Abstinence Quote by Paul Lafargue
“Confronted with this double madness of the labourers killing themselves with over-production and vegetating in abstinence, the great problem of capitalist production is no longer to find producers and to multiply their powers but to discover consumers, to excite their appetites and create in them fictitious needs.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Right to Be Lazy by Paul Lafargue, 1883
The passage critiques capitalism for shifting focus from producing essential goods to inventing consumer desires, turning people into consumers of invented needs rather than producers.
In simple terms: Capitalism now creates fake needs to sell more.
Key Takeaway
Question the purpose of production and the authenticity of consumer desires.
Themes
capitalism
consumer culture
production vs consumption
false needs
Mood
skeptical
thoughtful
Type
critical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- advertising
- product development
- policy making
- personal consumption habits
Key Concepts
alienation
commodity fetishism
economic critique
Questions to Reflect On
- Are we truly free when our desires are engineered?
- How can societies balance production with genuine human needs?
A Different Perspective
Creating false needs can cause waste and social inequality.
