The Great Transformation – Polanyi then and now
03. Nov
10 am – 6 pm, C 40.164
The Great Transformation sheds light on the profound changes in capitalism and their social consequences. In this workshop hosted by the Leuphana Transformation Lab, we will explore Polanyi’s analysis of deregulation, institutional erosion, and fascist tendencies—and discuss how Polanyi’s thinking is still relevant today for analyzing global crises.
Karl Polanyi’s The Great Transformation is one of the most important structural analyses of capitalism in the 20th century. Polanyi not only explains the transformation of an economic system toward increasing deregulation and the “cannibalization” of its social foundations: As a political economist, he offers an analytical perspective on the connection between capitalist dynamics and institutional erosion as well as fascist tendencies. Polanyi’s thinking provides a starting point for situating the concept of transformation within the context of economic history, while also reflecting on current global economic developments.
In our one-day workshop, we will explore this approach to transformation research by discussing excerpts from The Great Transformation as well as short political essays by Polanyi.
The workshop is part Leuphana’s Embracing Transformation program, in which researchers at various career stages and from different disciplines collaborate to examine processes of social transformation. The event is organized and led by Dr. Henrike Kohpeiß (postdoc at the Leuphana Transformation Lab) and Lennart Bade (doctoral researcher in the key subject area Democratic Resilience). Prof. Dr. Elke Schüßler, speaker of the key subject area Organizing in Times of Crisis, will participate in the workshop as a guest expert.