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Our emotions are neither mere biochemical fireworks nor reflections of our most wild and primal selves; rather, they are shaped by the expectations of the culture we live in and leave their mark on social structures. For this very reason, as culture takes on new forms, so too do emotional regimes transform. Contemporary capitalism, with its flexible and short-term profit-oriented work model, creates a fluid and self-centered type of individual, eroding character and severing the concept of happiness from its moral roots, reducing it to a psychological state and undermining social cohesion. Consequently, the modern world has been baptized with names such as “lonely crowds,” “the burnout society,” and “the culture of narcissism,” giving rise to various pathologies such as alienation, depression, and more. The primary reason for this is capitalism’s imitation of our desires, which are doomed to partial and incomplete satisfaction, trapping us in an endless pursuit of better and more, while simultaneously concealing the trauma it creates and shifting the responsibility onto the individual.

In this session, the ontological and cultural structure of emotions will be presented, highlighting their vital roles in individual and social life, while also examining the emotional and psychological costs of the capitalist system’s functioning.

Bio:
Murat Erşen studied philosophy (bachelor’s and master’s degrees) at Strasbourg Marc Bloch University and Galatasaray University. He conducted his doctoral research in political philosophy on the topic of “Community” (Communauté) at Jean Moulin Lyon III University. He has been active in the publishing world for many years as a translator, editor, and consultant. Notably, he has translated over eighty books, particularly in the field of philosophy, from French and English into Turkish.

He was one of the founders of Monokl Publishing, known for publishing an international philosophy journal and organizing numerous international philosophy events. Erşen has taught various courses on philosophy and modernity at Yıldız Technical University, Doğuş University, and Istanbul University. Additionally, he taught philosophy to children for two years at a private school.

He has delivered seminars and talks on topics such as community, emotions, consumer society, and transhumanism at institutions such as Moda Sahnesi, Yazmak Atölyesi, and Nilüfer Municipality, among others. He is also a member of the editorial board of the criticism journal Punctum.

The Emotional Cost of Capitalism