The Subject Lagging Behind the Acceleration of Neoliberal Capitalist Discourse

Abstract

The capitalist discourse, as formulated by Lacan, imposes a ceaseless movement, a continuous displacement without friction or obstacles, which is going faster and faster as we get into deep neoliberalism. Its acceleration is correlated with its freedom—the freedom of neoliberal capitalism, the free market and the free circulation of goods, including subjective commodities. People must follow the rhythm of production and consumption, a rhythm that, as Marx showed, consumes people as much as it consumes their environment, their planet and their conditions of existence, which are also those of capitalism itself. The capitalist discourse, according to Lacan, undermines itself by consuming its own foundation. The capital even consumes itself by its effectiveness. The efficiency of capital, which implies an unsustainable progressive acceleration, is what this paper will examine at the subjective level. It will show how the subject is radically excluded— forclosed—when there is no time for them to live, stop and exist, be unoccupied, look back, resignify their history and understand until the moment of conclusion. Without conclusion of anything, there is no interval to unfold the subject’s existence. There is no point at which life can be anything other than labour and consumption, i.e., production and realization of capital.