This book attacks the ideological foundations of capitalism, starting with the mystifications surrounding the idea of ‘the market’.
This book attacks the ideological foundations of capitalism, starting with the mystifications surrounding the idea of ‘the market’.
Business & economics (general), Philosophy (general), Political
It is said the market has moods and desires. It is said that we must listen to it and must anticipate how it will respond to our actions. What is the significance of these peculiar forms of speech? This book investigates the conceptual underpinnings of the idea that the market has intentions, consciousness and speech, and identifies the social and political consequences of this attribution to the market of capacities generally thought to be uniquely human. At once a work of philosophy, a cultural and social archaeology and a diagnosis of one of the central ideologies of our times, this book cuts to the heart of the linguistic forms through which our collective futures are decided.
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In conclusion, Campbell Jones work raises a number of pertinent questions in regard to concepts such as hegemony, reification and the balance of forces between labour and capital. His book might not have all the answers to those questions but it can allow the kind of discussions which might arrive at them. Having had our tongues cut out by property developers and the priests of high finance, we will need books like Can the Market Speak? that believe in zombies’ ability to speak. ~ The Berlin Review of Books, http://berlinbooks.org/brb/2013/04/can-the-market-speak/
‘This remarkable little book teases apart modern market language, and offers a compelling critical reading of the personification of financial markets. There could have been no better time for its publication than in the midst of the current financial crisis. Through its reflections on the culture and history of the market’s personhood and personality, Campbell Jones offers new modes and avenues for dissent and resistance.’ ~ Professor Marieke de Goede, University of Amsterdam, author of Virtue, Fortune and Faith: A Genealogy of Finance.
‘The wisdom of our age tells us “Shut up and let the market speak”, but market talk betrays a certain mindlessness. In this piercing and piquant book, Campbell Jones invites us to “think the market” when it can’t actually think itself. This book will unleash the critical spirits to keep the beasts at bay and engage the most salient philosophical entailments of our moment along the way.' ~ Professor Randy Martin, New York University, author of Financialization of Daily Life
