totalitarianism

This chapter introduces the concept of instrumentarian power as a new, unprecedented form of power underpinning surveillance capitalism, distinct from twentieth-century totalitarianism. It critiques the common tendency to interpret surveillance capitalism through the lens of totalitarianism, arguing that instrumentarianism operates through behavioral modification and prediction rather than coercion or soul engineering. The chapter also provides a historical overview of totalitarianism's origins and characteristics to clarify what instrumentarian power is not, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of its unique mechanisms.

This chapter introduces 'instrumentarian power' as a novel form of power distinct from twentieth-century totalitarianism, rooted in surveillance capitalism's behavioral modification and prediction markets. It contrasts instrumentarianism's focus on behavioral instrumentation and monetization with totalitarianism's aim of soul engineering and genocide, emphasizing the unprecedented nature of both. The chapter also reviews the origins and philosophical foundations of totalitarianism to prepare for a deeper exploration of instrumentarian power's unique mechanisms and implications.

The chapter introduces the intellectual history of twentieth-century revolutionary ideologies, focusing on the evolution of Marxism into Leninism and Italian Fascism, and their shared totalitarian outcomes. It critiques the oversimplified post-World War II narratives that reduced fascism to mere barbarism and communism to a hopeful socialist alternative, emphasizing the complex ideological revisions and debates that shaped these movements. The chapter also highlights the intellectual struggles to reconcile Marxist materialism with questions of human agency, biology, and determinism, which contributed to the development of revolutionary radicalism and totalitarianism.

This chapter introduces 'instrumentarian power' as a novel form of power distinct from twentieth-century totalitarianism, rooted in surveillance capitalism's ability to modify and monetize human behavior through digital means. It contrasts instrumentarianism with totalitarianism, emphasizing that while totalitarian regimes sought to reshape human souls through coercion and violence, instrumentarian power operates through behavioral modification and prediction without physical violence. The chapter also traces the origins and philosophical underpinnings of totalitarianism to clarify the unprecedented nature of instrumentarian power.