Review of Radical Political Economics, Apr 28, 2014
labor in contemporary capitalism has been secularly rising. One basic component of wasted labor i... more labor in contemporary capitalism has been secularly rising. One basic component of wasted labor is guard labor which prevents consumers from appropriating commodities without any payment. Moreover, guard labor in the work place, along with surveillance over workers, also contributes to the decreasing autonomy of workers. In the final chapter “Where Do We Go From Here?” he tries to give us a reprieve by indicating that the end of capitalism is more feasible than currently imagined, even more likely than the possible end of the earth we live in. Moreover, in this chapter, there is a reasonable warning that as long as we do not refuse to endure the banalities and atrocities of Procrusteanism, individual and social development will continue to be blocked. Besides constituting an important contribution to the academic discussion about the effects of widely implemented economic policies on the working population, this book also provides a good emplacement for labor movements. Up to now, most of the critiques against Procrusteanism have mainly focused on wage depression, increasing flexibility and feminization, de-unionization, and stratification that erodes the solidarity of the class. This book exhibits an admirable effort to show the corrosive effects on workers’ capabilities, personalities, and development potentials. One last encouraging dimension of the book should be underlined. Especially since the collapse of the Soviet system, the left has tended to sacrifice fantasia in the name of theoria. It seems that most of us have lost our visions of a non-capitalist future and this, unwittingly, eternalizes capitalism. This book is an immense and genuine effort to revitalize the post-capitalist fantasia. Serdal Bahçe Department of Public Finance, Faculty of Political Sciences, Ankara University, Cemal Gürsel Bulvar, O6590 Cebeci Ankara E-mail: sbahce@politics.ankara.edu.tr
This essay is a response to the recent exchange between Paul Marshall and Timothy Rutzou on criti... more This essay is a response to the recent exchange between Paul Marshall and Timothy Rutzou on critical realism and integral theory in Journal of Critical Realism 11(2), in which integral theory was designated by Rutzou 'a poisoned chalice' for critical realism. It argues that, while integral theory could benefit greatly from the adoption of critical realist ontology, metacritique and the structural analysis of politics, critical realism could benefit even more from the scientific syntheses achieved by integral theory, especially developmental psychology, cultural anthro- pology and transpersonal psychology.
ABSTRACT In this review article, I survey books by three authors, each of which address the issue... more ABSTRACT In this review article, I survey books by three authors, each of which address the issues of debt and personal indebtedness. The authors are: Greta Krippner; David Graeber; and Maurizio Lazzarato. They argue, and I agree, that whilst money is broadly beneficial, its use in a capitalist context increases personal indebtedness, subjugates the individual, and reduces freedom. I briefly outline their positions, each of which make important contributions. However – contrary to Krippner’s lack of normative commitment, Graeber’s suggestion that we need to forgive the debt and start again, or Lazzarato’s suggestion that we should to stop paying back debt and refuse to work – I suggest that we need to return to socialist principles, based on the premise that capitalism is no alternative.
This paper argues that Piketty’s historical measurement and analysis of inequality is a massive a... more This paper argues that Piketty’s historical measurement and analysis of inequality is a massive and welcomed contribution. However, Piketty is less successful in identifying the underlying causes generating inequality and stagnation. The neo-classical theoretical framework he employs is ill-equipped to understand the systemic tendencies towards inequality and stagnation as based on exploitation. Following Piketty’s plea to ‘all citizens’ to ‘take a serious interest in money’ this paper reinterprets inequality as hyperliberalism, or historically new triple process of exploitation, manifest primarily from the process of financialization. It is argued that Marxian political economy is in the strongest theoretical position to understand and explain financialization and exploitation, hence inequality and stagnation.
