The Well Tempered Self

Miller contends that the modern capitalist state musters a variety of mixed messages about the nature of citizenship and the self. Using case studies, he examines mass entertainment, political discourse, and methods of resistance to powerful cultural forces. In "The Well-Tempered Self", Miller contends that the modern capitalist state musters a variety of mixed messages about the nature of citizenship and the self. Miller argues that capitalism's democratic politics requires selfless, community-minded citizens, while its economics depends on selfish, utilitarian consumers. To fulfil these conflicting needs for political order and economic prosperity, powerful cultural forces are employed to instill a sense of "ethical incompleteness". Citizens are then offered political, cultural and economic opportunities to become better, happier and more fulfilled - opportunities that, in turn, encourage loyalty to both the political and economic systems. In a series of case studies that demonstrate this process, Miller examines mass entertainment, political discourse, and methods of resistance to these powerful cultural forces.