Socialist Economics

[blueeyedboy]

Where can I find the best information on socialist economics in detail, because I can't really find anything substantial. I'd prefer something that explains the theories of different socialist economic ideas and then how they would be put in place and run.

Any help would be appreciated.

P.S. Nothing too dense, if you can't help it, then that's fine.

[Son of a Strummer]

Hi Blueeyedboy,

I can offer the following suggestions...


Perhaps the best short introduction if you are willing to do a little leg work to find it:

1. On the Economic Theory of Socialism. Pat Devine and Fikret Adaman- New Left Review. http://newleftreview.org/?page=article&view=1887 you can download the article for 3 pounds, or if you subscribe to the Questia on-line library it is on there.


Very indispensible to me are actually two searchable mailing lists that include numerous published phd's that specialise in socialist and progressive economics:

2. http://archives.econ.utah.edu/archives/pen-l/index.htm The Progressive Economists Network (use the search engine to discover all kinds of interesting discussions concerning socialist economics dating back to 1995.)

3. http://www.ecn.wfu.edu/~cottrell/ope/archive/ Outline on Political Economy Archives is more technical and theoretical and includes contributions by folks who have dared to posit detailed socialist models such as Allin Cottrel and Paul Cockshott.

4. http://www.monthlyreview.org this has been one of the outstanding radical journals for decades. If you search for articles by John Bellamy Foster, Michael Lebowitz, and Michael Perelman you will uncover some fine critiques of mainstream economics from a socialist perspective. Although they tend to shun advocation of visionary models.

5. Perhaps your best bet..."Build It Now: Socialism for the 21st Century" - Michael A. Lebowitz's recent book.

6. "The Political Economy of Socialism" a book by Branko Horvat, which is a monumental contribution to socialist economics.

7. Democracy and Economic Planning (1988)- a book by Pat Devine, senior lecturer at Manchester which I believe the best all-around detailed vision of how a socialist economy would work that has ever been produced. It is particularly noteable for its detailed elaboration of a system of social ownership rights.

8. Economic Justice and Democracy - Robin Hahnel , one of the greatest books of radical political economy ever written that includes an insightful critique of the economcs of the Soviet Union as well as the best available exposition of the model popularly known as participatory economics. There is nothing like the real thing, but for introductory material see www.parecon.org

9. http://www.inclusivedemocracy.org/journal/ Journal of Inclusive Democracy by Takis Fotsopoulos, which includes his stimulating model of a future socialist and directly democratic society.

10. http://www3.sympatico.ca/bernard.leask/twe....html#PatDevine (http://www3.sympatico.ca/bernard.leask/twentyfirst.html#PatDevine) my own website has links to material on radical economics, some of them pertain to the field of socialist economics and comparative political economy.

11. From Capitalism to Equality- book by Charlie Andrews

[blueeyedboy]

Thanks again Son of a Strummer. I am grateful for your help.

[LoneRed]

I have a question on these sources you posted. What viewpoints do they come from.

Like do they argue for a market socialism, state socialism, or proletarian control.

[Son of a Strummer]

I have a question on these sources you posted. What viewpoints do they come from.

Like do they argue for a market socialism, state socialism, or proletarian control.

In general it is weighted towards my preference, which is libertarian socialism (proletarian control).

They are at least a little varied so I will go through them one by one.

1. Pat Devine comes from the Marxian tradition. He posits a form of proletarian control in the form of participatory self-management. Firms or production units are managed by councils of workers and "chambers of interests" representing consumers, civil society, ecologists, etc. It is a planned economy most of it decentralized and participatory but with some centralized features for long-term direction and large-scale economic coordination. It provides a little niche for markets in consumer goods. It can also be considered as consciously in the tradition of Karl Polanyi.

2. The Progressive Economists Network includes many heterodox economists. Marx is the most quoted and discussed, and the most respected. But you will also find there critical institutionalists, sraffians, market socialists and post-keynesians, and an annoying liberal. Doug Henwood and Doug Dowd, both fine progressive economists, also participate.

3. Outline on Political Economy - pretty much all Marxists and world systems theorists.

4. Monthly Review - a famous and highly respected journal in the traditions of independent Marxism and monopoly capitalist schools.

5. Michael A. Lebowitz, an independent Marxist who has spent the last few years teaching movements in Venezuela. Probably the most proletarian of all those on the list. see also his Beyond Capital: Marx's Political Economy of the Working Class.

6. Brank Horvat is a "Yugoslavian" political economist. He advocates an almost Proudhonian version of market socialism. The book mentioned also works well as an encyclopaedic survey of socialist economic thought.

7. Pat Devine as per 1 above.

8. Robin Hahnel is a libertarian socialist economist. Co-creator of particpatory economics with Michael Albert. Very grassroots, proletarian. Also teaches ecological economics. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Hahnel

9. Takis Fotsopoulos is a Greek activist who studied at the London School of Economics. He owes much to the anarchist tradition that advocates the reconstruction of direct democracy using ancient Greece as an inspiriation. ( a la Murray Bookchin, Cornelius Castoriadis) Very ecologically informed, was an editor of Democracy and Nature.

11. Charlie Andrews is a Marxist who defends the labour theory of value.

[bezdomni]

Earnest Mandel.