Character Quote by Jeremy Seabrook
““The child tends to be stripped of all social influences but those of the market place, all sense of place, function and class is weakened, the characteristics of region and clan, neighborhood or kindred are attenuated. The individual is denuded of everything but appetities, desires and tastes, wrenched from any context of human obligation or commitment. It is a process of mutilation; and once this has been achieved, we are offered the consolation of reconstituting the abbreviated humanity out of the things and the goods around us, and the fantasies and vapors which they emit. A culture becomes the main determinant upon morality, beliefs and purposes, usurping more and more territory that formerly belonged to parents, teachers, community, priests and politics alike.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The New World, 1975
Market forces strip individuals of communal ties, reducing humanity to consumer desires.
In simple terms: Markets erode community.
Key Takeaway
Seek deeper connections beyond consumption.
Themes
consumerism
alienation
culture
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
philosophical
sociological
When to use this quote
- urban life
- advertising
- family dynamics
- political discourse
Key Concepts
social theory
materialism
identity formation
Questions to Reflect On
- How does consumer culture shape personal values?
- What alternatives restore communal bonds?
A Different Perspective
Market influence can also provide stability and choice.
