Date: Thu, 11 Feb 1999 22:50:50 +0000
From: Iain McKay <iain.mckay-AT-zetnet.co.uk>
Subject: Karl Polanyi


Hi all

Andy wrote:
> 
> > Agnosticism is probably one of the best ways to look at the world, although
> > I did extent it for myself even to science, seems that I'm at the moment an
> > 'agnostic nihilist', I just stopped asking me the questions why and how,
> > guess next time I'm going to answer these questions in an anarchistic way,
> > anyone knows some books about an anarchistic interpretation of all this
> > stuff like nature, science and so on?
> 
> Nothing particularly anarchistic, but you could get hold of some
> Kuhn, Polanyi, and Chomsky, and check some mainstream Sociology for
> cultural relativism. However if Chomsky's linguistics are 'right'
> then cultural relativism may be 'wrong'.
> 
>  I think there are some Polanyi refs in the FAQ.

There are a few quotes from his classic work "The Great Transformation"
I think that most anarchists would gain alot from reading that book. Its
very interesting. basically, he argues that the idea of the free market
is simply utopian and would destroy society and the environment if 
implemented. He presents evidence that "free markets" rather than
being a natural process were created by state action and that while
markets have existed within most societies, they have been embedded
in society. Under capitalism, this is reversed and of the
economy/market. 

Interesting stuff and worth reading.

Iain