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2003-09-13
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A Critique of the Changing Phase of (Neo-) Liberalism
A Critique of the Changing Phase of (Neo-) Liberalism by Karl Polanyi (Manuscript not to be quoted without the author’s permission) ESHET Conference 10-12 June, 2005 in Stirling Chikako Nakayama 中山智佳子 Tokyo University of Foreign Studies 3-11-1 Asahicho Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8534, Japan Tel/fax: +81-42-330-5402 e-mail: nakac@tufs.ac.jp
鉴于版面字数限制，只转载了第一部分以及文后的两个表，第一部分里面有关于德语版的波兰尼三卷文集的信息。 1. IntroductionRecently, Cangiani and Thomasberger have edited and collected Karl Polanyi’s works written between 1920 and 1945—including published articles and unpublished manuscripts—into three volumes in German: Chronik der Transformation (henceforth, Chronicles). The first volume entitled ‘Economic transformation, counter-movements and the struggle for democracy’ was published in 2002 with an introduction by the editors—‘A market society and democracy: the perspective of human freedom. Karl Polanyi’s works from 1920 until 1945’. The second volume entitled ‘The international politics between the two world wars’ was published in 2003 with an introduction—‘Power politics, confrontation of systems and peaceful coexistence: the meaning of democracy. Karl Polanyi’s analysis on international relations’. Finally, the third volume entitled ‘Human freedom, political democracy and the conflict between socialism and fascism’ was published this year (2005) with an introduction by the aforementioned editors and another editor, Kari Polanyi-Levitt—‘The polarity: human freedom and institutions of market economy’[1].
According to a study by Polanyi-Levitt and Mendell in 1987, we can distinguish five periods in the life and thoughts of K. Polanyi[2]. On the basis of this classification, the periods addressed by the Chronicles mentioned above and those we investigate here are the third and fourth period that relate to Polanyi’s thoughts that were elaborated in Vienna. During his stay in Vienna as an immigrant, Polanyi maintained a close relationship with the third and fourth generation representatives of the Austrian School of Economics, such as L. von Mises and F. A. von Hayek, and he experienced the changing phase of contemporary liberalism from a distance. Although he did not adopt the same position as the Austrian economists, he did share the concerns surrounding the concept of freedom and liberalism. Early in his career, he had identified himself as a ‘liberal socialist’[3]. At the same time, he also maintained connections with the Austro-Marxists, led chiefly by Otto Bauer. Further, we are aware that Polanyi used the evolving notions of sociology in the German-speaking countries of his time, for example, the ideas of M. Weber or R. C. Turnwald[4]. This source can be traced back to the thoughts of C. Menger, the founder of the Austrian School, who at a later stage in life elaborated upon two meanings of the concept of economy. Menger was of the viewpoint that the relationship between economy and society or the place of economy in society was very important. It would be more important than a pure theory of economics as a mechanism of price formation. It was important to consider a more live, substantive type of rationality that criticized the technological, formal concept of rationality. Later in this paper, we will address the issue of the influence of the Austrian School on Polanyi.
However, it is not only because of Polanyi’s personal history that the period between 1920 and 1945, the so-called interwar period, is important. Rather, it is the view of the Chronicles as well as that of Polanyi, with which I agree, that ‘the interwar period marked the fundamental breaking off of social development, not only from an economic viewpoint but also—and in a more definitive way—from the perspective of international relations’[5]. As we will see in the next section, the breaking off is characterized by the end of the ‘liberal system’ of peace and freedom established with the civilization of the 19th century and also by the fundamental change in the balance of power in politics and the economy. Here, we investigate these views and Polanyi’s place in the context of this interwar period since his contributions were made as one of the contemporaries of that period. His thoughts are expressed most explicitly in his representative work—The Great Transformation—published in 1944. From the standpoint of historical descriptions and hypotheses, there could certainly be some counter-arguments against Polanyi’s explanation of the origin of the market system[6]. Yet, we could safely state that this work and the thoughts of Karl Polanyi in general wield a strong influence on the economic and social thoughts of our present world, on economics, sociology, economic sociology, economic history and economic anthropology[7].
[1] Polanyi 2002, 2003, 2005; Cangiani & Thomasberger 2002, 2003; and Cangiani, Thomasberger and Polanyi-Levitt 2005.
[2] Table 1 at the end of this paper.
[3] According to the study by Polanyi-Levitt 1987 (p. 9), Polanyi had already begun to warn against the fascistic tendency as early as the year 1909. In this respect, another study by Congdon 1976 (p. 174) pointed out that Polanyi was against religious ethics and in favour of moral freedom since the former provides peoplewith some criterion a priori. However, on the other hand, Litvan 1991 emphasized the change in Polanyi’s thought after he entered the intellectual milieu of Vienna.
[4] Humphreys 1969 (pp. 168-173) also refers to the relationship with the thoughts of K. Mannheim and W. Sombart.
[5] Cangiani & Thomasberger 2003. pp. 11-12.
[6] Braudel, for example, criticized Polanyi on the rise of the market system (Braudel 1973/1986 pp. 278-284. Also, North 1977).
[7] Cangiani, Thomasberger & Polanyi-Levitt 2005. p. 63. They also refer to the fact that Stiglitz wrote the preface to the new edition of ‘The Great Transformation’ in 2001.
Table 1. The stages of Karl Polanyi’s life and thoughts
(based on the description in Polanyi-Levitt and Mendell 1987)
(1) 1886-1906
| From his birth (in Vienna) until the death of his father
| (2) 1907-1919
(Hungary)
| His youth in Budapest until his immigration to Vienna due to the revolution led by Bela Kuhn
| (3) 1920-1933
(Austria)
| This period covers his stint as a correspondent for a Viennese weekly financial journal Die Osterreichische Volkswirt and his academic activities with Austrian economists
| (4) 1934-1947
(England/America)
| His immigration to England in 1934 (foreign correspondent of Die Osterreichische Volkswirt ) and his later immigration to the New Continent (America: 1940-1943).
| (5) 1948-1964
(Canada/America)
| His life in the New Continent until his death
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Table 2. Market principle and marketplace
(compiled from Kaplan 1984. p. 27)
| Market principle
| Marketplace
| Specific location
| No specific, particular location
| Concentration of goods and actors in a specific, concrete location
| Regulations
| It requires freedom from any regulation.
| It requires regulations, rules, controls and surveillance.
| Respected principle
| Improvisation
| Routine practices
| Private/public
| Private
| Public
| Openness of trade
| Trade is conducted secretly.
| Trade is conducted in public.
| Openness of space
| Some open social space
| Some limited, closed space
| Criteria of success
| Maximization of profits
| Tranquillity, peace and order within society
| Characteristics of power
| Power exists everywhere or nowhere (non-existing); hence, it is difficult to seize.
| Power is explicit and intervention is easy.
Marketplace itself embodies some ideology of public power.
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 油漆 最后编辑于 2009-07-31 06:48:06
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