Bataille's "La Part maudite"

Bataille's "La Part Maudite" (The Accursed Share) explores how societies and individuals allocate excess energy, wealth, and resources beyond what is necessary for survival. He posits that humanity's surplus—whether in economic, artistic, or cultural forms—tends to be expressed through extravagant consumption, festivals, or destruction. This surplus reveals a fundamental, unquenchable drive that challenges rational views of utility and productivity. Bataille views this "waste" not as meaningless but as essential to understanding human nature, fostering community, and transcending mere utility towards a deeper, often tabooed, expression of life’s excesses.