First, we will discuss Bataille's principles of unproductive expenditure and transgression. Then, we will look at whether we can realistically live by Bataille's philosophy.
Unproductive expenditures.
Accordingly, Georges Bataille argues that a nation's true economic viability centers on the principle of the accursed share, where unproductive expenditures propel the nation's continued success and relevance. As opposed to the classical economic prototype, Bataille presents a model based on the North American Indian potlatch. A potlatch is a ceremony dedicated to gift-giving; in many Native American cultures, a leader is vested with the responsibility of service to his community as well as the stewardship (not ownership) of the wealth of his tribe. The purpose of these gift-giving ceremonies is to ensure that positions of power do not lead to unmitigated abuses of authority in Native American society.
Read more about the potlatch here.
Therefore, Bataille reasons that every viable economy should not be overtly focused on profit, but rather on the 'unproductive expenditure' of material and non-material goods for the benefit of society. In other words, his economic model is focused on the principle of loss, rather than on accumulation. In expending one's wealth for others, Bataille sees the redistribution of this wealth as intrinsic to social justice and economic equality. He believes that this method of redistributing wealth will weaken the bourgeoisie tendency to expend wealth for selfish purposes, especially for war.
Sources: Reading Bataille now by Shannon Winnubst.
Georges Bataille: A critical introduction by Benjamin Noys.
The Headless Republic: Sacrificial violence in modern French thought by Jesse Goldhammer.
Bataille relishes the principle of absolute loss in his unproductive expenditure theory because it negates the prevailing dominance of economic models circumscribed by rigid rules. In essence, his theory is based on the philosophy of rebellion:
...Bataille expands the domain of unproductive expenditure beyond the economic realm: 'Luxury, mourning, war, cults, the construction of sumptuary monuments, games, spectacles, arts, perverse sexual activity (i.e. deflected from genital finality- all these represent activities which, at least in primitive circumstances, have no end beyond themselves.' (Bataille, The Notion of Expenditure).
Transgression.
Bataille uses the same principle of rebellion in his transgressive theory of life. If you look at the realm of transgressive fiction, you will see that many of the protagonists and characters in these stories focus on eliminating barriers to self-actualization through illicit and bizarre rituals/acts. The idea is to 'transgress' the limits of decency in order to realize self-expression and autonomy. Some examples of transgressive fiction include Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk, Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs, American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis, Requiem for a Dream by Hubert Selby Jr, and of course, Story of the Eye by Georges Bataille.
Much of transgressive fiction concerns itself with taboo subjects such as necrophilia, pedophilia, incest, random acts of brutal violence, and cannibalism. In essence, Bataille and other authors like him take up subjects antithetical to socially acceptable norms.
Can we realistically live by Bataille's philosophy?
To answer this question, we must first ask ourselves some preliminary questions:
a)How feasible will it be to implement the potlatch concept of redistributive income on society? Can we realistically expect all our leaders to voluntarily submit to the unmitigated loss of their personal property and wealth?
b)If the principle of unproductive expenditures relate to areas as diverse as war and the reproductive system, how will we
i)repopulate the next generation of taxpayers to supplement the needs of the growing aging population in both western and eastern nations?
ii)work to secure our national security needs by investing in new technologies and weapons to combat terrorism?
c)How will society accept the nihilism of a Patrick Bates in American Psycho, who, in order to overcome his despair at living a materialistic lifestyle, chooses to indulge in bizarre acts of sexuality, coupled with brutal violence? Can we accept that all acts are self-actualizing, including murder, torture, and pedophilia?
Examining the personality of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho.
In Lolita, can we accept Humbert Humbert's manipulation and victimization of the defenseless Lolita without reservation? How about the sadistic and macabre sexual acts perpetrated on the unsuspecting Don Aminado by the narrator and two other characters in Georges Bataille's Story of the Eye? In both instances, we would have to tolerate socially taboo practices such as necrophilia, pedophilia, and brutal physical violence as valid responses to despair and alienation.
In essence, should our need for self-actualization take into account the need for others to be safe from physical and emotional acts of violence?
Hopefully, such questions will help you examine your own thoughts about the feasibility of Bataille's philosophy for our modern age. Interesting question!
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