A central part of the argument of this book is that a precondition for the development and stabilization of mass consumer capitalism was that the use value of commodities became construed narrowly in terms of their material properties, with little consideration given to the broader contextual conditions required for their use. It was by virtue of use values being construed in this way that the wage relation could be represented as an exchange of commensurable substances. The mid-century concern about planned obsolescence reflects this preoccupation with fixing use, and especially a duration of use, in commodity objects. The moral force behind the negative reaction to planned obsolescence is at least in part plausibly explained by an underlying concern, implicit in the wage compact, with a just and fair exchange of use values.
- Diferent Versions of Planned Obsolescence
What did people mean in mid-century America when they made use of the term planned obsolescence? Commentators writing at the time identified three kinds of planned obsolescence, which I will call material obsolescence, style obsolescence, and technical obsolescence.
Material planned obsolescence, the most straightforward of the three, is obsolescence caused by breakage. The product becomes obsolete because it has become physically compromised to the point that it is no longer able to perform the function it is meant to perform.
Style obsolescence, also referred to as “psychological obsolescence,” has a more subjective character. The product is able to function properly but is obsolescent because it is no longer the latest model of its kind. Not being “up to date” produces an impetus in consumers (the nature of which is unclear) to substitute a newer version of the product for an older one. The paradigmatic example of this is the obsolescence of older automobile models caused by yearly changes in model style (a practice begun by General Motors in the 1920s).
Technical obsolescence is obsolescence resulting from a change in the context of use that afects the use value of a product. The product retains its physical integrity, and indeed possibly also its psychological appeal, but is no longer compatible with other objects required for its proper functioning. This kind of obsolescence often follows changes in industry standards. An example would be an outdated computer, which can no longer perform certain tasks because current software requires more powerful hardware, while the older software that the machine can run is no longer supported.
Moral Panic about Utility
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