In this episode, we offer a very abbreviated review of two key ideas that will inform subsequent discussions in the course. The first is Karl Polanyi’s idea, sketched out in his famous work, The Great Transformation, that prior to the Industrial Revolution, markets were always embedded in human relations. The second is Karl Marx’s similarly celebrated concept of “the fetishism of the commodity,” which is the concluding section of the opening chapter of his epic (and largely unreadable) work Das Kapital.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rolfstromolsen.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rolfstromolsen.substack.com