The Great Transformation
The Political and Economic Origins of Our Time
Published on 20. June 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
384 pages
978-0-241-68555-6 (ISBN)
Description
'One of the most powerful books in the social sciences ever written' Thomas Piketty
'The twentieth century's most prophetic critic of capitalism' Prospect
'Polanyi's revolutionary work is a must-read' Mariana Mazzucato
Karl Polanyi's landmark 1944 work is one of the earliest and most powerful critiques of unregulated markets. Tracing the history of capitalism from the great transformation of the industrial revolution onwards, he shows that there has been nothing 'natural' about the market state. Instead of reducing human relations and our environment to mere commodities, the economy must always be embedded in civil society. Describing the 'avalanche of social dislocation' of his time, Polanyi's hugely influential work is a passionate call to protect our common humanity.
'Polanyi's vision for an alternative economy re-embedded in politics and social relations offers a refreshing alternative' Guardian
'Polanyi exposes the myth of the free market' Joseph E. Stiglitz
With a new introduction by Gareth Dale
'The twentieth century's most prophetic critic of capitalism' Prospect
'Polanyi's revolutionary work is a must-read' Mariana Mazzucato
Karl Polanyi's landmark 1944 work is one of the earliest and most powerful critiques of unregulated markets. Tracing the history of capitalism from the great transformation of the industrial revolution onwards, he shows that there has been nothing 'natural' about the market state. Instead of reducing human relations and our environment to mere commodities, the economy must always be embedded in civil society. Describing the 'avalanche of social dislocation' of his time, Polanyi's hugely influential work is a passionate call to protect our common humanity.
'Polanyi's vision for an alternative economy re-embedded in politics and social relations offers a refreshing alternative' Guardian
'Polanyi exposes the myth of the free market' Joseph E. Stiglitz
With a new introduction by Gareth Dale
Reviews / Votes
'One of the most powerful books in social sciences ever written. Polanyi convincingly shows that market fundamentalism, the religion of competition and the commodification of social relations largely contributed to fragilize Western societies and to lead to the authoritarian and totalitarian nightmare of 1914-1945. The same risk applies today at the global scale. A must-read.' With this book Karl Polanyi explained the rise of fascism in the 1920s and 30s. Today his great work sheds light on the worldwide rise of authoritarianism, and on our predicament. It is as essential and relevant as it was in 1944. Polanyi's vision for an alternative economy re-embedded in politics and social relations offers a refreshing alternative * Guardian * Polanyi exposes the myth of the free market The twentieth century's most prophetic critic of capitalism . . . The Great Transformation, written for a broad audience, is witty and passionate as well as erudite * Prospect * His masterpiece * New Yorker * His magnum opus . . . a totem for social democracy * Dissent * A vital counterpoint to the hegemony of political economics . . . one of the century's classics * Boston Review * [The Great Transformation] did more than any work of that generation to broaden and deepen the critique of market societies * Progressive * Polanyi's revolutionary work is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of our economic systems and debunking the myths around the free market -- Mariana MazzucatoMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Penguin Books Ltd
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 194 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
282 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-241-68555-6 (9780241685556)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
06/2024
Penguin
€10.99
Available for download
Person
Karl Polanyi (1886-1964) is considered one of the twentieth century's most prophetic and perceptive economic historians and social theorists. After fleeing his native Hungary and Austria with the rise of fascism, he became a British citizen. During his academic career he taught for the Workers' Educational Association and at Bennington College and Columbia University. He wrote 'The Essence of Fascism', The Great Transformation, and (with A. Rotstein) Dahomey and the Slave Trade.