Reclaiming Evolution: A Dialogue Between Marxism and Institutionalism on Social Change

by William M. Dugger, Howard J. Sherman

Explore the way society develops using the equally radical, but very different approaches of Thorstein Veblen and Karl Marx.

Kindle Edition

First published December 10, 2000

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[X Li · Rating 4 out of 5]

part one preliminaries
1 what is evolution
social evolution
from incremental change to structrual change
change caused by internal dynamic in society
not single factor, but the whole dynamic
involve conflicts between groups

part two elements
2 economic relations
institutionalist: inequality as starting point/ class understood as 4 relations as of income, work, wealth, tech
marxist: class as relationships, not individual attributes
eco institutions and vested interests affect technology from institutionalist view: not genius, but as product of community
going concerns, vested interests and sabotage
eco institutions and class realtions affect technology from marxist: force and relationship of production
3 technology
interdependence of tech and society from ins view
interdependence of tech and society from marx view
myth, political and social relations, economic relations/ tech
tech affect eco relations from ins view: learn and teach
learn: social/ tech
ins as microeco while marx as macroeco of tech change
tech affect eco relations from marx view: no tech advance, no social structure change; no social structure, no tech advance
4 enabling myth
ins view: stratification, usually with identity politics, up is positive, down is negative
marx view
5 democracy
ins view of dem: dem is not yes or no, but matter of degree
extent right to vote/ spread knowledge about poli issues/ spread participation/ if proceeds far enough, dem process conflict with stratified societies
dem and inequality are incompatible
marx view of dem: formal dem and effective dem
myth affect poli process

part three processes
6 structral change
ins view: not all evolution is progress
marx view: incremental, then suddenly collapse under capit
7 social tensions
ins view: business and industriy value dichotomy
marx view
8 social conflict
role of conflict in evolution from ins: when can't compromise, tension became conflict, change be both evolution an revolution
role of conflict in evolution from marx view: ordinary and revolutio times class struggle
agree on 3 basic points, conflict isn't inevitable

part four denouement
9 conclusion: reclaiming evolution
findings and implications: eco institutions and relations are vital for shaping industry, tech and capital accumulation (tech and society are interdependent) / institutions are vital for inequality (contrast to conservative and neoclassical eco) / tech pressure society to change (contrast to individual psychology) / myth come from society, maintain status quo (myth affect tech, which blow tech reductionism, myth shaped by society, which blow psycho reductionism) / democracy inter-affect political process, coexist with inequality uneasily (today people value democracy, but live in stratified societies; political process beiden blow to both reductionism) / structral change occur in evolution, as result of social tension and conflict (always change, but not necessarily progress) / structural tensions are multifacet (tech not necessary progress or without resistance) / human conflicts (conflicts are always prevail harmony, and is understandable)
future from ins: not perfect sth, but always less inequality
future from marx: organize and change