The Global Development CrisisThe central paradox of the contemporary world is the simultaneous presence of wealth on an unprecedented scale, and mass poverty. Liberal theory explains the relationship between capitalism and poverty as one based around the dichotomy of inclusion (into capitalism) vs exclusion (from capitalism). Within this discourse, the global capitalist system is portrayed as a sphere of economic dynamism and as a source of developmental opportunities for less developed countries and their populations. Development policy should, therefore, seek to integrate the poor into the global capitalist system. The Global Development Crisis challenges this way of thinking. Through an interrogation of some of the most important political economists of the last two centuries Friedrich List, Karl Marx, Leon Trotsky, Joseph Schumpeter, Alexander Gerschenkron, Karl Polanyi and Amarta Sen, Selwyn argues that class relations are the central cause of poverty and inequality, within and between countries. In contrast to much development thinking, which portrays ‘the poor’ as reliant upon benign assistance, this book advocates the concept of labour-centred development. Here ‘the poor’ are the global labouring classes, and their own collective actions and struggles constitute the basis of an alternative form of non-elitist, bottom-up human development. |
Contents
FriedrichList and theFoundations of Statist Political | |
From Marx to Schumpeter and Back | |
Development Within orAgainst Capitalism? A Critique of Amartya Sens Developmentas Freedom | |
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accessed Amartya Sen analysis andthe argues argument attempts backward countries bythe capital accumulation capital–labour relations capitalist capitalist development catchup development chapter class relations class struggles combined development commodification commodity chains competition conception of development conceptionof contemporary creative destruction critique Democracy development studies developmental discussed dynamics economists emerging example expansion exploitation famine firms forms freedom Friedrich List fromthe Gerschenkron global south human development income industrial institutional innovations intellectual International Socialism Journal inthe Karl Polanyi labour power labour process labourcentred late development liberal List’s London marginalist Marx’s Marxism monoeconomics neoclassical neoliberal oflabour ofthe onthe organization Polanyi political economy politicaleconomy population potentially poverty primitive accumulation production represents reproduce residualist revolution Russia Schumpeter Schumpeter’s sectors selfregulating Sen’s social classes socialist society sphere strategies surplus value technological theglobal theory TNCs tothe trade transformation Trotsky Trotsky’s understanding uneven University Press wage wage labour wealth workers workplace world system