Revisiting Post-May 1968 French Theory: Critical Thought and Data Capitalism

This essay explores the critical crisis stemming from the normalization of data-driven capitalism in the neoliberal era. It proposes the concept of subjectivization of anachronism, developed by French philosophers in the 1960s, as a potential avenue for revitalizing critical thought. The rise of data capitalism, characterized by big tech-driven accumulation, emerged as a distinct mode of capitalist production during the postwar US-centric Cold War era and subsequent globalization from the 1950s onward. As artificial intelligence heralds a new technological paradigm shift, this essay examines the possibilities for critical subjectivity within this evolving landscape. By drawing on insights from 1960s French philosophy – a cornerstone of contemporary critical theory – the essay aims to reassess and reinvigorate critical discourse in the age of data capitalism.