No subject

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We may agree or disagree with use of the term =E2=80=9Ceconomism,=E2=80=9D =
but Richard
Norgaard is certainly right to underscore the essentially religious nature
of traditional economic thinking=E2=80=94and the need to transcend it. Also=
 that
transcending will require the introduction and affirmation of a contending
formulation of equal, indeed, greater power. This, of course, is what Pope
Francis emphasized (to a degree) in his recent Encyclical, starting from
the framework of Roman Catholic Christianity. The great Jewish theologian,
Martin Buber, opened similar and in some areas even more powerful themes in
his less commonly cited works. The judgment is also at the heart of growing
modern interest in =E2=80=9Ccommons=E2=80=9D philosophical formulations. An=
d certainly
other formulations that attempt to reach to broader philosophical or even
religious understandings are likely to emerge as the pain of market based
capitalism deepens.

One part of this work is necessarily at the level of ideas, theory, and
grand conceptions: I agree. Another critical part, however, forces much
more careful attention to the nature of economic institutions that
challenge existing =E2=80=98religious=E2=80=99 economic paradigms and also =
begin to develop
institutionally supported practices in support of a new direction.
Importantly, these also require moving beyond current formulations in many
areas. At the local level, for instance, worker-cooperatives are now much
in vogue=E2=80=94efforts I certainly support and, indeed, have been involve=
d with
and helped develop for many decades. However, many such institutions
working in competitive market conditions can easily be forced to
externalize costs in ways destructive of the environment. If there are
economies of scale available, despite the best of intentions, they will
often be forced to expand, and to undercut competitors, even though their
internal =E2=80=98commons=E2=80=99 principles might suggest other hopes.
Nor do such efforts necessarily produce general equality. (Worker co-ops in
the oil industry are likely to have interests and incomes different from
those working in co-ops in the garbage collection industry.) Again, I am a
strong proponent of cooperatives; and commitment to larger cooperative
principles and culture can go a long way to mitigate such problems=E2=80=94=
but,
unfortunately, not all the way if market conditions put the institution
under economic attack, or if conditions generate different competing
institutional interests.

To fully come to terms with the larger framing that Norgaard opens up, at
some point we are clearly going to have to undertake institutional
explorations involving a larger and more encompassing =E2=80=9Ccommunity=E2=
=80=9D approach,
one that inherently includes all of the community (not just the workers in
one firm, cooperative or other)=E2=80=94i.e. non-workers, the elderly, the =
young,
stay at home care givers, and many others. The principle is that of
inclusion. It is also one in which =E2=80=9Cexternalities=E2=80=9D of any e=
nterprise are
=E2=80=9Cinternalized=E2=80=9D by structures representing the entire commun=
ity. Among many
other issues, how diverse interests can be brought together institutionally
without stifling creativity then becomes itself a critical issue. The
challenge facing cooperatives suggests only some of the questions large
scale economic institutions will have to deal with if we are to move beyond
=E2=80=9Ceconomism=E2=80=9D=E2=80=94and if what replaces it is to be sustai=
ned by institutional and
community practice.

Put another way, the development of new forms of community-inclusive
efforts at all levels=E2=80=94neighborhood, municipality, state, region, an=
d
nation=E2=80=94are likely to be necessary complements to the development of=
 a new
=E2=80=9Creligion=E2=80=9D=E2=80=94or in Karl Mannheim=E2=80=99s famous for=
mulation=E2=80=94a meaningful =E2=80=9Cutopia=E2=80=9D
that can challenge the reigning =E2=80=9Cideology.=E2=80=9D Fortunately, pr=
actical
experimentation in diverse areas is underway in different parts of the
nation and the world, experimentation which can only benefit from the
larger philosophical (religious) direction Norgaard urges.

Gar Alperovitz

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Friday, October 30, 2015