A New Cosmology for Analyzing Capitalism and the Global Order. Review of Capital as Power: A Study of Order and Creorder

A New Cosmology for Analyzing Capitalism and the Global Order. Review of Capital as Power: A Study of Order and Creorder
Kolasi, Erald. (2019). Amazon.com. 29 August. pp. 1-2. (Review; English).

Full Text Available As:

Preview	Cover Image 20190829_kolasi_a_new_cosmology_front.jpg Download (164kB) | Preview
Preview	PDF (Full Text) 20190829_kolasi_a_new_cosmology.pdf Download (186kB) | Preview
	HTML (Full Text) 20190829_kolasi_a_new_cosmology_web.htm Download (14kB)

Alternative Locations

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2QQNQQYTTZZKI?ref=pf_vv_at_pdctrvw_srp

Abstract or Brief Description

FROM THE REVIEW: Capital as Power is a fascinating book because it dares to challenge conventional wisdom while offering a coherent and persuasive theory as a replacement. This is especially what I liked about this book. It's easy enough to criticize the world and say that things are terrible. That seems to be a favorite pastime for just about everybody nowadays. But it's far more difficult to offer a comprehensive alternative that plausibly explains, through engaging theoretical and empirical analysis, how much of the world works. That's what Nitzan and Bichler have done with this masterpiece.

[…]

This is one of the greatest works in political economy to have come out in this century. I especially like that they analyze economics as a social construct rather than as an objective scientific discipline, which it most certainly is not. Having said that, I don't agree with Nitzan and Bichler on everything. For one, they have a basic causality problem: if all human history simply boils down to a power process, then what explains the power process itself? Where does that come from, what are its causal antecedents? You cannot really answer this question without stepping, one way or another, into the material realm of energy flows and conversions. In other words, you can't explain the causation of a social process by repeatedly invoking some other social process, because that leads to an infinite regress. Eventually there has to be something outside of human society that has a powerful impact on the evolution of society itself. There must be a series of bridges between the ecological realm and human civilization, but Nitzan and Bichler don't really bother with any of that. Their central theory, however persuasive, will always remain provisional and incomplete until a more comprehensive theory comes along that integrates changes in the natural world with changes in human societies.

Language

English

Publication Type

Review

Commentary on

Capital as Power. A Study of Order and Creorder.
Nitzan, Jonathan and Bichler, Shimshon (2009). RIPE Series in Global Political Economy. Routledge. (Book; English).

Keywords

capital capitalism capitalization cosmology finance political economy power

Subject

BN Methodology
BN Money & Finance
BN Resistance
BN Value & Price
BN Business Enterprise
BN Capital & Accumulation
BN Civilization & Social Systems
BN Conflict & Violence
BN Cooperation & Collective Action
BN Distribution
BN Ecology & Environment
BN Institutions

Depositing User

Jonathan Nitzan

Date Deposited

16 Sep 2019 22:42

Last Modified

15 Oct 2022 01:45

URL:

https://bnarchives.yorku.ca/id/eprint/618

Commentary/Response Threads

• Nitzan, Jonathan and Bichler, Shimshon Capital as Power. A Study of Order and Creorder. (deposited 29 Nov 2010)
  • Pietryka, Mateusz Kapitał, by rządzić, musi sabotować postęp. (deposited 13 Feb 2023 19:15)
  • Lynch, Owen Book Review: Capital as Power. (deposited 25 Dec 2021 18:18)
  • Katz, Adam Power and Capital. (deposited 26 Sep 2020 19:04)
  • Fix, Blair Free Capital as Power Ebook. (deposited 31 Aug 2020 15:33)
  • Fix, Blair A Reading List for Economic Heretics. (deposited 29 Nov 2019 21:25)
  • Lange, Jonathan Review of 'Capital as Power: A Study of Order and Creorder'. (deposited 22 Oct 2019 20:31)
  • Harris, Mathew Review of 'Capital as Power: A Study of Order and Creorder'. (deposited 22 Oct 2019 20:18)
  • Kolasi, Erald A New Cosmology for Analyzing Capitalism and the Global Order. Review of Capital as Power: A Study of Order and Creorder. (deposited 16 Sep 2019 22:42) [Currently Displayed]
  • Lošonc, Alpar Review of Nitzan and Bichler’s ‘Capital as Power: A Study of Order and Creorder’. (deposited 05 Feb 2019 18:47)
  • Wajnsztejn, Jacques Reading Notes on the Book Capital as Power. (deposited 10 Apr 2016 22:22)
  • Wajnsztejn, Jacques Notes de lecture sur le livre "Le capital comme pouvoir". (deposited 02 Jan 2015)
  • Freeman, Alan Review of Jonathan Nitzan and Shimshon Bichler's "Capital as Power: A Study of Order and Creorder". (deposited 11 Jun 2013)
  • Wolf, Harald 'Capital as Power' - Notiz zu einem neuen Forschungsansatz und einer Konferenz ('Capital as Power' - notice on a new research approach and a conference). (deposited 17 Dec 2012)
  • Soong, C. S. and Nitzan, Jonathan Rethinking Capital (Two-Part Radio Interview with Jonathan Nitzan). (deposited 14 Jun 2012)
  • Cochrane, DT Review of Nitzan and Bichler's "Capital as Power: A Study of Order and Creorder". (deposited 06 Jun 2012)
  • Cochrane, DT and Nitzan, Jonathan Capital as Power: An Audio Interview with Jonathan Nitzan. (deposited 06 Jun 2012)
  • Regilme, Salvador Santino F. Jr Book Review: Jonathan Nitzan and Shimshon Bichler, "Capital as Power: A Study of Order and Creorder". (deposited 31 May 2012)
  • Larudee, Mehrene Review of Nitzan and Bichler's "Capital as Power: A Study of Order and Creorder". (deposited 26 Aug 2011)
  • Hansen, Bue Rübner Review of Nitzan and Bichler's "Capital as Power: A Study of Order and Creorder". (deposited 20 Aug 2011)
  • Mathoor, Vineeth Review of Nitzan and Bichler's "Capital as Power: A Study of Order and Creorder". (deposited 02 Jul 2011)
  • Di Muzio, Tim Call for Contributions: "The Capitalist Mode of Power: Critical Engagements with the Power Theory of Value". (deposited 19 Jan 2011)
  • Fisher, Mark From the Economic Crisis to Fanaticism, Three New Publications Explore the Meaning of Capital (Review of Nitzan and Bichler's "Capital as Power: A Study of Order and Creorder"). (deposited 30 Aug 2010)
  • Martin, Ulf and D'Alessio, Nestor and Wolf, Harald Kapital als Macht und imaginäre Institution: Eine Einführung in die Kapitalmachttheorie von Jonathan Nitzan und Shimshon Bichler. (deposited 12 May 2010)
  • Nitzan, Jonathan Invitation for a seminar on the current crisis followed by a book launch of CAPITAL AND POWER. (deposited 22 Oct 2009)

Actions (login required)

View Item