Fred Block, University of California-Davis

Does Capitalism Have Its Own DNA?
Fred Block, University of California-Davis

Description

Semester: 
Fall 2015
Lecture Time: 
Friday, October 30, 2015 - 1:30pm to 3:00pm
Lecture Location: 

Room R1240, Ross School of Business

Abstract

Our understanding of the nature of capitalism has been distorted by biological analogies that run through both radical and mainstream intellectual traditions. Specifically, the structure of property rights is widely treated as a kind of genetic code that shapes the organization of entire societies. This way of thinking diverts attention from more powerful causal mechanisms. The talk will conclude by arguing that these are not simply academic questions because our conceptual maps influence our ability to imagine alternatives to a deeply flawed global system.

Recording & Additional Notes

Introduced by Mikell Hyman, Sociology