‘One‐Dimensional Man’

Abstract

Critical accounts of Amis's Money tend to assert that John Self is a representation of postmodernism. This article casts new light on Self by showing that he may be read as an embodiment of positivism. Self's inability to think speculatively and creatively; his eschewal of moral responsibility in his relationships with others, combined with the materiality of his desires and concerns, shows that he is very much a product of positivism – an outlook that is intimately supportive of, and championed by, classical and late capitalism. This article begins with an exploration of the ways in which positivism is fostered in capitalist societies. It then moves on to a consideration of those aspects of Self's personality – namely his intolerance of difference, respect for hierarchy and order, and his trust in the reality of money – that cannot be assimilated into a postmodern reading, and that intimate a positivist outlook. Finally, the article explores the two facets of his personality that are the most conspicuous tokens of his positivism and which he also struggles against – with the aid of Martina Twain – in a bid to recover a stable life: his paucity of emotional feeling for others and his inability to interpret or think speculatively.