Philosophical Dictionary

Explore Mark Fisher's critique of capitalism, focusing on his concept of capitalist realism—the idea that it's easier to imagine global catastrophe than an alternative to capitalism. Tied to Slavoj Žižek's notion of surplus-enjoyment, Fisher argues that capitalism traps us in cycles of unfulfilling desire. While this may seem bleak, I offer ways to navigate capitalism's demands without falling into exploitation, emphasizing the importance of a personal philosophy of life for resisting distractions and finding meaning. For more, subscribe to our Memesletter for digestible philosophical insights.

The Agent Smith meme borrows the punchline of a 2016 comic: anyone who criticises a system while living inside it must be a hypocrite. Economists have measured the urge to keep things as they are since 1988, and the theorist whose book appears in the film found it embarrassing. Is the gotcha clever, or loss aversion?