The image above showcases Can't Help Myself, a robotic art installation by Sun Yuan and Peng Yu, originally commissioned for the Guggenheim Museum. As the museum’s website explains, "the robot’s endless, repetitive dance presents an absurd, Sisyphean view of contemporary issues surrounding migration and sovereignty"
In a post from December 31, 2023, I reflected on a 2017 email that included a study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The post also featured a notable statement by José Mujica, the former President of Uruguay https://pacheco-torgal.blogspot.com/2023/12/unveiling-true-currency-of-life.html
When I asked GPT to explore the connection between these two pieces and the work of German philosophers Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer—who critiqued how economic, cultural, and political systems shape human thought, behavior, and freedom—the following analysis was generated, which is presented below.
PS - I find a significant flaw in the analysis. It overlooks the value of self-sacrifice and the importance of leaving a legacy discussed here https://19-pacheco-torgal-19.blogspot.com/2024/06/what-is-worst-thing-that-can-happen-to.html
1.
Alienation and Loss of Autonomy
At the heart of all three perspectives lies the concept of alienation, further developed by Adorno and Horkheimer. Alienation refers to the process by which individuals become estranged from their own labor, their time, and, ultimately, themselves in capitalist societies. Mujica’s critique emphasizes how the relentless pursuit of wealth alienates people from their autonomy, forcing them into a constant race against time, which capitalism treats as a commodity. Individuals work longer hours in the hope of achieving financial freedom, yet they end up losing their freedom because they have less time to enjoy the fruits of their labor. This idea is echoed in "Can’t Help Myself", where the robot starts with a semblance of autonomy—able to move freely and engage in graceful, almost joyful motions. Over time, however, it becomes trapped in the endless task of cleaning up its own hydraulic fluid, an allegory for the way workers are trapped in the maintenance of their own survival. Its movements, once fluid and full of potential, become increasingly mechanical, repetitive, and desperate. This mirrors the human experience under capitalism, where the individual’s time and energy are gradually consumed by the effort to simply keep going. The robot, like the worker, becomes alienated from its capacity for joy and creativity, reduced to a mere survival mechanism. Adorno and Horkheimer’s concept of the culture industry reinforces this idea of alienation. They argue that modern capitalist societies pacify individuals by commodifying culture, turning leisure into another form of labor. Through entertainment, advertising, and mass media, people are distracted and alienated from their potential for critical thinking and authentic self-expression. Like the robot, which can no longer engage in meaningful or creative action, individuals in capitalist societies are caught in cycles of passive consumption, losing their ability to engage freely with the world around them.
2. The Illusion of Control and Freedom
Another significant connection between these three perspectives is the illusion of control that capitalism perpetuates. Mujica’s statement critiques the belief that accumulating wealth brings control and freedom. He argues that the more individuals pursue material success, the more they lose their autonomy, as they become enslaved by the very systems they believe will liberate them. The paradox is that the pursuit of wealth often leads to a loss of freedom, as individuals are forced into rigid schedules, obligations, and responsibilities that consume their time and energy. This illusion of control is powerfully illustrated in "Can’t Help Myself". The robot, at first, appears to have control over its environment and actions, but as time passes, it becomes evident that it is trapped in a pre-programmed cycle. Its struggle to contain its hydraulic fluid becomes increasingly desperate, yet it can never fully succeed. The fluid, symbolizing both time and energy, continues to leak away, showing that the robot’s efforts are ultimately futile. No matter how hard it tries, it cannot escape its own programmed fate. This is a direct metaphor for how people in capitalist societies may feel: despite their efforts to gain control over their lives—whether through wealth, status, or labor—they are often trapped in systems beyond their control. Adorno and Horkheimer critique this illusion of freedom as a central aspect of the culture industry and capitalist ideology. They argue that the promise of freedom through consumption is a lie; instead of empowering individuals, capitalism creates dependencies that erode real autonomy. People become trapped in the constant need to consume, work, and conform, mistaking this for freedom when, in fact, they are merely fulfilling the needs of the system. The robot’s inability to escape its task mirrors the way people are unable to break free from the demands of capitalism, even as they believe they are working towards greater freedom and security.
3. The Sisyphean Struggle and the Absurd
A key philosophical connection between these three perspectives is the Sisyphean nature of existence under capitalism. Mujica’s point about people working harder only to lose time aligns with the image of the robot in a constant struggle to clean up its own fluid, only to see it continue to spill. This endless, repetitive task is a modern echo of the myth of Sisyphus, condemned to roll a boulder uphill for eternity without hope of success. Adorno and Horkheimer’s Dialectic of Enlightenment discusses how the rational systems of modernity—systems meant to bring order, progress, and freedom—often result in new forms of domination and irrationality. The robot’s pre-programmed fate, which it cannot escape despite its struggle, represents the ways in which individuals in capitalist societies may feel trapped in a system that promises freedom but delivers endless toil. In both cases, efforts to gain control or meaning within the system are ultimately self-defeating, leaving individuals with a sense of futility.This futility is central to the robot’s tragic end: after years of trying to contain the fluid, it eventually collapses, unable to continue. This collapse is not only physical but metaphorical, representing the exhaustion of the human spirit in a system that continually demands more effort without offering real fulfillment. In Mujica’s terms, it is the moment when individuals realize that the wealth or success they have been chasing has cost them their time, health, and happiness—commodities far more valuable than material goods.
