I am glad that I could make a small contribution* to celebrate this great colleague – it is always a pleasure to meet a person that is ready to stand up, to move things – to sit down – to seriously discuss issues, and to be around – just to have a good time together. Zsuzsa, thank you!!
* I cannot set the link to the actual publication
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The day after the symposium was the day of … – well, it was not really holiday. It was about other meetings – the many ambassadors that participated in the symposium had been now “replaced” by the individual ambassadors: instead of meeting the ambassadors as collaborators, it was now meeting the ambassadors. One could think: they represent their country; but they also may represent themselves – just having a job, living in another country than that of their origin and somewhat “merging images and expectations” – at least in some cases. If one would not know the mechanisms that are behind of being sent on mission into the different countries one could occasionally get the impression ambassadors come to the country that they see “as their own”, the country in which they would really like to live … . Perhaps it is about extremely privileged people who are able to live up to the Aristotelean “vision” that
[t]he ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival.
[t]he current financial crisis can make us overlook the fact that it originated in a profound human crisis: the denial of the primacy of the human person.(Evangelii Gaudium, 2013)
those who come too late are castigated by history
(Mikhail Gorbachev)
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The current financial crisis can make us overlook the fact that it originated in a profound human crisis: the denial of the primacy of the human person.
(Evangelii Gaudium, 2013)
The market pattern, on the other hand, being related to a peculiar motive of its own, the motive of truck or barter, is capable of creating a specific institution, namely, the market. Ultimately, that is why the control of the economic system by the market is of overwhelming consequence to the whole organization of society: it means no less than the running of society as an adjunct to the market. Instead of economy being embedded in social relations, social relations are embedded in the economic system. The vital importance of the economic factor to the existence of society precludes any other result. For once the economic system is organized in separate institutions, based on specific motives and conferring a special status, society must be shaped in such a manner as to allow that system to function according to its own laws. This is the meaning of the familiar assertion that a market economy can function only in a market society.(Polanyi, Karl, 1944: The Great Transformation: The Political and Economic Origins of Our Time; Boston: Beacon Press, 1957: 57)
[n]ineteenth century civilization alone [that] was economic in a different and distinctive sense, for it chose to base itself on a motive only rarely acknowledged as valid in the history of human societies, and certainly never before raised to the level of a justification of action and behavior in everyday life, namely, gain. The self-regulating market system was uniquely derived from this principle.(ibid., 30)
Presentation in Warsaw, April 6th 2016:
International Conference
Precarious Places:
Social, Cultural and Economic Aspects of Uncertainty and Anxiety in Everyday Life
The recording of the presentation can be found here
Abstract
A fundamental methodological problem is the specific relevance of one of the antagonisms of capitalism, though not replacing the meaning of class-conflict but redefining and classifying it in the light of the developmental stage of the means of production: Far too little attention is paid to the contradictory character of individualisation and socialisation as it is inherent in the political economic system.
Polányi’s main argument of disembedding is inherently linked to the somewhat contradicting tendency of colonialisation which can also be seen as specific form of embedding.
The juxtaposition or dichotomisation of individualisation-socialisation is a different presentation of control of the underlying process. The term inner colonialisation gains special meaning not least in the understanding of the land grab and its metaphoric use as matter of “commons”. As such it will be used in the presentation as means for investigating 5 major myth and 5 major tensions that allow us to go beyond considering the 5 giant evils (Beveridge) that guide the welfare state debate.
[The author gratefully acknowledges the generous financial support from Zhejiang University Fund, Hangzhou, PRC and Bangor College China, Changsha, PRC]
A short presentation, addressing the conference Edukacja Dla Bezpieczeństwa (Education for Security), April 6th, 2016, in Gdansk
Abstract:
Looking at the economic development of the recent years, the first that comes to mind is of course the crisis and its far-reaching impact on the living conditions and perspectives of many people – social security systems are threatened by austerity, and they often appear as at most shunting yard, without offering real and sustainable perspectives. This is obvious, and the need for immediate changes, securing basic human rights – for individuals and societies – is high on the agenda.
However, it is obvious that the crisis is more fundamental, reaching much beyond this and presenting itself as human crisis, crisis of humanity, crisis of agency and the like.
We best may refer to the antroponomic system crisis as outlined by Paul Boccara.
In other words, when we look at the current economic crisis we have to understand that we are confronted with the potentiality of a fundamental change of the entire mode of production. So, the old security of the Keynesian Welfare National State are failing and seem to be irretrievable, the transitory Schumpeterian Workfare Post-National Regime.
