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Nancy Fraser on Alternatives to Capitalism

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Jan 5, 2025

Guest

Nancy Fraser

Nancy Fraser, a prominent critical theorist and professor, delves into the concept of 'cannibal capitalism,' where she critiques how capitalism exploits both social and ecological resources. She discusses alternatives for a sustainable future, advocating for democratic economic planning and equitable resource distribution. Fraser also highlights the importance of unwaged labor and rethinks participation in labor movements amidst climate change. Through historical examples, she envisions a more inclusive framework that values collaboration over competition.

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INSIGHT

Capitalism as a Social Order

Nancy Fraser views capitalism as an integrated social order, not just an economic system.
It allows powerful actors to exploit nature, care work, and public resources, leading to multiple crises.

insights

INSIGHT

Rethinking Alternative Construction

Building alternatives requires considering capitalism's impact on ecology, social reproduction, and global inequalities.
A post-capitalist society must address these interconnected issues, not just economic structures.

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ADVICE

Principles for a Post-Capitalist Future

Implement a "pay as you go" principle, preventing the economy from offloading costs onto future generations or vulnerable populations.
Democratize societal design, giving communities power to define their trajectory instead of corporations like those led by Elon Musk.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Critique of Cannibal Capitalism

02:02 • 27min

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Rethinking Economic Structures for a Sustainable Future

29:11 • 27min

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Rethinking Labor and Value in Socialism

55:57 • 1min

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Rethinking Democratic Participation and Labor

57:00 • 32min

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Markets and Truth in Socialism

01:29:25 • 8min

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The Power of Inquiry in Overcoming Blockages

01:37:30 • 2min

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Reflections on Joy and Future Growth

01:40:00 • 2min

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Creative Construction

Democratic Planning in the 21st Century and Beyond

Jan Groß

Christoph Sorg

Rethinking Economic Planning

Jan Groß

Christoph Sorg

Cannibal Capitalism

Nancy Fraser

Grundrisse

Foundations of the Critique of Political Economy

Karl Marx

Written during the winter of 1857-58, the 'Grundrisse' develops the arguments outlined in the 'Communist Manifesto' and explores themes that would dominate Marx's later work 'Capital'. It includes Marx's own version of Hegel's dialectics and his mature views on labor, surplus value, and profit, offering insights into alienation, automation, and the dangers of capitalist society. The work provides a unique insight into Marx's wider-ranging philosophy and his hopes for the foundation of a communist state[2][4][5].

Black reconstruction

W.E.B. Du Bois

Published in 1935, 'Black Reconstruction in America' challenges the dominant views of the time by portraying the Reconstruction period as a critical time of Black advancement and a near-revolution of anti-racism and societal change. Du Bois argues that African Americans were active agents of their emancipation and that the period was a second American revolution aimed at democratizing the South. The book critiques traditional historians' views and highlights the significance of African American agency in building U.S. democracy, despite the ultimate failure of Reconstruction and the rise of Jim Crow laws[3][4][5].

Value

The Representation of Labour in Capitalism

Diane Elson

From Nowhere

Artists, Writers, and the Precognitive Imagination

Eric Wargo

Nancy Fraser discusses her understanding of capitalism as an integrated social order and explores its implications for envisioning a desirable postcapitalism.

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If you are interested in democratic economic planning, these resources might be of help:

Democratic planning – an information website

https://www.democratic-planning.com/

Sorg, C. & Groos, J. (eds.)(2025). Rethinking Economic Planning. Competition & Change Special Issue Volume 29 Issue 1.

https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/ccha/29/1

Groos, J. & Sorg, C. (2025). Creative Construction - Democratic Planning in the 21st Century and Beyond. Bristol University Press.

https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/creative-construction

International Network for Democratic Economic Planning

https://www.indep.network/

Democratic Planning Research Platform:

https://www.planningresearch.net/

Democratic Planning Forum:

https://forum.democratic-planning.com/

--- Shownotes

Remarque Institute

https://as.nyu.edu/research-centers/remarque.html

Nancy Fraser at The New School for Social Research:

https://www.newschool.edu/nssr/faculty/nancy-fraser/

Fraser, N. (2023). Cannibal Capitalism: How our System is Devouring Democracy, Care, and the Planet and What We Can Do About It. Verso Books.

https://www.versobooks.com/products/2685-cannibal-capitalism?srsltid=AfmBOopHZ8reXaCDUToeZsbdoTqnXb-wbejQdYin2J_bsa9tAu36oQCQ

Ivkovic, M., & Zaric, Z. (2024). Nancy Fraser and Politics. Edinburgh University Press.

https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-nancy-fraser-and-politics.html

Fraser, N., & Jaeggi, R. (2023). Capitalism: A Conversation in Critical Theory. Verso Books.

