People
Georges Bataille

Georges Bataille photo

Georges Bataille Quotes

Total quotes: 2

Georges Bataille photo

Georges Bataille

Birthname

Birthday: September 10, 1897

Birthplace: Billom, France

Death: July 9, 1962

Educated At: École Nationale Des Chartes

Nationality: France, Republic Democratic Of Congo

Occupations: Librarian, Literary Critic, Philosopher, Novelist, Writer

Spouse: Diane Kotchoubey De Beauharnais, Sylvia Bataille

Total quotes: 2

“We accumulate wealth in the prospect of a continual expansion, but in societies different from ours the prevalent principle was the contrary one of wasting or losing wealth, of giving or destroying it. Accumulated wealth has the same sense as work; wealth wasted or destroyed in tribal potlatch has the contrary sense of play. Accumulated wealth has nothing but a subordinate value, but wealth that is wasted or destroyed has, to the eyes of those who waste it, or destroy it, a sovereign value: it serves nothing ulterior; only this wastage itself, or this fascinating destruction. Its present sense: its wastage, or the gift that one makes of it, is its final reason for being, and it is due to this that its sense is not able to be put off, and must be in the instant. But it is consumed in that instant. This can be magnificent: those who know how to appreciate consumption are dazzled, but nothing remains of it.”

— Georges Bataille, The Accursed Share: an Essay on General Economy, Vol. 1: Consumption

Tagged: Vetements, Wealth Destruction, Spending Money As Play

“I dream of the unstable presence of waters interior to water.”

— Georges Bataille, The Thirst for Annihilation: Georges Bataille and Virulent Nihilism

Tagged: Water, Unstable, Fluidity, Change Within The Folds of Change

loading next page...