Debates over the role of government have intensified in the wake of America's deepest financial crisis since the Depression. This book suggests new ways of moving forward based on the policies and principles that have worked in the past. Sassower shows how American pragmatism has guided the more successful financial policies undertaken during the past century. This means that from the workplace to foreign aid, Americans benefit when they collaborate with each other rather than only pursue their self-interest in competitive ways. Drawing on thinkers from Adam Smith to Keynes to Bernanke, Sassower shows how a new era of postideological capitalism can emerge in the wake of the current economic crisis-renewing America's leadership for the future.
Raphael Sassower is professor of philosophy and director of the Center for Legal Studies at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. Among his latest publications are Popper's Legacy: Rethinking Politics, Economics, and Science (2006), and with Mary Ann Cutter, Ethical Choices in Contemporary Medicine (2007).
Chapter 1 From Supercapitalism to Postcapitalism; Chapter 2 The Knowledge Industry; Chapter 3 Individualism and the Community; Chapter 4 Victimhood and Entitlement; Chapter 5 Personal and Collective Responsibility; Chapter 6 From 2008 Crises to Pragmatic Postcapitalism;
“This book is written by a philosopher with substantial experience in the world of venture capital finance. Recommended." —CHOICE “Postcapitalism is a welcome antidote to Robert Reich’s Supercapitalism. Using examples ranging from immigration to Enron to the credit crunch, Sassower offers a new perspective on the classic social theory conundrum of the ‘individual vs. society,’ just as economics and sociology now are undergoing a positive re-evaluation of more ‘institutional’ approaches to social life.” —Steve Fuller, University of Warwick