Paul M. Sweezy wrote in 1982, "it is my impression that the economics profession has not yet... more Paul M. Sweezy wrote in 1982, "it is my impression that the economics profession has not yet begun to resume the debate over stagnation which was so abruptly interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War." Thirty years later things appear to have changed. Former U.S. Secretary of Treasury Larry Summers shocked economists with his remarks regarding "stagnation" at the IMF Research Conference in November 2013, and he later published these ideas in the <em>Financial…
Review of Radical Political Economics, Apr 28, 2014
labor in contemporary capitalism has been secularly rising. One basic component of wasted labor i... more labor in contemporary capitalism has been secularly rising. One basic component of wasted labor is guard labor which prevents consumers from appropriating commodities without any payment. Moreover, guard labor in the work place, along with surveillance over workers, also contributes to the decreasing autonomy of workers. In the final chapter “Where Do We Go From Here?” he tries to give us a reprieve by indicating that the end of capitalism is more feasible than currently imagined, even more likely than the possible end of the earth we live in. Moreover, in this chapter, there is a reasonable warning that as long as we do not refuse to endure the banalities and atrocities of Procrusteanism, individual and social development will continue to be blocked. Besides constituting an important contribution to the academic discussion about the effects of widely implemented economic policies on the working population, this book also provides a good emplacement for labor movements. Up to now, most of the critiques against Procrusteanism have mainly focused on wage depression, increasing flexibility and feminization, de-unionization, and stratification that erodes the solidarity of the class. This book exhibits an admirable effort to show the corrosive effects on workers’ capabilities, personalities, and development potentials. One last encouraging dimension of the book should be underlined. Especially since the collapse of the Soviet system, the left has tended to sacrifice fantasia in the name of theoria. It seems that most of us have lost our visions of a non-capitalist future and this, unwittingly, eternalizes capitalism. This book is an immense and genuine effort to revitalize the post-capitalist fantasia. Serdal Bahçe Department of Public Finance, Faculty of Political Sciences, Ankara University, Cemal Gürsel Bulvar, O6590 Cebeci Ankara E-mail: sbahce@politics.ankara.edu.tr
This essay is a response to the recent exchange between Paul Marshall and Timothy Rutzou on criti... more This essay is a response to the recent exchange between Paul Marshall and Timothy Rutzou on critical realism and integral theory in Journal of Critical Realism 11(2), in which integral theory was designated by Rutzou 'a poisoned chalice' for critical realism. It argues that, while integral theory could benefit greatly from the adoption of critical realist ontology, metacritique and the structural analysis of politics, critical realism could benefit even more from the scientific syntheses achieved by integral theory, especially developmental psychology, cultural anthro- pology and transpersonal psychology.
ABSTRACT In this review article, I survey books by three authors, each of which address the issue... more ABSTRACT In this review article, I survey books by three authors, each of which address the issues of debt and personal indebtedness. The authors are: Greta Krippner; David Graeber; and Maurizio Lazzarato. They argue, and I agree, that whilst money is broadly beneficial, its use in a capitalist context increases personal indebtedness, subjugates the individual, and reduces freedom. I briefly outline their positions, each of which make important contributions. However – contrary to Krippner’s lack of normative commitment, Graeber’s suggestion that we need to forgive the debt and start again, or Lazzarato’s suggestion that we should to stop paying back debt and refuse to work – I suggest that we need to return to socialist principles, based on the premise that capitalism is no alternative.
This paper argues that Piketty’s historical measurement and analysis of inequality is a massive a... more This paper argues that Piketty’s historical measurement and analysis of inequality is a massive and welcomed contribution. However, Piketty is less successful in identifying the underlying causes generating inequality and stagnation. The neo-classical theoretical framework he employs is ill-equipped to understand the systemic tendencies towards inequality and stagnation as based on exploitation. Following Piketty’s plea to ‘all citizens’ to ‘take a serious interest in money’ this paper reinterprets inequality as hyperliberalism, or historically new triple process of exploitation, manifest primarily from the process of financialization. It is argued that Marxian political economy is in the strongest theoretical position to understand and explain financialization and exploitation, hence inequality and stagnation.
Paul M. Sweezy wrote in 1982, "it is my impression that the economics profession has not yet... more Paul M. Sweezy wrote in 1982, "it is my impression that the economics profession has not yet begun to resume the debate over stagnation which was so abruptly interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War." Thirty years later things appear to have changed. Former U.S. Secretary of Treasury Larry Summers shocked economists with his remarks regarding "stagnation" at the IMF Research Conference in November 2013, and he later published these ideas in the <em>Financial…
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