Anthropomorphic Capital and Commonwealth Value

Area of Science:

• Socioeconomics
• Political Economy
• Digital Sociology

Background:

• Contemporary capitalism's accumulation processes are increasingly reliant on the concept of the "common"—resources essential for social interaction and production.
• The "common" is a heterogeneous category, manifesting in this analysis as the digital common (network value) and the common of social reproduction (anthropomorphic capital).

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the accumulation process in contemporary capitalism, focusing on the exploitation of the "common."
• To investigate "network value" derived from social media and big data industries.
• To examine "social reproduction" and its role in generating "anthropomorphic capital."

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of "common," "network value," and "social reproduction."
• Exploration of "anthropomorphic capital" as the productive capture of life's essence by contemporary labor organizations.
• Reference to empirical research "Commonfare-Pie News" to support findings.

Main Results:

• "Network value" emerges from individual lives within relational contexts dominated by social media and big data.
• Social reproduction activities are central to economic accumulation, creating "anthropomorphic capital" by valorizing life's complexity.
• A paradox is observed: surplus value generalizes despite declining waged employment, indicating a subsumption of life itself by capital.

Conclusions:

• Capitalism is increasingly transforming human beings into capital, with human existence becoming a field for accumulation ("human capital").
• This phenomenon, termed "anthropomorphic capital" or the "economy of interiority," signifies a profound "life subsumption" beyond mere labor subsumption.
• Empirical evidence suggests life is increasingly subjected to capitalistic valorization logic.