‘Critique of capitalism – reasons
and varieties’
Asger Sørensen,
Ph.D., associate professor
Department of Education,
Aarhus university,
aso@dpu.dk
Why critique of capitalism?
• Well, Jacob asked, and I said yes!
• Generational theme - before post-modernism
– Most of my theoretical life – therefore difficult
– But: Who could resist talking about capitalism at CBS?
• Commonplace ideals:
– Solidarity, equality, freedom – 1789…
– Revolution vs. reform – or revision?
• Also: For my own sake – brainstorm and overview
• Current project: Politics between critique, authority
and creation – the argument for democracy
21-02-2014
‘Critique of capitalism – reasons and varieties’ Asger Sørensen, Aarhus university, aso@dpu.dk
2
What is critique? I
• Critique
– A. Political or social contestation and opposition –
• Liberalist: Lack of freedom, morality and human rights (Spencer)
• Republican: Lack of political power, political rights and corruption
of virtues (Rousseau, Paine)
• Communist: alienation and economic injustice (money), unequal
social recognition, status (Marx)
– B. Analysis and rational reconstruction – like Kant’s three
Critiques
• Criticism
– C. Aesthetic contestation, evaluation, judgement –
literature, theatre, arts
• critique of civilisation, culture and modernity (Nietzsche)
21-02-2014
‘Critique of capitalism – reasons and varieties’ Asger Sørensen, Aarhus university, aso@dpu.dk
3
What is Capitalism?
• Economy
– Production, distribution, consumption
– Value and price chain
• Market
– Commodity form
– Supply and demand
– Constitution and regulation – politics and law
• Capitalism
– Competition, wage earning and non-material value
– Need for pacific
– accumulation of capital (reinvestment, circulation)
– Expansion of commodification (money, workforce, culture, care etc.)
21-02-2014
‘Critique of capitalism – reasons and varieties’ Asger Sørensen, Aarhus university, aso@dpu.dk
4
What is value?
• Value
– Classical political economy: Use and work (Locke), exchange (Smith), Ricardo
(utility), surplus (Marx)
• Value vs. market price (Kant)
– Moral, spiritual, aesthetic etc.
• Utility
– Use-value, demand, exchange-value
– Measured by price (not value)
• Marginal utility I
– Neo-classical economics (Jevons, Menger, Walras): Decreasing – material
consumption
• 20th century: Keynes vs. Marxists and neo-classics
• Marginal utility II
•
21-02-2014
Volker Bank: Increasing – symbolic consumption (education, enlightenment,
culture)
‘Critique of capitalism – reasons and varieties’ Asger Sørensen, Aarhus university, aso@dpu.dk
5
Why criticize capitalism?
• Spirit of capitalism:
– Reasons to participate (Weber, Boltanski & Chiapello)
– Legitimacy of social order: Security, fairness and stimulation
• 200 years of modern value creation:
– Growth, progress, civilizing effects, freedom, democracy, power,
wealth, peace, prosperity etc.
• But also:
– Alienation, commodification, corporal suffering
– Undemocratic: Property rights vs. political rights or human
rights
– Injustice, wage slavery, starvation, pain
– Destruction of environment, climate
21-02-2014
‘Critique of capitalism – reasons and varieties’ Asger Sørensen, Aarhus university, aso@dpu.dk
6
What to criticize?
• Chaos - conservative
– Capitalism produce constant renewal of social order
– Ideal: stability, security, legitimate social hierarchy, family, community, religion
• Christendom and Islam
• Action – liberal
– Moral criticism or lack of freedom
– Ideals: responsibility, fairness, obligation, duty
• Adam Smith (political economy)
• Structures – socialist
– Necessity of accumulation, growth
– Interests rates – usury
• Marx (Critique of political economy)
• Dynamics
– Instrumentalization of rationality (homo economicus)
– Business becomes theft
• Weber, Durkheim, Mauss
21-02-2014
‘Critique of capitalism – reasons and varieties’ Asger Sørensen, Aarhus university, aso@dpu.dk
7
What is critique? IIa
• Critique of political economy (A+B)
– Exploitation of the surplus value
– The decline of the rate of profit
• Hilferding, Bernstein
• Critique of ideology I (A+B)
– The ruling thoughts are those of the rulers
– Enlightenment and truth!
– Critical theory of society
• Horkheimer, Adorno, Marcuse, Habermas
21-02-2014
‘Critique of capitalism – reasons and varieties’ Asger Sørensen, Aarhus university, aso@dpu.dk
8
What is critique? IIb
• Critical rationalism (B)
– Analysis of truth, science, knowledge vs. illusion and
opinion
– Popper
• Critique of ideology II (B+C)
–
–
–
–
–
Living spontaneity vs. burden of culture, rationalization
Artistic freedom and creativity
Against slave mentality and morality
Revaluation of value: generosity
Discourse analysis
– Freud, Foucault, Luhmann
21-02-2014
‘Critique of capitalism – reasons and varieties’ Asger Sørensen, Aarhus university, aso@dpu.dk
9
What is critique? III
• Social critique (A)
– Injustice, inequality, misery, exploitation,
– selfishness, individualism, lack of solidarity
– Ideal: Justice, fairness, solidarity,
• Artistic critique (C)
– Oppression (market domination, factory discipline)
– Massification, standardization, pervasive commodification
– Ideal: liberation, individual autonomy, singularity, authenticity, creativity
• Exit, protest – or weak criticism: Cynicism, wait-and-see?
– 1968: revolution, reform or revision?
– Critical sociology – sociology of criticism
• Critique adjusts and improves capitalism (Boltanski & Chiapello)
– The spirit of capitalism develops
• First step: social criticism – security and fairness
• Second step: artistic criticism – fairness and stimulation
21-02-2014
‘Critique of capitalism – reasons and varieties’ Asger Sørensen, Aarhus university, aso@dpu.dk
10