from: Michel Puech, HOMO SAPIENS TECHNOLOGICUS, éditions Le Pommier,
2008.
Nomenclature and Anonymous, the two social classes
There are only two social classes in our societies: the Nomenclature and the Anonymous. Their definition is neither institutional nor economic: their definition is one from information, communication, and in a new sense, that of non-material values.
1)The Nomenclature: For a long time, I believed that nomenklatura was a Russian word that referred to one of the daily occurences of soviet totalitarianism: the leadership who cynically monopolize privilege. Not in the least! It is a latin word that designates an otherwise more important phenomena for us. In Rome, the nomenclator is a slave charged with memorising and indicating to his master the names of those he is supposed to know. He stands at the entrance to the house and announces by name those who arrive: or, during election time, he accompanies the master and « reminds » him of the names of all those he is meant to recognize.
The Nomenclature is the class of those whose name and appearance are known, those who today’s nomenclators, the journalists, know by name and face. One can distinguish two sub-classes: the invisible and the visible. The invisible Nomenclatura, the grey one, is that of the management sector of business, politics, media. Their priorities are money and power, their belonging to the Nomenclatura takes the form of goods possessed and lifestyle, discretely, without ostentation. Quite to the contrary, the visible Nomenclatura, the bling Nomenclatura, exhibits its belonging to the upper class with a Look-at-me attitude which knows that its celebrity comes down to being known (the notion is that of Andy Warhol). These are the Pipole.
2)The Anonymous: «Anonymous» does not here mean «who has no name», but those « whose name is unknown»; those, in particular, unknown to the nomenclators. In France, ever since the funeral of Françcois Mitterand it seems to me, one has started to refer to ordinary people as : the «anonymous». «Hommage from the anonymous», repeated by journalists from one account to the next, on the occasion of reporting on a Pipole funeral. And here is meant the hommage of all those who are not members of the nomenclature of power and media, those who have no name...because journalists do not know their names. Each of them has a name but the journalist-nomenclator cannot announce it to his audience or readers. The Anonymous are the class of those whose name and face are not known.
In this two class system, the social advancement aim of the Anonymous is well defined:join the Nomenclature. The visible Nomenclature being by far the most exposed to scrutiny and envy, a life projet for an Anonymous is quickly formed to the crazy dream: becoming a Pipole! Being recognized on the street! And, to be pragmatic, there is only one way to get there: being seen on television! And there is why television is stupid, there is the source of all those fake remarks from «real people» ready to say or do anything to be seen on television, there lies the explanation to those television competions of vulgarity and submission to become the new «star»...the latest Pipole.
2008.
Nomenclature and Anonymous, the two social classes
There are only two social classes in our societies: the Nomenclature and the Anonymous. Their definition is neither institutional nor economic: their definition is one from information, communication, and in a new sense, that of non-material values.
1)The Nomenclature: For a long time, I believed that nomenklatura was a Russian word that referred to one of the daily occurences of soviet totalitarianism: the leadership who cynically monopolize privilege. Not in the least! It is a latin word that designates an otherwise more important phenomena for us. In Rome, the nomenclator is a slave charged with memorising and indicating to his master the names of those he is supposed to know. He stands at the entrance to the house and announces by name those who arrive: or, during election time, he accompanies the master and « reminds » him of the names of all those he is meant to recognize.
The Nomenclature is the class of those whose name and appearance are known, those who today’s nomenclators, the journalists, know by name and face. One can distinguish two sub-classes: the invisible and the visible. The invisible Nomenclatura, the grey one, is that of the management sector of business, politics, media. Their priorities are money and power, their belonging to the Nomenclatura takes the form of goods possessed and lifestyle, discretely, without ostentation. Quite to the contrary, the visible Nomenclatura, the bling Nomenclatura, exhibits its belonging to the upper class with a Look-at-me attitude which knows that its celebrity comes down to being known (the notion is that of Andy Warhol). These are the Pipole.
2)The Anonymous: «Anonymous» does not here mean «who has no name», but those « whose name is unknown»; those, in particular, unknown to the nomenclators. In France, ever since the funeral of Françcois Mitterand it seems to me, one has started to refer to ordinary people as : the «anonymous». «Hommage from the anonymous», repeated by journalists from one account to the next, on the occasion of reporting on a Pipole funeral. And here is meant the hommage of all those who are not members of the nomenclature of power and media, those who have no name...because journalists do not know their names. Each of them has a name but the journalist-nomenclator cannot announce it to his audience or readers. The Anonymous are the class of those whose name and face are not known.
In this two class system, the social advancement aim of the Anonymous is well defined:join the Nomenclature. The visible Nomenclature being by far the most exposed to scrutiny and envy, a life projet for an Anonymous is quickly formed to the crazy dream: becoming a Pipole! Being recognized on the street! And, to be pragmatic, there is only one way to get there: being seen on television! And there is why television is stupid, there is the source of all those fake remarks from «real people» ready to say or do anything to be seen on television, there lies the explanation to those television competions of vulgarity and submission to become the new «star»...the latest Pipole.
1 comment:
Thank you for the translation!
We are still looking for a publisher of this book in English.
Michel.Puech@paris-sorbonne.fr
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