Can economics, and possibly social science in general, only bemoan the developments, leaving the search for security to religion and the violent reestablishment of the traditional systems of security? The question is not only one of social security, but even more so one of thoroughly analysing the burning global demand – and potential – for a new antroponomic balance.
See here for the recording.
Germany is frequently praised for the policies in connection with migration. And there is surely no reason for any kind of black and white paintings, nor for applying a too broad brush – we are currently elaborating in a small group from the scientific council of attac (Association pour la Taxation des Transactions financières et pour l’Action Citoyenne (Association for the Taxation of financial Transactions and Citizen’s Action) a positioning paper.
There is surely one thing that is frequently overlooked, and it is sufficiently shocking to have a look. It is the
It is today that Barack Obama visits Cuba – and
Che Guevara’s Son says Obama will visit an Independent Cuba.
It is the second time a U.S. President pays a visit. While calculating GDP-rates, their global development across different sectors and ventilating the perspectives for the development of the Cuban economy for a new era, with this preparing my own visit (it will give me the opportunity to join the discussion on the future economic development in a way that maintains the foundations of an alternative to being absorbed in global capitalism), it is time to look again a bit more into the question of the small island nation that plays such a great role in the global context. The previous president’s “visit” by an U.S. president was in 1928. As an interesting comment from the Granma says it
was Calvin Coolidge, who landed in Havana in January of 1928.
Here is the original
here a translation into English.
Some more background info on Cuba can be found here in the info-service telesurvtv, especially no the Latinamericas and from their perspective. And also in Charles McKelvey’s blog here.
Nothing special though possibly a small contribution on matters of understanding economics as social science in its true sense. It is very basic – recordings from teaching students in China who are in their first year (second semester) learning about economics. The first lectures can be found here.
Two presentations coming up on the 19th of February 2016, another attempt to contribute to understanding a world (‘s development) that is apparently increasingly difficult to be comprehended – but perhaps it is easier than we think.
The one is on:
Space – A Category between Physical Extension, Economic, Re-Production and Understanding the Self
the other looks at
Precarity as Socio-Economic Transformation – New Perspectives on Social Policy
We frequently talk about neoliberalism – and the disastrous implication its proponents cause. Indeed, there is the need to criticise these policies. But preparing my presentation for Hungary, soon coming up under the title
Precarity as Part of Socio-Economic Transformation – New Perspectives
, and of which the abstract can be found already here, I am getting another time aware of the fact how important it is, to overcome the danger not to block oneself by sohrt-termism. I pointed this frequently out, for instance when looking together with Marica Frangakis for The need for a radical ‘growth policy’ agenda for Europe at a time of crisis; or asking if we face a Crisis and no end?, looking for the Re-embedding economy into life and nature. Already at an early stage I asked Crisis? Which Crisis? aiming on Assessing the Current Crisis in a More Fundamental Way. Ireland as a Case Study.
In empirical terms, some of this may be outdated – actually I am currently preparing also the report for the Max-Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy in Munich which I am going to visit during the upcoming weeks – it is the annual report on legal changes in Ireland.
There is one point, we may actually learn from the liberals, expressed by David Lloyd George.
Don’t be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated. You can’t cross a chasm in two small jumps.
It may well be questioned if he, as liberal, would agree with proposals of today’s liberals – I have my doubts. But in any case, a radical shift in thinking and acting is needed, anything else will mean not more and not less than death, even if it may mean to Die Slowly:
He or she who abandon a project before starting it, who fail to ask questions on subjects he doesn’t know, he or she who don’t reply when they are asked something they do know,
die slowly.
Let’s try and avoid death in small doses,
reminding oneself that being alive requires an effort far greater than the simple fact of breathing.
There should be no place for it, for the Lentamente Muore.
I uploaded a lecture I gave today, 25th of December 2015 to Students at 中南林业科技大学班戈学院/Bangor College CSUFT
中国湖南省长沙市天心区韶山南路498号. Changsha, PRC
Though the lecture refers to the work of a group of students and their work on essays (mostly concerned with “Studying Abroad”), some fundamental issues of methodology are raised and may be of interest when doing research in economics and political economy.
They may be used in different ways as a kind of “propedeutico”.
Reference to the books mentioned:
References in the text:
COMMEDIA DELLA VITA OR PÁNTA RÊI'S FIRM GROUND 