Theft as Profanation: Transgressing the Religion of Spectacle

Abstract

According to Walter Benjamin, capitalism has been established as a religion that is based on a cult which has no dogma, no rest, and no atonement. This new religion does not require the faith of its followers, allowing everyone to believe what they want as long as they remain dedicated at all times to the cult that holds them accountable. For this reason, capitalism seems to be a sacrosanct religion, in which every social relationship is directed by worship and is mediated by a sacred image. In this paper, I will analyze the religious nature of capitalism based on Guy Debord’s 1967 concept of spectacle and explore how this cult-like religion can be desecrated through the theft of commodities. When they are stolen, the supreme goal of the capitalist economy is not realized. Products are consumed without payment. When stolen, commercial circulation is interrupted, and objects are accessed without the mediation of money. For this reason, the exchange value of the commodity, which forms the basis of this religion’s sacredness, is dismantled. The following reflection aims to investigate how theft subverts the mandate of consumption by circumventing exchange value and, consequently, the metaphysical dimension of the capitalist commodity.