Pathology of the capitalist spirit : an essay on greed, hope, and loss

Bibliographic Information

Pathology of the capitalist spirit : an essay on greed, hope, and loss

David Levine

(Palgrave pivot)

Palgrave Macmillan, 2013

  • : hardback

Other Title

Pathology of the capitalist spirit : an essay on greed, loss and hope

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Note

Includes bibliographical references (p. 95-97) and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

Pathology of the Capitalist Spirit is about capital and about the economic system that bears its name. In this book, Levine argues that our pursuit of ever-more wealth in the form of capital expresses our dissatisfaction with the world we live in, with what we have and what we don't have. Capital embodies our hope for something different. Because capital embodies this hope, it has become desire's object. In his study of capitalism, Levine explores the meaning of capital as a social reality connected to fundamental human aspirations. The link between capital and the pursuit of a hoped-for state is especially important in light of the stubborn insistence on the part of its critics that capitalism exists to serve the material interests of those whose vocation is to own capital. This misunderstanding ignores what is essential about capital, which is its link not to interests but to hope, especially the hope that by accumulating capital the individual can achieve an attachment to the good. It is this hope that blocks tolerance of any notion that there is something unfair in the capitalist's acquisition of wealth and that fairness can be achieved through its redistribution to others. It is also this hope that animates the capitalist system as a whole. And in that sense, this hope is the spirit of capitalism. To develop this theme, Levine calls on the ideas and writings of major theorists involved with understanding modernity and capitalism: Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Max Weber, Emile Durkheim, and Joseph Schumpeter.

Table of Contents

Preface Introduction 1. Capital 2. The Disease of the Infinite 3. The Spirit of Capitalism 4. Creative Destruction 5. Political Consequences Conclusion References

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Details
  • NCID
    BB15141754
  • ISBN
    • 9781137325556
  • LCCN
    2012474477
  • Country Code
    us
  • Title Language Code
    eng
  • Text Language Code
    eng
  • Place of Publication
    New York
  • Pages/Volumes
    viii, 100 p.
  • Size
    23 cm
  • Classification
  • Subject Headings
  • Parent Bibliography ID
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