Beyond Capitalism: Notes on the political economy of the transition to socialism

How can society organize itself democratically to achieve human freedom, environmental sustainability, justice, prosperity, equality, and solidarity? Beyond Capitalism introduces various ideas that have been suggested as answers to these questions, focusing especially on how a socialist economy might be attained to satisfy human needs democratically and equitably.

As the limitations of capitalism become increasing apparent to many, a felt need exists for a better understanding of the possibilities for socialist economies. Beyond Capitalism considers potential problems faced by economies transitional from capitalism to socialism, and proposes candidate mechanisms for addressing them.

The book explores some the essential problems of a socialist system by comparison with capitalism. It considers what a socialist political economy might look like, in particular, a political economy of a society that is transitional from capitalism to socialism.

There are two kinds of questions that are taken up in this essay. There are the issues more or less directly recognizable as political economy, for example, how planning and investment might work under socialism. Then there are what appear to be somewhat more abstract questions, like what is meant by socialism and democracy, for example.