Der ökonomische Determinismus – neu betrachtet

Abstract

<jats:p>This article revisits the claim that the social relations of production determine, at least in the last instance, the overall nature and dynamic of social formations. The claim in its original form is often misunderstood, its later justifications are generally weak, and efforts to improve it are mostly unconvincing. An alternative interpretation is presented that identifies four complementary meanings of economic determinism that are all consistent with historical materialism. The fourth meaning draws on the relatively new concept of ‘ecological dominance’ but it was anticipated, the author argues, in certain arguments of Marx and Engels themselves.</jats:p>

Capitalist diversity and variety: Variegation, the world market, compossibility and ecological dominance

“…These issues are related. For example, the ecological dominance of neoliberalism reflects the politically engineered predominance of finance-dominated accumulation regimes in the world market plus the ecological dominance of financial capital more generally in global capitalist circuits (Jessop 2011a). Neither statement entails that financial capital, let alone capital as property (fictive capital), has been fully and permanently detached from the need for valorisation in the 'real' economy.…”

“…Thus one could investigate the conditions making for uneven development and structural coupling of capitalist regimes in a regional or global division of labour (e.g., the Rhenish, Nordic, and liberal market models in Europe or the global dominance of the liberal market model); or, again, examine the weight of commercial, industrial, or financial capital in capitalist circuits at different scales.These issues are related. For example, the ecological dominance of neo-liberalism reflects the politically-engineered predominance of finance-dominated accumulation regimes in the world market plus the ecological dominance of financial capital more generally in global capitalist circuits(Jessop 2011a). Neither statement entails that financial capital, let alone capital as property (fictive capital), has been fully and permanently detached from the need for valorisation in the 'real' economy.…”

Die Ökonomisierung des Krankenhauses

“…Vermittelt wird diese Fähigkeit immer in und durch die operationalen Logiken der anderen Systeme und die kommunikativen Rationalitäten der Lebenswelt." (Jessop 2011: ökonomische Krisen nur dadurch bedingt, dass die Unternehmer ihres "Unternehmer-Ehrgeizes" verlustig gingen, wenn keine Gewinnaussichten bestehen. Man darf jedoch vermuten, dass gerade in solchen Situationen der Ehrgeiz groß ist -er erklärt damit nichts.…”