FOUNDATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL KARL POLANYI SOCIETY

Vienna May 8-9, 2018

 

Conference at the Chamber of Labour with Prof Kari Polanyi-Levitt opening the conference.
Well attended opening day with an audience over two hundred and active. As the program invitation states:

Gala Event foundation of the International Karl Polanyi Society.

In recent years, there has been a Karl Polanyi (1886-1964) revival. Scholars all over the world are referring to his masterpiece „The Great Transformation“ to understand and explain the development and changes of contemporary capitalism, of market fundamentalism and the rise of new reactionary forms of authoritarianism. Karl Polanyi promoted an integrated analysis of complex, conflict-laden phenomena that did not resort to dogma. Engagement with and criticism of his concepts and predictions have inspired new research fields – be it in transformation studies, socioeconomics or cultural political economy.

The International Karl Polanyi Society – founded May 8, 2018, in Vienna – will take up this intellectual legacy as well as the huge international interest. It will aim at promoting and broadening the research inspired by Karl Polanyi to understand the contradictions inherent in contemporary capitalism. In the age of the climate crisis, rising illiberal democracies, social polarization and looming geopolitical confrontation, his writings inspire us to engage with the multiple contradictions of economic growth and technological progress („improvements”) on the one hand and threats to ecological sustainability and sociocultural well-being („habitation”) on the other.

 

May 8 and 9, 2018 Chamber of Labour Vienna | Theresianumgasse 16 - 18, 1040 Vienna, Austria