Question

The acceleration of contemporary life also plays a role in this lack of being. The society of laboring and achievement is not a free society. It generates new constraints. Ultimately, the dialectic of master and slave does not yield a society where everyone is free and capable of leisure, too. Rather, it leads to a society of work in which the master himself has become a laboring slave. In this society of compulsion, everyone carries a work camp inside. This labor camp is defined by the fact that one is simultaneously prisoner and guard, victim and perpetrator. One exploits oneself. It means that exploitation is possible even without domination.

Is there a version of virtuous humor that survives under this premise? And is there a way to take "the joke"?

Answer 1

Virtuous humor in a modern capitalist society can exist as a subversive tool that critiques the system and fosters resilience. It requires an understanding of the system's constraints and the imagination to envision a freer, more joyful state of being, as presupposed by Marx's communist society model.

Step-by-step explanation:

Under the grave conditions of modern capitalist society, one may wonder if virtuous humor can still exist, considering the alienation and self-exploitation that Karl Marx describes. Humor that transcends the grim realities of labor compulsion and self-exploitation is nuanced—it would likely need to be subversive and reflective rather than escapist or oppressive. And to "take the joke" in such a context involves an understanding that humor isn't just for amusement; it can also be a mechanism for coping, critique, and resistance.

In a society where individuals frequently exploit themselves, as detailed in the reflections on modern life's acceleration and the dialectic of master and slave, the humor most aligned with virtue might be the kind that satirizes the system, revealing its flaws and empowering individuals. Marx's vision of a higher phase of communist society where labor has transformed into a self-fulfilling activity suggests an environment where humor could be an expression of joy and freedom, not just a temporary respite from oppression.

Thus, one could argue that virtuous humor, one that does not perpetuate alienation but illuminates the human condition and fosters a sense of solidarity, is not only possible but necessary as a form of psychological and social resilience within a pressurized, achievement-oriented society. Embracing such humor requires an acute consciousness of one's conditions and the ability to imagine a reality beyond the present constraints.