The essay "Immaterial Labor," published in the 1996 collection Radical Thought in Italy, established the research trajectory of Maurizio Lazzarato, who focuses on the transformation of wage labor and cognitive capitalism. Born in 1955, the Italian theorist transitioned from political activism in his home country to a career as a sociologist and philosopher based in Paris, France.
Early Activism and Relocation
During the 1970s, Lazzarato studied at the University of Padua. He was an active participant in the Autonomia Operaia workers' movement in Italy. Toward the end of that decade, he left Italy for France to avoid political prosecution, although the associated legal charges were eventually abandoned by the 1990s. He remains a resident of Paris.
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Lazzarato serves as a researcher at Matisse/CNRS at the Pantheon-Sorbonne University, also known as the University of Paris I. He is a member of the Collège international de philosophie and was a founding board member of the journal Multitudes. His academic work spans the fields of philosophy, sociology, and political theory.
Conceptualizing Debt and Subjectivity
In "The Making of the Indebted Man," Lazzarato argues that the creditor-debtor relationship is the fundamental category of economics. He posits that modern economies require the socialization of individuals to accept debt repayment as an ethical obligation. He refers to this formation of individual subjects as subjectivation.
Critique of Neoliberal Governance
The work "Governing by Debt" extends these concepts to state and corporate actions. Lazzarato views financial capitalism as the most pure form of the system, involving the direct conversion of money into further capital. He characterizes American student debt as a primary example of this credit-based economy. To disrupt these structures, he suggests the refusal of work, arguing that populations are unfairly socialized to accept guilt and responsibility for financial crises caused by state and capitalist entities.
Fast facts
- Born: 1955
- Citizenship: France
- Primary Residence: Paris, France
- Academic Affiliation: Pantheon-Sorbonne University
- Notable Publication: The Making of the Indebted Man
- Notable Publication: Governing by Debt
- Key Field: Cognitive Capitalism
- Early Affiliation: Autonomia Operaia
Questions readers ask
What is the focus of Lazzarato's research on immaterial labor?
His work examines the transformation of wage labor and the nature of cognitive capitalism within the modern economic framework.
How does Lazzarato define the function of debt?
He views debt as a social instrument used to create subjects who feel guilt and responsibility, ensuring the stability of financial systems.
Achievements
- Fields: sociology, philosophy and political theory
