The Limits of Agency vs. the Platform Economy and Power

The text analyzes the tension between individual agency and systemic barriers of power within the context of the theory of Black Democratic Perfectionism. The author argues that subjectivity and personal development alone are insufficient to break structural asymmetry, especially in the platform economy. It critically examines the risk of excessive individual responsibilization, which may resemble the neoliberal model of self-improvement. A key element of the analysis is the distinction between associative power (resulting from organization) and structural and market power. The conclusions indicate that even strongly organized groups can lose to capital if they lack strategic resources or control over infrastructure, making the ethics of self-creation alone insufficient in the face of hard economic structures.