The Relevance of the Communist Manifesto by Slavoj Žižek Summary
Overview of The Relevance of the Communist Manifesto
Slavoj Zizek reexamines Marx for our era, arguing exploitation hasn't vanished but transformed - with tech giants like Gates profiting from "general intellect" rather than direct labor. Can 19th-century communist theory illuminate our 21st-century capitalist reality?
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Key takeaways
The Specter That Still Haunts Us
When tech billionaires like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg warn about capitalism's impending transformation, they unknowingly channel the ghost of Marx's Communist Manifesto. Written in 1848, this revolutionary text remains the second most assigned university reading worldwide after Plato's Republic. Why does this radical pamphlet continue to captivate minds across political spectrums? Perhaps because it captures what Marshall Berman called "the vertigo of constant change" that defines modern existence. In Slavoj Zizek's analysis, the Manifesto's relevance lies not in its specific predictions but in its diagnosis of capitalism's revolutionary nature - a system that constantly transforms itself while generating its own contradictions. As we navigate a world where corporations adopt progressive aesthetics while maintaining exploitative practices, where revolutionary ideas become marketing opportunities, and where unprecedented wealth coexists with growing precarity, Marx's ghost refuses exorcism. The supreme irony? Today's dominant ideology appears as its opposite: cynical resignation masquerading as realism. Tech billionaires can propose colonizing Mars, but suggesting housing for all is dismissed as dangerous utopianism.
Capitalism's Self-Devouring Genius
The Long Emergency: Capitalism's Prolonged Decay
Value in the Digital Age
The Precarious Worker's Paradox
The Missing Revolutionary Subject
The Commons: Capitalism's Unintended Gravedigger
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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