The article is a critical essay analyzing Henrike Kohpeiß's new book, 'Bourgeois Coldness,' which examines the concept of coldness as an affective strategy of the bourgeois subject. Kohpeiß traces this subjectivity from its mythological roots in Homer's Odyssey to its modern manifestations, arguing that it is forged in and sustained by structures of racial exploitation and colonial power, despite claims of abolition.
The analysis matters because it connects classical philosophy, critical theory, and contemporary racial analysis to critique a persistent social order. By framing 'coldness' as a deliberate emotional technology that conceals ongoing domination, the essay contributes to broader cultural and political debates about subjectivity, race, and the enduring legacies of slavery within modern capitalist societies.