In recent years, there has been a Karl Polanyi (1886-1964) revival. Scholars all over the world are referring to his masterpiece The Great Transformation to understand and explain the development and changes of contemporary capitalism, of market fundamentalism and the rise of new reactionary forms of authoritarianism. Karl Polanyi promoted an integrated analysis of complex, conflict-laden phenomena that did not resort to dogma. Engagement with and criticism of his concepts and predictions have inspired new research fields – be it in transformation studies, socioeconomics or cultural political economy.
The International Karl Polanyi Society – founded May 8, 2018, in Vienna – will take up this intellectual legacy as well as the huge international interest. It will aim at promoting and broadening the research inspired by Karl Polanyi to understand the contradictions inherent in contemporary capitalism. In the age of the climate crisis, rising illiberal democracies, social polarization and looming geopolitical confrontation, his writings inspire us to engage with the multiple contradictions of economic growth and technological progress (“improvements”) on the one hand and threats to ecological sustainability and sociocultural well-being (“habitation”) on the other.
Presentations at the event:
- Speakers and Abstracts (PDF)
- Marguerite Mendell (Concordia University, Montreal, Canada) – Welcome address (Video in English language)
- Klaus Dörre (Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Germany):„Right-wing populism – a Polanyian counter-movement?“ (Slides)
- Bob Jessop & Ngai-Ling Sum (Lancaster University, United Kingdom): „Karl Polanyi as a proto-Cultural Political Economist“ (Slides)
- Brigitte Aulenbacher (Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria): „On the future of the International Karl Polanyi Society“
- Marcus Gräser (Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria): „Karl Polanyi and the Origins of his Time“
- Michael Brie (Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, Berlin, Germany) & Claus Thomasberger (HTW, Berlin, Germany): „Karl Polanyi and the double transformation“ (Slides)
- Maria Markantonatou (University of the Aegean, Lesvos, Greece):„Karl Polanyi and Eurozone Liberalism – the antidemocratic virus revived?“ (Slides)
- Sabine Frerichs (Vienna University of Economics and Business, Austria): „„Right-wing populism – a Polanyian counter-movement?“ (Slides)
- Ernst Langthaler & Elke Schüßler (Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria): „Karl Polanyi and Interdisciplinary Commodity Studies“ (Slides)
- Veronika Heimerl & Hendrik Theine (Society for Plural Economics, Vienna , Austria) with Kai J. Lingnau and Ernest Aigner: „Karl Polanyi and young scholars’ perspectives“ (Slides)