This straightforward introduction to radical political economy strikes a balance between breadth and depth and was written for the beginning student and others interested in a relatively short text on radical economics.
'These valuable contributions will be very useful to students and nonspecialists wanting a clear introduction to specific topics or a convenient volume to browse to get a feel for a broader area of study. A welcome addition to any library.' – M. Perelman, Choice '. . . an excellent short encyclopedia of radical political economies. . . Even experienced scholars could read a number of the entries to refresh themselves or to introduce themselves to new areas of inquiry. Every university and college library should have a copy.' – William M. Dugger, Southern Economic Journal 'Elgar's companions are a joy to read from cover-to-cover. . . The volume is indexed and belongs in every library.' – William M. Dugger, Journal of Economic Issues '. . . this is a worthwhile volume deserving a browse by anyone with radical pretensions.' – Keith Cowling, The Economic Journal This major reference book has been designed to provide a comprehensive coverage of radical political economy. International in scope, The Elgar Companion to Radical Political Economy includes contributions from a very wide range of specialists who discuss topics, ideas and theories in the field. Radical political economy is a term used to encompass a range of different schools of thought. These include post Keynesian, Kaleckian, Marxian, Institutionalist, Sraffian and other approaches to economics which share the common theme of production, rather than the exchange focus of neoclassical and Austrian economics. Their concern with the generation and use of the surplus leads them to an interest in dynamics, income distribution, growth and development, and capital accumulation. With over 100 entries, the companion provides detailed information on a wide range of aspects of radical political economy as well as some important insights into its theoretical underpinning. A special feature of the book is its emphasis upon explaining the positive elements in radical political economy. As the first book of its kind devoted to radical political economy, the companion will be an essential reference source for scholars and students with an interest in the development of economic ideas.
Radical political economy is built upon the formal analysis of neoclassical economics and the tradition of Marxian/radical analysis. The essays presented in this book offer a representative sampling of the issues and methodologies involved in the study of radical political economy.
This book provides a point-by-point comparison of Sraffian and Marxian treatments of prices, profits, technological change, economic crises, environmental sustainability, and the moral case against capitalism, are presented in six core chapters. They explain how the Sraffian treatment surpasses the Marxian treatment in every case. Large professional literatures are thoroughly referenced throughout, with both Marxian and Sraffian theories presented in a highly accessible way. This book is of great importance to those who study Sraffa and Marx, as well as academics and students who are interested in political economy, history of economic thought and economic theory and philosophy.
Spread out over many years and many different publications, the late author and activist Marta Russell wrote a number of groundbreaking and insightful essays on the nature of disability and oppression under capitalism. In this volume, Russell’s various essays are brought together in one place in order to provide a useful and expansive resource to those interested in better understanding the ways in which the modern phenomenon of disability is shaped by capitalist economic and social relations. The essays range in analysis from the theoretical to the topical, including but not limited to: the emergence of disability as a “human category” rooted in the rise of industrial capitalism and the transformation of the conditions of work, family, and society corresponding thereto; a critique of the shortcomings of a purely “civil rights approach” to addressing the persistence of disability oppression in the economic sphere, with a particular focus on the legacy of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; an examination of the changing position of disabled people within the overall system of capitalist production utilizing the Marxist economic concepts of the reserve army of the unemployed, the labor theory of value, and the exploitation of wage-labor; the effects of neoliberal capitalist policies on the living conditions and social position of disabled people as it pertains to welfare, income assistance, health care, and other social security programs; imperialism and war as a factor in the further oppression and immiseration of disabled people within the United States and globally; and the need to build unity against the divisive tendencies which hide the common economic interest shared between disabled people and the often highly-exploited direct care workers who provide services to the former.
Revolutionary ideas on how to use markets to achieve fairness and prosperity for all Many blame today's economic inequality, stagnation, and political instability on the free market. The solution is to rein in the market, right? Radical Markets turns this thinking on its head. With a new foreword by Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin and virtual reality pioneer Jaron Lanier as well as a new afterword by Eric Posner and Glen Weyl, this provocative book reveals bold new ways to organize markets for the good of everyone. It shows how the emancipatory force of genuinely open, free, and competitive markets can reawaken the dormant nineteenth-century spirit of liberal reform and lead to greater equality, prosperity, and cooperation. Only by radically expanding the scope of markets can we reduce inequality, restore robust economic growth, and resolve political conflicts. But to do that, we must replace our most sacred institutions with truly free and open competition—Radical Markets shows how.
2021 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title Contesting the Global Order explores what it means to be a radical intellectual as political hopes fade. Gregory P. Williams chronicles the evolution of intellectual visionaries Perry Anderson and Immanuel Wallerstein, who despite altered circumstances for radical change, continued to advance creative interpretations of the social world. Wallerstein and Anderson, whose hopes were invested in a more egalitarian future, believed their writings would contribute to socialism, which they anticipated would be a postcapitalist future of relative social, economic, and political equality. However, by the 1980s dreams of socialism had faded and they had to face the reality that socialism was neither close nor inevitable. Their sensitivity to current events, Williams argues, takes on new significance in this century, when many scholars are grappling with the issue of change in a world of declining state power.
This re-incorporation of economics into political economy is one (small, but not insignificant) element in a larger project: to place all of the resources of present-day social-scientific research at the service of increasing democracy, in an ultimate direction toward socialism in the classic sense. An economics-enriched political economy is, above all, empowering: working people in general can calculate, build models, think theoretically, and contribute to a human-worthy future, rather than leaving all this to their "betters."
First published in 1987. Similar in content to Sherman’s previous book, Radical Political Economy, it covers most of the same issues and reaches the same overall conclusion in favour of democracy and socialism. Many of the analyses and conclusions on particular subjects, however, have changed because of the flood of new literature in every area of radical political economy and because the world has changed. The most important issue is the prevention of nuclear war.