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Society of the Spectacle

Guy Debord

This is the "Das Kapital" of the 20th century - an essential text, and the main theoretical work of the Situationists. Few works of political and cultural theory have been as enduringly provocative. From its publication amid the social upheavals of the 1960s up to the present, the volatile theses of this book have decisively transformed debates on the shape of modernity, capitalism, and everyday life in the 21st century. This is the original translation by Fredy Perlman, kept in print continuously for the last 50 years, keeping the flame …

This is the "Das Kapital" of the 20th century - an essential text, and the main theoretical work of the Situationists. Few works of political and cultural theory have been as enduringly provocative. From its publication amid the social upheavals of the 1960s up to the present, the volatile theses of this book have decisively transformed debates on the shape of modernity, capitalism, and everyday life in the 21st century. This is the original translation by Fredy Perlman, kept in print continuously for the last 50 years, keeping the flame of personal and collective autonomy alive.

3 hrs and 43 mins

English language

Published 2015 by New Saucerian Press.

Subjects

Social psychology
Proletariat
Social classes

Reviews

nerd teacher [books] reviewed Society of the Spectacle by Guy Debord

Glad I Finally Read It

3.0 stars

When I first started reading this book, I felt really confused. I'd only ever seen Guy Debord referenced with regards to media, but the book didn't seem to be focused on media; it felt like a more general critique of political ideologies and social structures. As a result, I had to go look for a bit of an exploration of the book before continuing so that I could better understand what was being said.

That said, I think if media studies engaged with the whole book, they'd find a lot more interesting critiques to engage with, even if I don't necessarily agree with everything that Debord wrote.

One frustrating thing is that the final chapter (IX) feels jarring after reading the rest. There's also the utilisation of ableist language, most of which is done in terms of someone saying "I feel insane." In Chapter IX, there are mentions …

When I first started reading this book, I felt really confused. I'd only ever seen Guy Debord referenced with regards to media, but the book didn't seem to be focused on media; it felt like a more general critique of political ideologies and social structures. As a result, I had to go look for a bit of an exploration of the book before continuing so that I could better understand what was being said.

That said, I think if media studies engaged with the whole book, they'd find a lot more interesting critiques to engage with, even if I don't necessarily agree with everything that Debord wrote.

One frustrating thing is that the final chapter (IX) feels jarring after reading the rest. There's also the utilisation of ableist language, most of which is done in terms of someone saying "I feel insane." In Chapter IX, there are mentions of schizophrenia and autism that feel out of pocket and awkward in their context.

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