Debt and Guilt: A Political Philosophy

Description

The issue of debt and how it affects our lives is becoming more and more urgent. The "Austerity" model has been the prevalent European economic policies of recent years led by the "German model". Elettra Stimilli draws upon contemporary philosophy, psychology and theology to argue that austerity is built on the idea that we somehow deserve to be punished and need to experience guilt in order to take full account of our economic sins. Following thinkers such as Max Weber, Walter Benjamin and Michel Foucault, Debt and Guilt provides a startling examination of the relationship between contemporary politics and economics and how we structure our inner lives. The first English translation of Debito e Colpa, this book provokes new ways of thinking about how we experience both debt and guilt in contemporary society. Contents......Page 6 Introduction......Page 8 The problematic context......Page 14 Appropriation......Page 17 Exchange......Page 26 Gift......Page 35 Debt......Page 39 The neoliberal turn......Page 46 The society of generalized debt......Page 53 The paradigm of man in debt......Page 61 Beyond the boundaries of economic science......Page 68 Religion, politics, and economics......Page 72 “Faith” in the era of the predominance of finance......Page 79 Debt and sacrifice......Page 83 Guilt and violence: At the origin of juridical power......Page 87 Bare life and the law......Page 96 Capitalism: A cult with no theology......Page 101 Economy and regulatory experimentation......Page 108 The invention of oikonomia......Page 115 Debt as investment......Page 123 The guilt of being in debt......Page 132 Establishing the rule: Psychic dimension and social sphere......Page 139 Feminism and neoliberalism......Page 145 The mystery of guilt and the psychic life of power......Page 152 Envisioning new ways of assuming power......Page 160 Conclusions......Page 166 Bibliography......Page 170 Index......Page 178