What are some good writings on masks and appearances and civilization?

Question

It's plain to see that appearances play a role in the social landscape of our society. I've seen others comment on how this is a feature of civilization. I would like to inquire about some good writings on this subject, specifically in the context of daily life (not just in the political arena, which historians document and is different than the way in plays out in civilian/proletarian life) and in the broad context of civilization itself.

Thanks

Answer 1

Everything Tiqqun has ever written. Good luck, they are pretentious, confusing, and inaccessible. It's a shame, really, that they have such good ideas.

I particularly recommend "Theory of Bloom", "Preliminary Materials For a Theory of the Jeunne-Fille," and "A Critical Metaphysics Could Be A Science of Apparatuses." The latter sounds intimidating, but it actually clarified a lot of their theories for me.

Comments

if you're gonna mention tiqqun, then the situationists should be recommended too.

the spectacle, people.

(am not entirely clear on what's being asked, which is why i am not answering...)

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Yeah thats a good point. "Revolution of Everyday Life" has a good chapter on Roles. But I think all of that book, in addition to Guy Debord's "Society of the Spectacle," should be looked into. If you like all that, "Situationist International Anthology" is good as well.

EDIT: If anything, maybe read the Situationists first. Tiqqun builds on the idea of Spectacle quite a bit. They also talk about Biopower a lot, which is an idea that Foucault came up with in the last chapter of "History of Sexuality Part 1." So if you want some pre-requisites, there ya go.