At the heart of all three perspectives lies the concept of alienation, further developed by Adorno and Horkheimer. Alienation refers to the process by which individuals become estranged from their own labor, their time, and, ultimately, themselves in capitalist societies. Mujica’s critique emphasizes how the relentless pursuit of wealth alienates people from their autonomy, forcing them into a constant race against time, which capitalism treats as a commodity. Individuals work longer hours in the hope of achieving financial freedom, yet they end up losing their freedom because they have less time to enjoy the fruits of their labor. This idea is echoed in "Can’t Help Myself", where the robot starts with a semblance of autonomy—able to move freely and engage in graceful, almost joyful motions. Over time, however, it becomes trapped in the endless task of cleaning up its own hydraulic fluid, an allegory for the way workers are trapped in the maintenance of their own survival. Its movements, once fluid and full of potential, become increasingly mechanical, repetitive, and desperate. This mirrors the human experience under capitalism, where the individual’s time and energy are gradually consumed by the effort to simply keep going. The robot, like the worker, becomes alienated from its capacity for joy and creativity, reduced to a mere survival mechanism. Adorno and Horkheimer’s concept of the culture industry reinforces this idea of alienation. They argue that modern capitalist societies pacify individuals by commodifying culture, turning leisure into another form of labor. Through entertainment, advertising, and mass media, people are distracted and alienated from their potential for critical thinking and authentic self-expression. Like the robot, which can no longer engage in meaningful or creative action, individuals in capitalist societies are caught in cycles of passive consumption, losing their ability to engage freely with the world around them.
2. The Illusion of Control and Freedom
Another significant connection between these three perspectives is the illusion of control that capitalism perpetuates. Mujica’s statement critiques the belief that accumulating wealth brings control and freedom. He argues that the more individuals pursue material success, the more they lose their autonomy, as they become enslaved by the very systems they believe will liberate them. The paradox is that the pursuit of wealth often leads to a loss of freedom, as individuals are forced into rigid schedules, obligations, and responsibilities that consume their time and energy. This illusion of control is powerfully illustrated in "Can’t Help Myself". The robot, at first, appears to have control over its environment and actions, but as time passes, it becomes evident that it is trapped in a pre-programmed cycle. Its struggle to contain its hydraulic fluid becomes increasingly desperate, yet it can never fully succeed. The fluid, symbolizing both time and energy, continues to leak away, showing that the robot’s efforts are ultimately futile. No matter how hard it tries, it cannot escape its own programmed fate. This is a direct metaphor for how people in capitalist societies may feel: despite their efforts to gain control over their lives—whether through wealth, status, or labor—they are often trapped in systems beyond their control. Adorno and Horkheimer critique this illusion of freedom as a central aspect of the culture industry and capitalist ideology. They argue that the promise of freedom through consumption is a lie; instead of empowering individuals, capitalism creates dependencies that erode real autonomy. People become trapped in the constant need to consume, work, and conform, mistaking this for freedom when, in fact, they are merely fulfilling the needs of the system. The robot’s inability to escape its task mirrors the way people are unable to break free from the demands of capitalism, even as they believe they are working towards greater freedom and security.
3. The Sisyphean Struggle and the Absurd
A key philosophical connection between these three perspectives is the Sisyphean nature of existence under capitalism. Mujica’s point about people working harder only to lose time aligns with the image of the robot in a constant struggle to clean up its own fluid, only to see it continue to spill. This endless, repetitive task is a modern echo of the myth of Sisyphus, condemned to roll a boulder uphill for eternity without hope of success. Adorno and Horkheimer’s Dialectic of Enlightenment discusses how the rational systems of modernity—systems meant to bring order, progress, and freedom—often result in new forms of domination and irrationality. The robot’s pre-programmed fate, which it cannot escape despite its struggle, represents the ways in which individuals in capitalist societies may feel trapped in a system that promises freedom but delivers endless toil. In both cases, efforts to gain control or meaning within the system are ultimately self-defeating, leaving individuals with a sense of futility.This futility is central to the robot’s tragic end: after years of trying to contain the fluid, it eventually collapses, unable to continue. This collapse is not only physical but metaphorical, representing the exhaustion of the human spirit in a system that continually demands more effort without offering real fulfillment. In Mujica’s terms, it is the moment when individuals realize that the wealth or success they have been chasing has cost them their time, health, and happiness—commodities far more valuable than material goods.
