Jonathan Nitzan, Shimshon Bichler: Capital as Power. A Study of Order and Creorder (2009)
Filed under book | Tags: · capital, capitalism, economy, globalisation, liberalism, marxism, political economy, politics, power, theory of value
Conventional theories of capitalism are mired in a deep crisis: after centuries of debate, they are still unable to tell us what capital is. Liberals and Marxists both think of capital as an ‘economic’ entity that they count in universal units of ‘utils’ or ‘abstract labour’, respectively. But these units are totally fictitious. Nobody has ever been able to observe or measure them, and for a good reason: they don’t exist. Since liberalism and Marxism depend on these non-existing units, their theories hang in suspension. They cannot explain the process that matters most – the accumulation of capital.
This book offers a radical alternative. According to the authors, capital is not a narrow economic entity, but a symbolic quantification of power. It has little to do with utility or abstract labour, and it extends far beyond machines and production lines. Capital, the authors claim, represents the organized power of dominant capital groups to reshape – or creorder – their society.
Written in simple language, accessible to lay readers and experts alike, the book develops a novel political economy. It takes the reader through the history, assumptions and limitations of mainstream economics and its associated theories of politics. It examines the evolution of Marxist thinking on accumulation and the state. And it articulates an innovative theory of ‘capital as power’ and a new history of the ‘capitalist mode of power’.
Publisher Routledge, London and New York, 2009
RIPE Series in Global Political Economy
ISBN 0203876326, 9780203876329
463 pages
The electronic version of this work is protected by CreativeCommons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 2.5 Canada
reviews (Jordan Brennan; D.T. Cochrane; Ulf Martin, Nestor D’Alessio and Harald Wolf; Mark Fisher; Vineeth Mathoor)
authors
publisher
google books
Minqi Li: The Rise of China and the Demise of the Capitalist World-Economy (2008)
Filed under book | Tags: · capitalism, china, economics, economy, hegemony, marxism, neoliberalism, political economy, politics
China’s increasing power in the global economy is destabilizing the established system. This book analyses the possible historical trajectories of China and the capitalist world-economy in the twenty-first century.
Minqi Li examines the future global prospects from the perspectives of Marxism, world-system theories, and ecological limits to growth. He argues that China is likely to exacerbate many of the major contradictions of world capitalism, which could lead to the demise of the existing world-system.
This is an essential text for students of political economy, economics and global politics.
Publisher Pluto Press, 2008
ISBN 0745327729, 9780745327723
208 pages
review (Brian Holmes)
wikipedia
publisher
google books
Philippe Aigrain: Cause commune: l’information entre bien commun et propriété (2005) [French]
Filed under book | Tags: · capitalism, commons, digital human rights, economy, freedom of information, information technology, intellectual property, property rights, technology
L’information et ses technologies refaçonnent notre univers technique, social et éthique, mais ces bouleversements se font dans deux directions opposées selon que l’on choisit d’en encourager l’appropriation privée ou d’en faire des biens communs.
D’un côté, l’extension des domaines couverts par les brevets (molécules pharmaceutiques, variétés végétales, séquences génétiques, logiciels) restreint, pour le profit de quelques multinationales, l’accès à des ressources essentielles telles que les médicaments, les semences et l’information. La concentration des médias – notamment audiovisuels – menace la démocratie là où elle existe.
De l’autre côté, la production et le partage de l’information et des créations sont plus libres qu’avant, et la multiplication des échanges esquisse une société mondiale, diverse et solidaire. Les médias coopératifs, les logiciels libres, les publications scientifiques ouvertes et les autres biens communs réinventent la démocratie.
Comment les acteurs de ces nouveaux domaines peuvent-ils faire cause commune par-delà ce qui sépare les logiciels des ressources biologiques, ou l’art des sciences ?
Comment l’information peut-elle servir les biens publicssociaux de la santé, de l’éducation ou de la solidarité au lieu de contribuer à les détruire ?
Quelles alliances peut-on envisager entre les sociétés et les États, gardiens irremplaçables des biens communs épuisables que sont l’eau ou l’air ?
Dans cet ouvrage, Philippe Aigrain analyse les causes et les origines d’une situation paradoxale et les tensions qu’elle suscite. Il propose une politique qui remette les êtres humains aux commandes de ces transformations.
Publisher Fayard, 2005
Collection Transversales series
ISBN 2213623058, 9782213623054
283 pages
La version électronique du livre est mise à disposition sous un contrat Creative Commons BY-NC-ND.
author
publisher
series
google books