to survive beyond our death because we conceive of an essence, an Idea that corresponds to the name we are called by and yet does not die with us. If words have signifieds that survive the death of whatever they refer to, why not we?

The struggling artist in a garret is a familiar nineteenth-century model of cultural integrity. While others enjoy the fruits of their sell-out to the hated bourgeoisie, the authentic creator endures poverty and anonymity, confident that future generations will recognize his greatness. The culture of market society despises the marketplace, but puts its confidence in that future state of it that it calls posterity.

This idea still lives in today’s world of market-driven art. But theory has become the crucial testing-ground for the deferral of success that tested the artist’s mettle a century ago. I’ll try to give these ideas some theoretical polish next week.

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THE GRAVE OF EDGAR ALLEN POE by Stéphane Mallarmé, Trans. by Jacques Houis

08/30/2016~JHOUIS

Such as into himself eternity finally changes him

The poet brings forth with a naked blade his century terrified at not having known that

death triumphed in this strange voice!

They, like a vile hydra’s start upon hearing anciently the angel give a purer meaning to

the words of the tribe, proclaimed loudly the spell imbibed

In the flow without honor of some black mixture.

If from hostile sky and soil, ô grievance!

Our idea cannot sculpt a bas relief

To ornament Poe’s

dazzling grave

Calm block fallen down here from some obscure disaster

Let this granite at least show forever their limit to the dark flights of Blasphemy scattered

in the future.

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Le tombeau d’Edgar Poe

Tel qu’en Lui-même enfin l’éternité le change,

Le Poète suscite avec un glaive nu

Son siècle épouvanté de n’avoir pas connu

Que la mort triomphait dans cette voix étrange!

Eux, comme un vil sursaut d’hydre oyant jadis l’ange

Donner un sens plus pur aux mots de la tribu,

Proclamèrent très haut le sortilège bu

Dans le flot sans honneur de quelque noir mélange.

Du sol et de la nue hostiles, ô grief!

Si notre idée avec ne sculpte un bas-relief

Dont la tombe de Poe éblouissante s’orne

Calme bloc ici-bas chu d’un désastre obscur

Que ce granit du moins montre à jamais sa borne

Aux noirs vols du Blasphème épars dans le futur.

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