Reconstructing Karl Polanyi: Excavation and Critique

by Gareth Dale

Karl Polanyi was one of the most influential political economists of the twentieth century and is widely regarded as the most gifted of social democratic theorists. In Reconstructing Karl Polanyi, Gareth Dale, one of the foremost scholars of Polanyi, provides a sweeping survey of his contributions to the social sciences.

Polanyi’s intellectual and political outlook can best be summarised through paradoxical formulations such as ‘liberal socialist’ and ‘cosmopolitan patriot’. In exploring these paradoxes, Dale draws upon a wide array of primary sources to reconstruct Polanyi’s views on a range of topics that have been neglected in the critical literature, including the history of antiquity, the evolution and dynamics of Stalin’s Russia, McCarthyism and his critical dialogue with Marxism.

Dale also analyses Polanyi’s relevance to current issues, notably the ‘clash’ between democracy and capitalism, and the nature and trajectory of European unification. This is an essential and original study for anyone interested in the formation and application of social democracy.

Genres: History, Economics

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 15, 2016

Reviews

[Ryan Arthur · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having never read anything written by Karl Polanyi, I was intrigued to read this book about him. For the vast majority of the book, it read as a biography. It isn't until the last chapter that there really is any dive into Polanyi's contributions. I feel like this choice gave the impression that Dale needed to include Polanyi's contributions as a last-minute addition. I did enjoy it enough to look up many of the works and other authors cited, but I am not sure on keeping Dale's book on my shelf.