The author looks at the world-systems analysis as a recent, up-to-date and adequate form of the Marx rooted critical social theory – contrary to Wallerstein himself, who regards his attempts as establishing a new and interdisciplinary science, although in its direct factors of emergence giving credits to elements of the Marxian tradition. The world-systems analysis, nevertheless offers a fruitful and rich insight, with several players, which can be tested against reality.
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The third great transformation: Riding Polanyi into the future
The author is analysing the collapse of state socialism and the return of the illusion of the self-regulating market by using the tools of Polanyi. This transition fits in the third wave of marketisation and commodification, which results in the withdrawal of social rights, the unbounded power of money and transforming nature to a commodity. The researcher sums up the experience of Hungary, before and after the system change, he describes how the attempts for self-governance failed, that would have been a real alternative to the market economy reaching hegemony.
Some words about synthetic biology – answer to Ádám Fülöp’s article „Generation I
The esoteric framework of the critique on biotechnology and the generalisations stemming from it are problematic, writes the author. It is not clear, how the most promising biotechnology research could be banned en block on subjective ideological preferences, denying several possible practical advantages delivered even in a capitalist economy.
What was „left out” from the theory of Wallerstein – Some reflections
The theory of Wallerstein, writes the author, is one of the progressive anti-capitalist/ anti-systemic theories, which analyse the hierarchical structure and antagonistic contradictions of the capitalism, interpreted as a world system, at the highest scholarly level. At the same time, the inherent contradictions of this theory cannot be hided. It missed to develop a theory of social forms, that can be found at Marx, and says little about the historic features of the soviet and state socialist development and has not really integrated them into the theory. Nevertheless, the theory of Wallerstein is open and can be developed further with a critical angle.
Games – without borders?
It does not matter where virtual realities begin but the actual question is who can define the end of them? Is a state or the civic society able to limit a development, which has its legitimisation by itself only? What is the future, what the techno-science with a messianic self image brings? Do we have an alternative at all?