Silence as an (anti-)value in a consumerist world

Abstract

The “civilization of the scream” is a product of the consumerist world. Silence, as an existential, social, and axiological value, has become scarce. The lack of silence affects the fundamental conditions of thought, freedom, and human dignity. From the perspective of acoustic ecology, the lack of silence demonstrates the degradation of the soundscape due to an excess of anthropogenic sounds and the process of human desensitization, which, under the influence of noise, becomes increasingly indifferent to the world and other people. At the same time, silence has an ambivalent nature: it is also a source of anxiety in a culture dominated by the logic of productivity and activity. A particular problem is the process of commodification of silence, which transforms from a common good into a luxury commodity available for a fee and for the few. It is essential to universally protect the right to silence, to recognize silence as a harmful pollutant that makes humans sick and enslaved. Silence appears as a necessary condition for being thoughtful and free.