Optimism plays an essential role in the overall approaches to interpreting the world around people. The piece explores the concept of cruel optimism in regard to Karl Marx’s ideas and the American Dream. Delusional belief and thinking are the root causes of these underlying issues, which can harm both the one who promotes the view and oppose it. Therefore, it is important to critically assess the given notion of optimism.
The piece primarily revolves around the perseverance of Marxist ideas and the American Dream as one of the examples of cruel optimism. The author mostly adheres to the argument that both of these connotations are impractical and improbable to be realized as people expect due to their inherent flaws (Berlant, 2007). Despite numerous failures of the incorporation of Marxism into the political and economic spheres, people still try and continue to believe that it can be done. A similar comparison is drawn in regard to the American Dream, which is also an instance of delusional cruel optimism (Berlant, 2007). I feel that the author has done an outstanding job on the concept, which is why I am in full agreement with the piece. The questions to the article are as follows:
- Is the idea of the Invisible Hand also an example of cruel optimism?
- How can Marxist ideas can be realized in a realistic way?
In conclusion, cruel optimism is an integral part of understanding the world and its vital elements. The writing actively questions the very foundations of Marxist ideas as well as the American Dream. They are, indeed, seem to be the cases of cruel optimism, where they have shown their impracticality, but people still are trying to realize them. Therefore, the piece provides a critical analysis and insight into these important matters.
Reference
Berlant, L. (2007). Cruel optimism: On Marx, loss and the senses. Lawrence & Wishart Ltd.