This post got me to become a paid subscriber. The last half, in particular, where you (and Chomsky) point out the "emperor has no clothes" aspect of postmodern rhetorical and linguistic theory, was quite good. I am too lazy to write it up here, but I have been involved to one degree or another in NDT policy debate since the early 90s (as a debater, coach, and alumnus). There is a very interesting genealogy (postmodern theorists love calling things genealogies) that reflects how these arguments you criticize gained a toehold in policy debate in the early 90s, and gradually became more and more widespread (and wacky) over the decades that followed.
BTW, "scopic economy" is in several papers related to the "male gaze". It basically seems to mean an economy in which your value is highly dependent upon how you visually appear to powerful people. (i.e. any realistically possible human society :-p ) They could have just said "appearance-based, looksist economy", but it wouldn't have shown the vital awareness of esoteric jargon.
I looked up Scopic Economy. The AI summed it up thus. Not that it is useful. Also it seems like theology rather than something more rigorous.
Scopic economy
Scopic Economy: Understanding the Concept
The scopic economy refers to the social and cultural context in which visuality is constructed, managed, and controlled. It is a concept that highlights the importance of the gaze and the ways in which it shapes our understanding of the world. In this context, the scopic economy is concerned with the ways in which power is exercised through the control of what can be seen, how it is seen, and by whom.
Key Aspects of the Scopic Economy
The Gaze: The scopic economy is centered around the concept of the gaze, which is the act of looking or being looked at. The gaze is a powerful tool that can be used to control, manipulate, and dominate others.
Visuality: The scopic economy is concerned with the ways in which visuality is constructed and managed. This includes the creation of visual representations, the control of what can be seen, and the ways in which visual information is disseminated.
Power Dynamics: The scopic economy is closely tied to power dynamics, as the control of the gaze and visuality can be used to exercise power over others. This can include the control of what can be seen, the ways in which it is seen, and the ways in which it is represented.
Cultural Context: The scopic economy is deeply rooted in cultural context, as the ways in which we construct and manage visuality are shaped by our cultural norms, values, and beliefs.
Examples of the Scopic Economy
Art and Architecture: The scopic economy can be seen in the ways in which art and architecture are designed to control the gaze and create a specific visual experience.
Advertising and Media: The scopic economy is also present in the ways in which advertising and media use visual representations to shape our perceptions and influence our behavior.
Social Media: The scopic economy can be seen in the ways in which social media platforms use algorithms to control what we see and how we see it.
Conclusion
The scopic economy is a complex and multifaceted concept that highlights the importance of the gaze and visuality in shaping our understanding of the world. It is a concept that is deeply rooted in power dynamics and cultural context, and it has far-reaching implications for the ways in which we construct and manage visual representations.
I contend that 500 or so years after the discovery of the New World and the age of enlightenment, humanity has reached the end of its last real frontier. We are falling into the sea at the California Coastline.
There are no more greener pastures to find. The ocean depths, Moon and Mars are orders of magnitude more hostile than Antarctica. Madness has ensued.
This post got me to become a paid subscriber. The last half, in particular, where you (and Chomsky) point out the "emperor has no clothes" aspect of postmodern rhetorical and linguistic theory, was quite good. I am too lazy to write it up here, but I have been involved to one degree or another in NDT policy debate since the early 90s (as a debater, coach, and alumnus). There is a very interesting genealogy (postmodern theorists love calling things genealogies) that reflects how these arguments you criticize gained a toehold in policy debate in the early 90s, and gradually became more and more widespread (and wacky) over the decades that followed.
Thanks you! Yeah, debate is very wacky.
Nice writeup of a truly distressing phenomenon.
BTW, "scopic economy" is in several papers related to the "male gaze". It basically seems to mean an economy in which your value is highly dependent upon how you visually appear to powerful people. (i.e. any realistically possible human society :-p ) They could have just said "appearance-based, looksist economy", but it wouldn't have shown the vital awareness of esoteric jargon.
I looked up Scopic Economy. The AI summed it up thus. Not that it is useful. Also it seems like theology rather than something more rigorous.
Scopic economy
Scopic Economy: Understanding the Concept
The scopic economy refers to the social and cultural context in which visuality is constructed, managed, and controlled. It is a concept that highlights the importance of the gaze and the ways in which it shapes our understanding of the world. In this context, the scopic economy is concerned with the ways in which power is exercised through the control of what can be seen, how it is seen, and by whom.
Key Aspects of the Scopic Economy
The Gaze: The scopic economy is centered around the concept of the gaze, which is the act of looking or being looked at. The gaze is a powerful tool that can be used to control, manipulate, and dominate others.
Visuality: The scopic economy is concerned with the ways in which visuality is constructed and managed. This includes the creation of visual representations, the control of what can be seen, and the ways in which visual information is disseminated.
Power Dynamics: The scopic economy is closely tied to power dynamics, as the control of the gaze and visuality can be used to exercise power over others. This can include the control of what can be seen, the ways in which it is seen, and the ways in which it is represented.
Cultural Context: The scopic economy is deeply rooted in cultural context, as the ways in which we construct and manage visuality are shaped by our cultural norms, values, and beliefs.
Examples of the Scopic Economy
Art and Architecture: The scopic economy can be seen in the ways in which art and architecture are designed to control the gaze and create a specific visual experience.
Advertising and Media: The scopic economy is also present in the ways in which advertising and media use visual representations to shape our perceptions and influence our behavior.
Social Media: The scopic economy can be seen in the ways in which social media platforms use algorithms to control what we see and how we see it.
Conclusion
The scopic economy is a complex and multifaceted concept that highlights the importance of the gaze and visuality in shaping our understanding of the world. It is a concept that is deeply rooted in power dynamics and cultural context, and it has far-reaching implications for the ways in which we construct and manage visual representations.
I contend that 500 or so years after the discovery of the New World and the age of enlightenment, humanity has reached the end of its last real frontier. We are falling into the sea at the California Coastline.
There are no more greener pastures to find. The ocean depths, Moon and Mars are orders of magnitude more hostile than Antarctica. Madness has ensued.
Keep your head above water. Protect your family.