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Life forms and capitalism:
[Formes de vie et capitalisme]

Author

Listed:
  • Valérie Charolles

    (LACI - Laboratoire d'anthropologie critique interdisciplinaire - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - LAP - Laboratoire d’anthropologie politique – Approches interdisciplinaires et critiques des mondes contemporains, UMR 8177 - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, LAP - Laboratoire d’anthropologie politique – Approches interdisciplinaires et critiques des mondes contemporains, UMR 8177 - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

This article re-examines Sen's (1977) and Arrow's (1987) criticisms of the postulate of rationality and focuses on the consequences of this postulate for life forms, as analyzed by Floyd (2020). It emphasizes the role played in life forms by figures and their connection to facts, and the resulting displacement of the enigma of the relation between words and things. It questions the choice of a maximizing (or optimizing) agent that turns out to be lethal for living organisms. Finally, the article sets out to show that this representation of the economic agent is not solely an epistemological issue. Homo economicus, as anchored in life forms by economics, thus appears not only as a rational fool (Sen), but also as a dead calculator, which corresponds fairly well to the definition of a computer.

Suggested Citation

  • Valérie Charolles, 2024. "Life forms and capitalism: [Formes de vie et capitalisme]," Post-Print hal-04717441, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04717441
    DOI: 10.3917/dio.281.0139
    as

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