The Experience Society
Life beyond Subjectivity
Svend BrinkmannA provocative account of how subjective experience rules society today.
In today’s ‘experience society’, everything is judged by personal experience, from online shopping to funerals. Value is measured by how satisfying an individual finds their experience, and the experience economy thrives on this desire for entertainment and fulfilment. Yet debates often reach an impasse when reduced to subjective feelings – whether offence is taken or criticisms are dismissed. Svend Brinkmann explores this cultural shift, examining how our reliance on subjective experience limits meaningful discussions and social cohesion. He argues for reclaiming a shared, objective reality, essential for tackling the major issues of our time, and for fostering genuine understanding beyond personal perceptions.
A provocative account of how subjective experience rules society today.
In today’s ‘experience society’, everything is judged by personal experience, from online shopping to funerals. Value is measured by how satisfying an individual finds their experience, and the experience economy thrives on this desire for entertainment and fulfilment. Yet debates often reach an impasse when reduced to subjective feelings – whether offence is taken or criticisms are dismissed. Svend Brinkmann explores this cultural shift, examining how our reliance on subjective experience limits meaningful discussions and social cohesion. He argues for reclaiming a shared, objective reality, essential for tackling the major issues of our time, and for fostering genuine understanding beyond personal perceptions.
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In this short, insightful book, Svend Brinkmann brings his characteristic perspicacity to bear on our society’s tendency to reduce life to experiences. Not content with simply diagnosing the problem, he also offers a way to consider our engagement with the world from a more productive and fully ethical perspective.
'Todd May, Nielsen Professor of the Humanities, Warren Wilson College, and author of Care: Reflections on Who We Are
Introduction
1 Welcome to the Experience Society
2 But That’s Just How You See It
3 Farewell to the Experience Society
References
Acknowledgements
Index
Svend Brinkmann is Professor of Psychology at Aalborg University, Denmark. He is the author of many bestselling books on philosophy and psychology including Think: In Defence of a Thoughtful Life (2024).