After Capitalism

by Schweickart, David

• ISBN13: 9780742513006
• ISBN10: 0742513009
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-06-01
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Pub Inc

Summary

David Schweickart moves beyond the familiar arguments against globalizing capitalism to contribute something absolutely necessary and long overdue--a coherent vision of a viable, desirable alternative to capitalism. He names this system Economic Democracy, a successor-system to capitalism which preserves the efficiency strengths of a market economy while extending democracy to the workplace and to the structures of investment finance. Drawing on both theoretical and empirical research, Schweickart shows how and why this model is efficient, dynamic, and superior to capitalism along a range of values.

Author Biography

David Schweickart is a professor of philosophy at Loyola University Chicago.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	p. xi
Preface	p. xiii
Counterproject, Successor-System, Revolution	p. 1
The Counterproject	p. 3
Successor-System Theory	p. 7
Historical Materialism	p. 9
Criteria	p. 11
Revolution	p. 12
A Note on Gender	p. 14
An Outline of the Argument	p. 16
Justifying Capitalism	p. 21
What Is "Capitalism"? What Is a "Capitalist"?	p. 22
Neoclassical Shenanigans: Marginal Product as Contribution	p. 24
Capitalism's White Knight: The Entrepreneur	p. 31
Risk and Reward: Playing Reverse-Lotto	p. 33
The Utility (and Disutility) of Deferred Consumption	p. 39
TINA	p. 43
Economic Democracy: What It Is	p. 45
Economic Democracy: The Basic Model	p. 45
Worker Self-Management	p. 47
The Market	p. 49
Social Control of Investment	p. 50
The Viability of Economic Democracy	p. 56
The Mondragon "Experiment"	p. 65
A Note on the Public Sector	p. 71
Fair Trade, Not Free Trade	p. 76
Economic Democracy: The Expanded Model	p. 80
Socialist Savings and Loan Associations	p. 81
Capitalists under Socialism	p. 82
Capitalism and Its Discontents	p. 87
Inequality	p. 88
Unemployment	p. 93
Overwork	p. 98
Poverty	p. 100
Democracy (Lack Thereof)	p. 104
A Note on Anticommunism	p. 110
Environmental Degradation	p. 113
Overpopulation	p. 114
Food Scarcity	p. 115
Pollution	p. 116
Optimism, Pessimism, Growth, Development	p. 117
Why Capitalism Can't Save Us	p. 121
Economic Democracy: Why We Need It	p. 127
Workplace Democracy: Some Behavioral Consequences of Structural Change	p. 128
Inequality	p. 131
Unemployment	p. 135
A Note on Inflation	p. 138
Overwork	p. 140
Poverty	p. 143
Poverty in Rich Countries	p. 144
A Note on Racism	p. 144
A Note on Immigration	p. 147
Poverty in Poor Countries	p. 148
Democracy	p. 151
A Note on Liberty	p. 152
A Note on Political Parties	p. 153
Democracy and Imperialism	p. 155
Ecology	p. 156
Getting from Here to There	p. 161
Economic Democracy as an Orienting Device	p. 161
An Economic Democracy Reform Agenda	p. 167
The Extension and Deepening of Workplace Democracy	p. 168
More Social Control of Investment	p. 168
Toward Fair Trade	p. 170
From Reform to Revolution	p. 170
Radical Quick	p. 171
Once More, This Time with Feeling (for the Stockholders)	p. 173
A New Communism?	p. 177
Bibliography	p. 181
Index	p. 187
About the Author	p. 193
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