MACMILLAN The Politics of Change: Globalization, Ideology and Critique

Product Description This work takes a critical view of the debate on globalization and assesses revamped versions of structuralist thought, which underpin much of the globalization discourse. In contrast to conventional views of change, the book emphasizes change as a politics of emancipation. Review 'The issues raised in and beyond The Politics of Change therefore deserve to be read by all those claiming interest in issues of state theory, emancipation and structural change within the global political economy.' - Adam David Morton, University of Wales, Aberystwyth From the Back Cover Kant defined the Enlightenment as humanity's attempt to leave behind its self-imposed immaturity. Social Theory is thus charged with enlightening the human condition and its social constitution in order to achieve maturity and human dignity. Enlightenment is a thoroughly subversive business. The authors of this volume are in no way disturbed by the claim that everybody contributes to society according to their ability and that everybody receives according to their needs. What is disturbing, though, is that the demand for such a 'change' appears outdated and that, instead, many commentators espouse the idea that society's 'laws of development' are governed by an invisible hand. The Politics of Change takes issue with such views. It does so through a timely assessment of the debate on globalization and contemporary versions of neo-liberal and neo-functionalist thought, which underpin much of the globalization discourse. The Politics of Change emphasises 'change' as a project of human emancipation. About the Author WERNER BONEFELD is Lecturer in the Department of Politics at the University of York. He is co-editor of Post-Fordism and Social Form, Open Marxism (three volumes, co-editor), Global Capital, National State and the Politics of Money, A Major Crisis and The Recomposition of the British State during the 1980s. KOSMAS PSYCHOPEDIS is Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Athens. His previous works include Open Marxism (three volumes, co-editor) , Max Weber and the Construction of Concepts in the Social Sciences (in Greek) and The Philosopher, the Politician and the Tyrant (in Greek).