https://www.versobooks.com/products/2867-capitalism

Fraser, N. (2022) Benjamin Lecture 3 – Class beyond Class (Video)

https://youtu.be/jf6laSf6Eko?si=iWL-Za4pPPwF0xvb

on social differentiation as discussed in sociology:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Differentiation_(sociology)

Rodney, W. (2018). How Europe underdeveloped Africa. Verso Books.

https://www.versobooks.com/products/788-how-europe-underdeveloped-africa?srsltid=AfmBOoqKZ6g4j8UpPJD6qC5yEmKuP0h6sFTvcEX5qjBF7CtPSzedUtcP

on Marx’s account of surplus value:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surplus_value

Robaszkiewicz, M. & Weinman, M. (2023) Hannah Arendt and Politics. Edinburgh University Press.

https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-hannah-arendt-and-politics.html

Vančura, M. (2011) Polanyi’s Great Transformation and the concept of the embedded economoy. IES Occasional Paper No. 2/2011

https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/83289/1/668400315.pdf

Elson, D. (2015). Value: The Representation of Labour in Capitalism. Verso Books.

https://www.versobooks.com/products/159-value?srsltid=AfmBOooSko5DiXwMNN2NjSay4BP4n9cM-4y53r7G90VPbvE6itl5rxKT

Robertson, J. (2017) The Life and Death of Yugoslav Socialism. Jacobin.

https://jacobin.com/2017/07/yugoslav-socialism-tito-self-management-serbia-balkans

Moore, J. W. (2015). Capitalism in the web of life: Ecology and the accumulation of capital. Verso Books.

https://www.versobooks.com/products/74-capitalism-in-the-web-of-life

Patel, R., & Moore, J. W. (2018). A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things: A Guide to Capitalism, Nature, and the Future of the Planet. Verso Books.

https://www.versobooks.com/products/817-a-history-of-the-world-in-seven-cheap-things?srsltid=AfmBOoqMnr0nAUfdHOxlQPTXsnGfQtMkDKgFtJsMQ3mtk7Jcyd3Wjqko

Brand, U., & Wissen, M. (2021). The Imperial Mode of Living: Everyday Life and the Ecological Crisis of Capitalism. Verso Books.

https://www.versobooks.com/products/916-the-imperial-mode-of-living?srsltid=AfmBOopUs15MsSgvJ7TRVfwmo330sHvjQIAST_UymD-90i3VIfCw6vg8

Bates, T. R. (1975) Gramsci and the Theory of Hegemony. Journal of the History of Ideas Vol. 36 No. 2.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/2708933

Bois, W. E. B. Du. (1935). Black Reconstruction. An Essay toward a History of the Part which Black Folk played in the Attempt to Reconstruct Democracy in America, 1860-1880. Harcourt, Brace and Company.

https://cominsitu.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/w-e-b-du-bois-black-reconstruction-an-essay-toward-a-history-of-the-part-which-black-folk-played-in-the-attempt-to-reconstruct-democracy-2.pdf

Trotsky, L. (1938) The Transitional Program. Bulletin of the Opposition.

https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1938/tp/

Morris, W. (1890) News from Nowhere. Commonweal.

https://www.marxists.org/archive/morris/works/1890/nowhere/nowhere.htm

Hayek, F. A. von. (1945). The Use of Knowledge in Society. The American Economic Review, 35(4).

https://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/articles/hayek-use-knowledge-society.pdf

Schliesser, E. (2020) On Foucault on 17 January 1979 On the Market’s Role (as site) of Veridiction (III) Digressions & Impressions Blog.

https://digressionsnimpressions.typepad.com/digressionsimpressions/2020/06/on-foucault-on-17-january-1979-on-the-markets-role-as-site-of-veridiction-iii.html

Foucault, M. (2008). The Birth of Biopolitics: Lectures at the Collège De France, 1978-1979. Palgrave Macmillan.

https://1000littlehammers.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/birth_of_biopolitics.pdf

Marx, K. (1973) Grundrisse: Foundations of the Critique of Political Economy. Penguin.

https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/download/pdf/grundrisse.pdf

on Bernard Mandeville and “Private Vice, Public Virtue”:

https://iep.utm.edu/mandevil/

Kaufmann, F. (1959) John Dewey’s Theory of Inquiry. The Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 56, No. 21.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/2022592

on Habermas:

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/habermas/

on “Neurath’s boat”:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurath%27s_boat

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Episode Keywords

#NancyFraser, #JanGroos, #Podcast, #Socialism, #PostCapitalism, #Capitalism, #MarketPower, #Markets, #EconomicDemocracy, #PatDevine, #WorkingClass, #WelfareState, #CriticalTheory, #Markets, #Veridiction, #Foucault, #Governmentality, #Care, #CareWork, #Labour, #Labor, #Race, #Imperialism, #DemocraticPlanning, #EconomicPlanning, #SocialReproduction, #PostcapitalistReproduction, #Ecology, #FutureHistoriesInternational, #Boundaries, #CannibalCapitalism, #Socialism

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