'Pseudorational Control and the Magma of Reality' – A Seminar Presentation by Ulf Martin
September 27, 2016
A seminar presentation by Ulf Martin
York University, September 27, 2:30-5:30pm
1 INTRODUCTION. – 2 POWER. From magma ontology to the dual project of modernity. Some etymology. Gestaltungsvermögen. Magma concept (Castoriadis). Magma ontology. The radical imagination of the psychic monad. The social imaginary significations (SIS) of the socio-historical. Gestaltungsvermögen, magma ontology, capital. Autonomy versus Heteronomy. The SIS of autonomy versus the SIS rational control. – 3 QUANTIFICATION. Operational symbolism and computable rationality. Definition of symbolism. Operational symbolism: calculization (Kalkülisierung). Leibniz’s theory of symbols. Earlier forms of symbolism: ontological and magical symbolism. Operational symbolism and magmatic reality. Institutionalization of computable reason: bureaucracy and finance. – 4 MONEY AND FINANCE. TOWARD A POWER THEORY OF MONEY. Concepts of Money Property-based money (capitalist money). Power aspects. Derivatives: risk management or the self-reflexivity of rational control. – 5 BUREAUCRACY, FINANCE AND PSEUDORATIONALITY OF RATIONAL CONTROL. “Bureaucratic capitalism” or bureaucracy as the organizational mode of rational control? The pseudorationality of bureaucracy. The inner contradictions of financial capitalism. Operational closedness and autocatalytic growth of bureaucracy and finance. Systemic crisis or decay of pseudorational control? – 6 WAY OUT? AUTONOMY AND OPERATIONAL SYMBOLISM.
WHEN / WHERE: Tuesday, 27 September 2016, 2:30-5:30 pm; South 674 Ross Building, Keele Campus of York University.
TEXT: A draft manuscript can be found on Ulf Martin’s cloud space: https://www.magentacloud.de/share/123m.ue21f#$/
SEMINAR PAGE: http://bnarchives.yorku.ca/487/