Capitalism of loneliness: the commodification of knowledge and cognitive alienation

Abstract

The capitalism of loneliness represents an extreme manifestation of neoliberalism, fragmenting human relationships and transforming personal, familial, and community bonds into economic transactions. This system commodifies everyday life, fosters emotional and social isolation, and privatizes knowledge and imagination, reducing public spaces for meaningful connection.

Digitalization exacerbates this disconnection by offering superficial links that reinforce alienation. Digital platforms exploit users' attention and data, while knowledge, once a collective good, becomes a commodity controlled by large corporations, perpetuating inequality and limiting the capacity to imagine alternatives.

This essay introduces relational value as a transformative alternative, prioritizing cooperation, reciprocity, and collective well-being. Unlike the neoliberal approach, relational value redefines the economy through meaningful interactions, shared knowledge, and sustainability. The concept of systemic viability is also presented, emphasizing the need for systems to strengthen human relationships and ensure community resilience against extractive and competitive dynamics.

Through a critique of the capitalist model, this paper highlights the necessity of reclaiming knowledge and imagination as commons, unlocking their potential to create social and ecological alternatives. This framework invites a rethinking of politics, economics, and technology from a relational perspective, where collective well-being and sustainability replace the logic of perpetual accumulation and consumption.

The analysis challenges current paradigms, offering a path forward that prioritizes human connection and shared resources, paving the way for a society grounded in meaningful, sustainable relationships.