Consumption

Summary

Dominique Pagani approaches consumption through Michel Clouscard, beginning by rejecting the notion of a "consumer society". For him, there are only classes: those that consume more than they produce, and those that produce more than they consume1. Measured against today's productive forces, working-class consumption seems insufficient to him. He regards the indictment of consumption as a reactionary theme that ecologism took up after 68, and he opposes degrowth2. He distinguishes capital goods from playful, libidinal and marginal consumption, which is the only kind Clouscard criticizes. He links this consumption to the Marshall Plan and to overproduction: liberal-libertarian capitalism opens new markets of desire, and it is permissive for the consumer and repressive for the producer3. Against Lordon, he sees the proletarian's deprivation of consumption as the ethical foundation of his demands4. He extends the question to music, whose sales follow the stability of the metre2. Speaking of Rousseau, he relates it to the triangle of self, other and thing: one always consumes something of the other along with the thing5.

1. 1Everything is allowed but nothing is possible: Michel Clouscard (1)29 Jan 2012
2. 2#5 Libertarian liberalism, libidinal consumption and music…27 Sept 2014
3. 3Michel Clouscard and the betrayal of May 687 Feb 2025
4. 4Neo-fascism and the ideology of desire: is Michel Clouscard still relevant?23 May 2026
5. 5E for Enfance (Childhood)19 Dec 2014

Introduction produced automatically from the 10 sessions on this theme, to be reviewed; the numbers link to the sessions.