Talk of the Town

The Rebel Sell: If We All Hate Consumerism Why Can’t We Stop Shopping?

Tue. Nov. 9, 7:30 - 9:00 pm

With: Joseph Heath, Professor of Philosophy, University of Toronto and Andrew Potter, Research Fellow at the Centre de Recherche en Ethique, l’Universite de Montreal.

It seems as though every generation in the past 50 years has considered its social and political rebellion as unique and somehow more significant than any other. As Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter point out in their new book,The Rebel Sell, the roots of the counterculture go back centuries and yet in spite of all the revolutionary activity, they suggest that not much social change has occurred. And they are particularly pointed in their argument that today’s challenges to globalization and consumerism are ineffective:

“The idea of a counterculture is ultimately based on a mistake. At best, countercultural rebellion is pseudo-rebellion: a series of dramatic gestures that are devoid of any progressive political or economic consequences and that detract from the urgent task of building a more just society. In other words, it is rebellion that provides entertainment for the rebels, and nothing much else. At worst countercultural rebellion actively promotes unhappiness, by undermining or discrediting social norms and institutions that actually serve a valuable function. In particular, the idea of counterculture has produced a level of contempt for democratic politics that has consigned most of the progressive left to the political wilderness for over three decades.”

In the book they argue that working within the current social, political and economic systems, and changing them, is the only way to make a better world. It is a provocative challenge to those who consider themselves progressive activists. So join us for a discussion of The Rebel Sell and come prepared to engage in the debate.

The discussion will take place at UBC Robson Square. Attendance is free of charge, but please pre-register at info.talkofthetown@ubc.ca or phone 604-822-5675.

Biography

Joe Heath is an associate professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Toronto. He is the author of two previous books: Communicative Action and Rational Choice, which won the Canadian Philosophical Association Book Prize for 2003, and The Efficient Society, a Maclean's and Globe and Mail bestseller selected by the Globe as one of the best books of 2001. He writes a monthly column for the journal Policy Options and is a frequent contributor to The Montreal Gazette.

Andrew Potter is a research fellow at the Centre de Recherche en Éthique de l'Université de Montréal (CREUM), where he studies philosophical issues regarding the Internet, technology, and consumer society. His work has appeared in the National Post, the Ottawa Citizen and The Wilson Quarterly, and he is on the editorial board of the alternative journal of politics and culture, This Magazine. Andrew Potter lives in Montreal.

Bibliography

The Rebel Sell, Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter, HarperCollins, 2004
Communicative Action and Rational Choice, Joseph Heath, MIT Press, 2001
The Efficient Society, Joseph Heath, Penguin, 2001

Links & Readings

Links

The Rebel Sell

The home site for the book The Rebel Sell.

This Magazine

The Rebel Sell began as a magazine article and you can read it here.

No Logo

Naomi Klein is the author of the bestselling No Logo a critique of branding and consumerism. This site has her latest writings and links to the various campaigns she supports.

Culture Jammers

The authors of The Rebel Sell argue that counterculture activities have no effect on mainstream culture. The folks at Adbusters have a different point of view.

Readings

No Logo, Naomi Klein, Knopf, 2000.