The Accursed Share

by Bataille, Georges (1988)

Abstract

For some years, being obliged on occasion to answer the question" What are you working on?" I was embarrassed to have to say," A book of political economy." Coming from me, this venture was disconcerting, at least to those who did not know me well.(The interest that is …

Key Passage

Religion is the satisfaction that a  soci­ety gives to the use of excess resources, or rather to their destruc­tion (at least insofar as they are useful). This is what gives religions their rich material aspect, which only ceases to be conspicuous when an emaciated spiritual life withdraws from labor a time that could have been employed in producing. The only point is the absence of utility, the gratuitousness of these collective determinations.  (p.120)

Keywords

Bataille, Nietzsche, French, Political Economy, Economic Theory, Moral Philosophy

Themes

The Accursed Share, Bataille Citations

Links to Reference

• https://www.filosofiadeldebito.it/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/1988_Bataille-The-Accursed-Share_Essay-on-General-Economy.pdf

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