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The Fundamental Institutions of Capitalism

By Ernesto Screpanti

Published August 1st 2006 by Routledge – 314 pages

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Description

The Fundamental Institutions of Capitalism presents a radical institutional approach to the analysis of capitalism. Ernesto Screpanti puts forward a number of provocative arguments that expose common ground in both neoclassical and Marxist orthodoxies. It will appeal to a broad audience of social scientists including advanced students and professionals with an interest in politics and economics.

Reviews

'I have strongly appreciated this book, as it consitutes a fruitful merging of Marxian theory with recent advances in institutional and evolutionary economics. The book is well researched and, among other things, provides useful summaries and original combinations of several strands of literature, mainly but not exclusively radical and institutional … it is very rewarding reading for everybody wanting to understand what capitalism really is.' - Angelo Reati, il cannocchiale

Contents

Introduction 1. The Employment Contract, Transaction Institutions and Capitalism: i The Employment Contract; ii Transaction Institutions and Social Reproduction 2. Individuals, Culture and Behavioural Institutions: i Premises; ii Bounded Rationality and Intentional Behaviour; iii The Multiple Self and False Conditions; iv The Ideological Conditions of Social Reproduction; v Conclusions 3. The State and Normative Institutions i Where Does the State Come From? ii The State Action 4. Forms of Co-operation and Power: i Co-operation; ii Power 5. Production Governance Structures: i The Capitalist Firm; ii The Market; iii The Governance of Knowledge Production 6. Different Forms of Capitalism: i Institutional Systems; ii Forms of Capitalism. Conclusions: Toward the Autonomy of Capital

Author Bio

Ernesto Screpanti is Professor of Political Economy and Professor of the History of Political Economy at the University of Siena. He has published extensively on the economics of labour, institutional economics, the history and methodology of economics, his previous publications include An Outline of the History of Economic Thought, with S. Zamagni,

Related Subjects

  1. Economic Geography
  2. Economics