Repression or Depression

Concrete modernity, from technological advancements, automation, rapid communications, and transportation to the latest various AI tools has eased the world inasmuch as a man can have anything with a single touch. Delivery boys, drivers, factory laborers, workers, etc are not behind in the technological transformations. Modern man has also been programmed by modern social values and structures to behave like a robot under self-automation. This is shifting the long-held normative social norms into modern exhaustive and laborious machine-like beings validating themselves from the external world under abundant internalized pressures.

For long Michael Foucault, a prominent philosopher of the late twentieth century, held that power has been dispersed in society. To him, the monarch would execute a criminal in the open ground before a crowd so that people could know that at least the king is fulfilling his part of the social contract, cementing people’s confidence in the crown. However, in the early decades of the nineteenth century, this attitude changed. The criminal is now locked behind bars leaving him with a choice to conform to the societal norms. Foucault believed that the penalty before inflicted on the body was now imposed on the soul. It was now a disciplinary and regulatory age. These criminals being brought to jails were detained for surveillance, examination, and evaluation. Anyone found behaving in conformity with the social practices was given an advantage.

Jails being modeled over the panopticon of Bentham became institutes to reform criminals and shape their behaviors in accordance with the social norms. Gradually, such a disciplinary policy was extended to other social institutions as well such as schools, hospitals, military academies, mental hospitals, etc. bringing the perverts into conformity with the high-held social norms. This gave birth to biopower and biopolitics. Regulations of populations through government and other state institutions subjugated men, making them docile and naïve.

However, such disciplinary and regulatory life was slow. There was no productivity. For productive beings, it was necessary that they should be freed from the external constraints. Overt oppression and external discipline confined man’s role in society. Individuals working slowly were not as beneficial to the political and social elites, neoliberal economies, and ideals as they needed to be, that’s why life has to be accelerated and such an acceleration needs freedom. In the late twentieth century, neoliberalism gave this freedom to man. External disciplinary and regulatory constraints likely vanished.

To Karl Popper, personal liberty brings responsibility. Open societies have the most liberated populations. These populations are responsible for their actions. Their social role bears much more responsibility than those living in closed societies because people's decisions in underdeveloped societies are taken by the political, religious and social leaders. Albert Camus and other leading proponents of existentialism opined that the universe is indifferent, and life is devoid of meaning and purpose however those who become exposed to this truth get freedom but this freedom in turn brings responsibility. To existentialists, this freedom brings a responsibility of putting meaning into one’s life whereas to Popper freedom makes one responsible for his actions in society. Both burdened men and borne anxiety.

Nonetheless, in the twenty-first century, we no longer have disciplinary and repressive regimes, we have liberty, but an internalized pressure caused by an excessive and relentless pursuit of achievements. Neoliberal ideals have expedited the pace of life, molding the old obedience-based attitude into freedom but with a pressure to achieve more success, recognition, and productivity. As Han puts it, the modern man is exhausted and depressed. He is in an achievement society where the only aim of life is to work more transforming life into Hannah Arendt’s Vita Activa, life of action.

Modern man is in the self-inflicted bondage of productivity and achievement is not more than a commodity product where education has become an investment in oneself for increasing market value. External gratification crisis has engulfed modern man in a perpetual cycle of performance leading him to dissatisfaction. The modern social system perpetuates inadequacy with often goals left unresolved and unachieved causing depression and anxiety.

To navigate a life entangled in neoliberal ideals, exhaustion, and relentless tiredness one must have to be a contemplative being having the time to take a break and breathe. In this digitalized era isolation can be diminished with a meaningful pursuit of exploring the otherness around us External validations for one’s achievements must be replaced by one’s own satisfaction and growth. Compassion and rendering an ear to others instill a sense of others' relatedness. In a homogenizing society, a deep engagement with others nullifies our self-centered attitude making us more exposed to reality and self-validation. Contentment and satisfaction with our achievements can break the shackles of a productivity-centered social system.