marriages are viewed as (short-term) contracts subject to…
““marriages are viewed as (short-term) contracts subject to a cost/benefit analysis, children become consumer goods or accessories, family bonds are weakened and our bodies are treated like so many raw materials to be mined and exploited for manufacture and pleasure. Those individuals rendered worthless as producers and commodities by obsolescence—the old and infirm—are discarded (warehoused or euthanized) and the nonproductive poor (the homeless, the unemployed, the irresponsible, the incompetent) are viewed as a threat.28””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Society treats people as marketable assets, eroding familial and communal bonds.
In simple terms: People are seen as commodities, harming relationships.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize human dignity over profit.
Themes
materialism
family
human dignity
Mood
concerned
critical
Type
philosophical
activist
When to use this quote
- policy debates
- community building
- family counseling
Key Concepts
commodification
social inequality
Questions to Reflect On
- What values can counteract commodification?
- How can communities reinforce intrinsic worth?
A Different Perspective
Economic pressures can make change difficult.