Daniel Cohen (1953–2023) was director of the Economics Department at the École Normale Supérieure and a founding member of the Paris School of Economics. His books include The Infinite Desire for Growth (Princeton), Globalization and Its Enemies, and The Prosperity of Vice: A Worried View of Economics. How populism is fueled by the demise of the industrial order and the emergence of a new digital society ruled by algorithms
In the revolutionary excitement of the 1960s, young people around the world called for a radical shift away from the old industrial order, imagining a future of technological liberation and unfettered prosperity. Industrial society did collapse, and a digital economy has risen to take its place, yet many have been left feeling marginalized and deprived of the possibility of a better life. The Inglorious Years explores the many ways we have been let down by the rising tide of technology, showing how our new interconnectivity is not fulfilling its promise.
In this revelatory book, economist Daniel Cohen describes how today's postindustrial society is transforming us all into sequences of data that can be manipulated by algorithms from anywhere on the planet. As yesterday's assembly line was replaced by working online, the leftist protests of the 1960s have given way to angry protests by the populist right. Cohen demonstrates how the digital economy creates the same mix of promises and disappointments as the old industrial order, and how it revives questions about society that are as relevant to us today as they were to the ancients.
Brilliant and provocative, The Inglorious Years discusses what the new digital society holds in store for us, and reveals how can we once again regain control of our lives. "A welcome addition to the growing literature on the digital economy and change." "Stimulating." "Drawing on disciplines ranging from economics to psychoanalysis, Daniel Cohen proposes an impressive analysis of the key forces at work in the past fifty years, showing how changes in industrial society have led to a digital age full of difficulties and dislocations. Readers will find much to ponder in this most enlightening book."-Xavier Gabaix, Harvard University "A highly enjoyable and interesting read. Showing how the roots of the digital revolution can be traced back to the ideals of the sixties, Cohen's forceful and compelling book adds depth and perspective to our current predicament."-Hugo Drochon, author of Nietzsche's Great Politics "Cohen synthesizes a wealth of frontier work in economics and the other social sciences to help us make sense of contemporary political, social, and cultural events. This is a must-read book."-Gabriel Zucman, author of The Hidden Wealth of Nations: The Scourge of Tax Havens
