French Literature Reviews - 2026
The Immaterial
Philosophy, Anthropology and Ideas
The Folio Essais collection is publishing an expanded edition of André Gorz's essay The Immaterial, featuring a preface by Christophe Fourel and Cédric Villani. Back in 2003, the philosopher examined the new logics of capitalism, which increasingly seeks surplus value in so-called "immaterial" labor grounded in knowledge. Driven by scientific and technological advancements, our intellects are now exploited much like raw materials. The dilemma is that knowledge, by nature free and open, runs counter to the competitive logic of the market. Monopolies, copyrights, patents, and the surveillance of professionals—all means are deployed to counter this and carve out whatever can be privatized from the common good. In such a system, which suffocates, divides, and alienates workers, how can we conceive of dissidence? With this critical essay, philosopher André Gorz laid the groundwork for a radical project of social transformation and outlined the contours of a new economy. Read an excerpt from the book...
As a counterpoint, readers may revisit the critical dossier of Acta Fabula dedicated, upon the initiative of Jacob Lachat, to "Memories of Labor". Additionally, looking further back, one can turn to the essay by Guillaume Pinson in Acta Fabula, "The Immaterial: Food for Thought", which reviews the volume The Production of the Immaterial: Theories, Representations, and Practices of Culture in the 19th Century (2008), now accessible online via OpenEdition.
André Gorz was a prominent European intellectual associated with political ecology and critiques of contemporary labor, notably exploring how post-industrial economies shift from material production to cognitive and immaterial forms of value generation. Readers interested in the philosophy of work and the political economy of knowledge may find this expanded edition relevant to ongoing debates about technology, intellectual property, and contemporary forms of social alienation.
The text addresses how scientific and technological developments have integrated human intellect into market logics, prompting various institutional mechanisms like copyrights, patents, and professional surveillance to enclose shared knowledge. This critical essay outlines the contours of a new economy and lays the groundwork for a radical project of social transformation in response to these developments.