The Alchemy of Desire: How Money Fuels the Capitalist Machine

Welcome back, fellow explorers of Postcapitalist Assemblages! Today, we delve into the heart of the capitalist beast, not through the dry lens of economic theory, but through a more visceral, almost poetic perspective. We’re going on a journey into the strange alchemy of desire, guided by the enigmatic Pierre Klossowski and his provocative masterpiece, Living Currency.

Money: More Than Just a Medium of Exchange

The traditional narrative of money portrays it as a neutral facilitator of exchange, a simple tool for measuring and allocating resources. But Klossowski rips through this veil of neutrality, revealing the intimate, almost erotic bond between money and desire. He argues that capitalism is not just an economic system, but an erotic-political economy, one that thrives on the constant production and manipulation of desire.

The Capitalist Assemblage: A Machine of Desire

Within the Capitalist Assemblage, money acts as a catalyst, a force that accelerates the flow of desire and channels it towards the production of surplus value. Think of it this way: Every purchase, every investment, every swipe of a credit card, is fueled not just by a rational need for goods and services, but by a deeper, often unconscious desire for something more. This desire can manifest in a myriad of ways: the allure of status symbols, the yearning for novelty, the craving for experiences that promise to enhance our lives.

The Suggestion Industry: Manufacturing Desire

The Capitalist Assemblage has become increasingly sophisticated in its ability to manufacture and manipulate desire. The rise of the “suggestion industry,” as Klossowski called it, has played a pivotal role in this process. Advertising, marketing, branding, and the ever-expanding realm of entertainment media work tirelessly to create new desires, to convince us that we need things we never even knew existed.

The Body as Currency: Prostitution as Paradigm

Klossowski pushes this analysis even further, arguing that prostitution is not just a specific economic activity, but the very paradigm of the capitalist mode of production. He argues that the separation of labor from the body, supposedly guaranteed by the wage relation, is a mere illusion. In reality, our bodies, our time, our very energies, are constantly being exchanged for money.

Five Assemblages, Five Desiring Machines

This logic of desire plays out differently across the five onto-political assemblages:

• Territorial Assemblage: In local communities, desire can be tied to tradition, belonging, and the yearning for a simpler, more authentic way of life. But even these desires are often captured and commodified by the capitalist machine, as seen in the rise of “local” brands, artisanal products, and the fetishization of the “authentic.”
• State Assemblage: The state, seeking to maintain order and control, often tries to channel desire towards “productive” ends, encouraging consumption, investment, and economic growth. However, desire also fuels resistance to state power, as seen in movements for social justice, environmental protection, and alternative economic models.
• Nomadic Assemblage: Desire can also be a force for deterritorialization and escape, pushing individuals and communities to seek new experiences, explore new horizons, and challenge the constraints of fixed identities and social structures. This nomadic impulse is often captured and channeled by the tourism industry, but it also fuels the creative energies of artists, writers, and other cultural producers.
• Capitalist Assemblage: As we’ve explored, the Capitalist Assemblage thrives on the constant production of desire, turning it into a engine for economic growth and profit maximization. However, desire also generates contradictions within capitalism, as the relentless pursuit of surplus value leads to overproduction, inequality, and ecological destruction.
• Postcapitalist Assemblage: In a postcapitalist future, desire would be liberated from the constraints of the market and channeled towards more collective and sustainable ends. Imagine a world where the energy of desire is harnessed to build a commons, to create art and culture for its own sake, and to foster a more just and equitable distribution of resources.

Reclaiming the Alchemy: Beyond the Empire of Value

Klossowski’s work challenges us to rethink the relationship between money, desire, and the capitalist machine. He shows us that desire is not just a source of individual gratification, but a potent force for both liberation and domination. The key, he suggests, is to reclaim the alchemy of desire, to break free from its capitalist shackles, and to harness its energy for the creation of a more just, equitable, and fulfilling future.

Stay tuned as we continue to explore the complex relationship between money and postcapitalism, and how DisCOs and other initiatives are working to build a world where the alchemy of desire is no longer used to fuel the capitalist machine, but to create a more beautiful, equitable, and sustainable future for all.