The initial concept of this text is the problem conclusion which claims that capitalism as a
way of life has become so dominant that it systematically permeates the individual’s complete
time, their ...working hours as well as their free time. In other words, man’s free time has been
overtaken by the system and completely subjected to economy. And it is run by the government
(Katunarić, 1986). Further in the text a question arises: How long “will it take to deliver the potentials of human nature (…) which are entwined in the economy of free time” (Katunarić, 1986: 110). Otherwise “every progress that is made in production using passive production classes can only help facilitate the separation and strengthening of the new upper class” (Katunarić, 1986: 111). This leads to a deeper problem situation in which individuals are being turned into passive groups and social communities, which makes the entire society passive and mediocre.
According to Supek, the solution is in sharpening the “citizens’ self-consciousness”, which
could bring success in removing passivity and non-critical human consciousness. The entire
process could be developed from the foundational “loneliness” of the citizen, which implies a
safe distance from market consumerism. Self-consciousness, caused by personal loneliness, i.e.,
critical detachment from everyday life, would be strengthened and critically open toward itself
and the society in which the person lives. And then it would be able to “do as it pleased”, and
not as it has been ordered from a higher instance. This foundational and critically detached loneliness of citizens could be understood as a good and fresh experience of time in an independent and autonomous space of freedom, where a person could finally be able to achieve their own free time in a way that is largely different than just mere passive doing nothing.
