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Practices of Life and the Religious Character of Capitalism: An Analysis Through Weber, Benjamin, and Foucault

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Subjectivation in Political Theory and Contemporary Practices
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Abstract

In this chapter, Stimilli analyses the recent return of religion on the public scene of politics. Starting from the cultural transformation occurring at the core of neoliberalism, the author suggests that having ‘faith in the market’ is a new mode of subjectivation and the main device of global politics. In this sense, the writings of Max Weber, Walter Benjamin, and Michel Foucault, in particular their respective critiques of the capitalist economy beyond the strictly economic field, become critical again: areas seemingly unrelated to the economy turn out to be pivotal for the understanding of the ‘religious mechanisms’ that are governing these days, not least in their predominant appearance as neoliberalism.

For further details of the topics discussed in this article see Stimilli (2015).

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Stimilli, E. (2016). Practices of Life and the Religious Character of Capitalism: An Analysis Through Weber, Benjamin, and Foucault. In: Oberprantacher, A., Siclodi, A. (eds) Subjectivation in Political Theory and Contemporary Practices. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-51659-6_7

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