ABSTRACT
The capitalist system has long acquired qualifiers meant to describe the experience of living and working within an apparently merciless economic structure. It has been described as heartless, soulless, disastrous, cold, and cruel because the logic of markets, devoid of affection and sympathy, is said to inexorably corrode social bonds and symbolic values. As both an economic system and a social and cultural institution, capitalism does not just operate through business circuits, but also leverages images and narratives, which in turn impact emotions, social interactions, and how people experience living with capitalism. Drawing on case studies from Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and the United States, this volume explores how talking about capitalism and imagining the economy become integral to the system's operation. It historicizes current discontents with capitalism by examining the long tradition of morally and emotionally evaluating the economy. Bringing together contributions from history, philosophy, cultural studies, and literary studies, the book offers a dialogue on the global history of capitalism. The authors go beyond imaginaries and narratives to critically engage with the emotions at play in this contested field to examine the feelings capitalism is supposed to engender and how historical actors have declared it makes them feel?
