Critical Social Theory

Browne, Craig

doi:10.4135/9781473911819

Cited by 18 publications

(11 citation statements)

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“…In Castoriadis’s later theory, the dialectic of control is set within the larger parameters of the social imaginary (Browne, 2017a). It is open to diverse forms of institutionalization, and the signification of control is associated with a distinctive orientation to the world.…”

Section: IImentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Further, the capitalist imaginary is only limited by the other modern imaginary of the project of autonomy, as it is oriented towards unlimited extension. For this reason, contemporary developments like the fabrication of consumers through the incorporation of subjectivity manifest this orientation and are rationalizations of control (see Browne, 2017a). In many respects, Castoriadis’s later diagnoses emphasize the waning of the project of autonomy and further evidence of the extent to which his earlier critique of bureaucratic capitalism inflects his juxtaposition of the two modern imaginaries.…”

Section: IImentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One that would be overwhelmed by the strains and conflicts that had only been rendered latent by state administration and the social rights of citizenship that served to limit the effects of the class structure. The reversals in the progressive transformation of capitalist society should be understood in terms of the practices and dynamics of ‘the dialectic of control’ (Browne, 2017a, 2017b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The fact that Marxism participates in the Weberian problematique of institutionalization is significant (Browne, 2017a). Castoriadis’s assessment is, however, too unequivocal.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Castoriadis’s political practice and theoretical innovations of the time were unable to overcome the conundrum of leadership generating dependency. Despite these issues forming part of the reasons for terminating the group Socialism or Barbarism , the resonances of its project of autonomous self-organization are evident from the events of May 68 shortly after its cessation and the parallels with more recent instances of democratic self-organization by anti-austerity protests (Browne, 2017a; Browne and Susen, 2014).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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The antinomies of the modern imaginary and the double dialectic of control

Browne

2020

Thesis Eleven

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Cornelius Castoriadis made a significant and distinctive contribution to the development of the notion of the dialectic of control. In the first instance, Castoriadis formulated an important reconceptualization and restatement of the Marxist conception of the central contradiction of capitalism. He argued that capitalism depended on the creativity of workers while excluding them from effective control. Similarly, Castoriadis sought to extend the Marxist analysis of those tendencies present within the structuration of the labour process that may prefigure a socialist reorganization of production. Castoriadis’s analyses of capitalism during the phase of his involvement with Socialism or Barbarism are likewise informed by his assessment of state socialist regimes. In particular, this assessment provided important insights into the modalities of control in modern society and the complications of transcending forms of institutional domination in modernity. It will be argued that some of the distinctive intentions of Castoriadis’s later elucidation of the social imaginary can be traced to his interpretation of bureaucratic capitalism and that this is evident in his subsequent accounts of the capitalist imaginary. In his later theory, Castoriadis interprets the problem of the dialectic of control in terms of the relationship between instituting and instituted society. Castoriadis’s analysis of capitalism during the period of Socialism or Barbarism will be situated in the wider debates over capitalism at that time. Similarly, Castoriadis’s departure from some of the philosophical sources that influenced the development of the notion of the dialectic of control will be explored.

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Section: IImentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: IImentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The fact that Marxism participates in the Weberian problematique of institutionalization is significant (Browne, 2017a). Castoriadis’s assessment is, however, too unequivocal.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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The antinomies of the modern imaginary and the double dialectic of control

Browne

2020

Thesis Eleven

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Boltanski, Luc (1940–)

Browne

2019

The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology

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Luc Boltanski is one of the most significant and innovative contemporary sociologists and the importance of Boltanski's distinctive orientation to the world is highlighted in this entry, particularly for his rethinking of critique. The long term implications of Boltanski's early collaboration with Pierre Bourdieu and subsequent criticism of Bourdieusian sociology are underlined. Boltanski's book The Cadre is shown to prefigure later themes through its account of the contingent formation of a class and the tensions that beset cadres. With Laurent Thévenot, Boltanski initiated a major new sociological approach and how the theory and methodology of pragmatist sociology of critique developed is explained. A number of sociological pragmatism's key conceptions are detailed and various strands of Boltanski's investigations into moral‐political practices noted. It is argued that the book that Boltanski authored with Eve Chiapello, The New Spirit of Capitalism , is a landmark text and highlights how change was precipitated by critique and contestation. The main arguments of Boltanski's three most substantial recent books are outlined, noting how this entails an innovative reformulation of critique, an exploration of the links between early spy and detective novels, the state, and sociological reasoning, and an interpretation of the centrality of the enrichment of commodities to contemporary capitalism.

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Policy entrepreneurship and institutional change: Who, how, and why?

Jarvis

2020

Public Admin & Development

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Summary In the past three decades, “policy entrepreneurship” has emerged as a key analytical concept helping to explain institutional and policy change. Despite this, however, the literature on policy entrepreneurship remains theoretically vexed, producing limited theoretical knowledge or explanatory models able to draw firm conclusions. Theory building on policy and institutional change, for example, how policy entrepreneurs institute and navigate change agendas, using what tools, strategies, resources, and capacities remains opaque. This is especially the case in developing country contexts, where most analytical investigation of policy entrepreneurship has addressed “first world” case examples. This special issue seeks to address this analytical gap in the literature, focusing on cases specific to developing country contexts, deepening our empirical knowledge of policy entrepreneurship in developing countries, but also exploring theoretical and conceptual debates as they relate to developing countries.

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Critical Social Theory

Cited by 18 publications

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The antinomies of the modern imaginary and the double dialectic of control

The antinomies of the modern imaginary and the double dialectic of control

Boltanski, Luc (1940–)

Policy entrepreneurship and institutional change: Who, how, and why?

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