Money in the order of discourse: The symbolic function of money

Yaël Dosquet

Table of Contents

Abstract

Money symbolizes value, the sovereign, the people—in short, totality itself. But what is the role of this symbolization? Strictly speaking, the symbolic function of money is to quantify. Yet quantification is already riddled with philosophical problems. Therefore, this paper tries to demonstrate a Foucauldian problematization of the symbolic function of money, in terms of the power-knowledge relationship. Considering the symbolic function of money raises two kinds of issues. First, at the theoretical level, the issue of matching its (intensive) value and its (extensive) manifestation. And at the epistemological level, a problem of objectification of objectification, a self-referential problem of the truth value of value judgments (speculative bubble).

Codes JEL: B22, B40, E42, Z10.

Keywords

  • money
  • symbolic function
  • dematerialization process
  • rationality
  • governmentality

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