After Capitalism

By (author) David Schweickart

Publication date:

05 August 2011

Length of book:

280 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9780742564978

Since first published in 2002, After Capitalism has offered students and political activists alike a coherent vision of a viable and desirable alternative to capitalism. David Schweickart calls 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. In the second edition, Schweickart recognizes that increased globalization of companies has created greater than ever interdependent economies and the debate about the desirability of entrepreneurship is escalating. The new edition includes a new preface, completely updated data, reorganized chapters, and new sections on the economic instability of capitalism, the current economic crisis, and China. Drawing on both theoretical and empirical research, Schweickart shows how and why this model is efficient, dynamic, and applicable in the world today.

Preface to the Revised Edition
Preface to the 2002 Edition
Chapter 1: Counterproject, Successor-System, Revolution
1.1 The Counterproject
1.2 Successor-System Theory
1.3 Historical Materialism
1.4 Criteria
1.5 Revolution
1.5.1 A Note on Gender
1.6 An Outline of the Argument
Notes
End
Chapter 2: Justifying Capitalism
2.1 What Is "Capitalism"? What Is A "Capitalist"?
2.2 Neoclassical Shenanigans: Marginal Product as Contribution
2.3 Capitalism's White Knight: The Entrepreneur
2.4 Risk and Reward: Playing Reverse-Lotto
2.5 The Utility (And Disutility) Of Deferred Consumption
2.6 Tina
Notes
End
Chapter 3: Economic Democracy: What It Is
3.1 Economic Democracy: The Basic Model
3.1.1 Worker Self-Management
3.1.2 The Market
3.1.3 Social Control of Investment
3.2 The Viability of Economic Democracy
3.3 The Mondragon "Experiment"
3.4 A Note on the Public Sector
3.5 Economic Democracy: The Expanded Model
3.5.1 The Government as Employer-Of-Last-Resort
3.5.2 Socialist Savings And Loan Associations
3.5.3 Capitalists Under Socialism
3.6 Fair Trade, Not Free Trade
Notes
End
Chapter 4: Capitalism Or Socialism? Inequality, Unemployment, Overwork, Poverty
4.1 Workplace Democracy: Some Behavioral Consequences of Structural Change
4.2 Inequality
4.3 Unemployment
4.3.1 A Note on Inflation
4.4 Overwork
4.5 Poverty
4.5.1 Poverty in Rich Countries
4.5.2 Poverty in Poor Countries
4.5.3 A Note on Racism
4.5.4 A Note On Immigration
Notes
End
Chapter 5: Capitalism Or Socialism? Economic Instability, Environmental Degradation, Democracy
5.1 Economic Instability
5.1.1 A Note on the Current Crisis
5.2 Environmental Degradation
5.2.1 Overpopulation
5.2.2 Food Scarcity
5.2.3 Pollution/Climate Change
5.3 Democracy (Lack Thereof)
5.3.1 A Note On Anticommunism
5.3.2 A Note On Liberty
5.3.3 A Note On Political Parties
Notes
End
Chapter 6: Getting From Here to There
6.1 Economic Democracy as an Orienting Device
6.1.1 How the World Looked Then (2001)
6.1.2 How the World Looks Now (2011)
6.1.3 A Note on China
6.2 An Economic Democracy Reform Agenda
6.2.1 Democratizing Labor
6.2.2 Democratizing Capital
6.2.3 Toward Full Employment
6.2.4 Toward Fair Trade
6.2.5 Democratizing Democracy
6.3 From Reform to Revolution
6.3.1 Radical Quick
6.3.2 Somewhat Slower (With Concern This Time For Stockholders)
6.3.3 Slower Still (Without a Financial Meltdown)
6.4 A New Communism?
6.5 A New World
Notes
End

Over some 30 years, Schweickart (Loyola Univ. Chicago) has defended and developed a vision of a democratic market socialism as a viable alternative to capitalism. With PhDs in both mathematics and philosophy, Schweickart has the tools to critically evaluate relevant arguments, both economic and ethical. In the first edition of After Capitalism (2002), Schweickart sought to present his case in a manner accessible to a general audience and to academic specialists. The second edition remains accessible to a general audience, but adds valuable discussions on the instability of capitalism, the current global crisis, different responses to this crisis in different parts of the world, and what may be an emerging Chinese version of market socialism. As in his earlier works, Schweickart writes with vigor and clarity. He has a gift for presenting abstract and complex material in a way that nonspecialist readers can understand. Readers who finish this book not yet ready to embrace Schweickart's vision for the future nonetheless will have a much richer understanding of the current crisis, the underlying causes of the crisis, and alternative possibilities. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers.