IDEAS IN MOTION
By Dr S A Hamed Hosseini
IDEAS IN MOTIONMay 23, 2020
The Non-Existing ‘Ancient Iran’: An Argument for the Abandonment of Anachronistic National Identitie
Ernest Mandel's Introduction to Capital Volume 3
Beyond Resignations: Reflections on the Systemic Global Crisis in Higher Education
Capital Redefined - Chapter 6 - Part 2 - female voice
Listen to the second part of the sixth chapter of the book in this episode
Chapter 6 Recharting the debates on labor theory of value in light of smart machines, affect, and climate change
Abstract
This chapter delves into the ongoing debates surrounding the relevance of the Marxian Labor Theory of Value (LTV) in the context of emerging challenges posed by smart machines, the crisis of care and social reproduction, and global ecological crises. Divided into three sections, the chapter explores the implications of these challenges for the LTV and engages with the discourse around each one. The LTV has been scrutinized by critical theorists on two fronts: the changing nature of capital post-Marx and its failure to recognize value sources beyond wage labor. Critics either advocate abandoning or restricting the theory due to perceived fallacies or narrowness, while revisionists propose reinterpretations that make it applicable to all true sources of value and new features of capital. While the chapter does not extensively explore these debates, it offers an overview of the major lines of dispute. It also sheds light on the implications of adopting the commonist perspective on value to navigate the confusions that underpin the major disputes. By incorporating the commonist approach, the chapter suggests a path forward that transcends the binary of rejection and revision.
Capital Redefined - Chapter 6 - Part 1 - female voice
Capital Redefined - Chapter 5 - Part 2 - female voice
Listen to the second part of the fifth chapter of the book in this episode
Chapter 5 Toward a commonist (labor) theory of value
Abstract
This chapter reconstructs the Marxian labor theory of value (LTV) using the commonist approach to value developed in the previous chapters. It redefines labor as a decommonized form of (more than) human creative power under capital. It explores the decommonization of human creative power through primary and secondary abstractions. ‘Primary abstraction’ occurs outside capitalist production relations and generates labor and labor power, while ‘secondary abstraction’ takes place within the inner organization of capital, as theorized by Marx, and produces abstract labor and capitalist value. By distinguishing between these two types of abstractions, we can avoid productivism in our interpretation and reconstruction of Marxian value theory and post-capitalist alternatives. This differentiation helps resolve disagreements regarding the suitability of LTV in the so-called late capitalism. By understanding the role of commoning sources of creativity and the implications of primary and secondary abstractions, we can develop a more nuanced understanding of the socio-ecological and political roles of labor and the potentialities of its liberation.
Capital Redefined - Chapter 5 - Part 1 - female voice
Listen to the first part of the fifth chapter of the book in this episode
Chapter 5 Toward a commonist (labor) theory of value Abstract
This chapter reconstructs the Marxian labor theory of value (LTV) using the commonist approach to value developed in the previous chapters. It redefines labor as a decommonized form of (more than) human creative power under capital. It explores the decommonization of human creative power through primary and secondary abstractions. ‘Primary abstraction’ occurs outside capitalist production relations and generates labor and labor power, while ‘secondary abstraction’ takes place within the inner organization of capital, as theorized by Marx, and produces abstract labor and capitalist value. By distinguishing between these two types of abstractions, we can avoid productivism in our interpretation and reconstruction of Marxian value theory and post-capitalist alternatives. This differentiation helps resolve disagreements regarding the suitability of LTV in the so-called late capitalism. By understanding the role of commoning sources of creativity and the implications of primary and secondary abstractions, we can develop a more nuanced understanding of the socio-ecological and political roles of labor and the potentialities of its liberation.
Open Access to the book: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003340386
Capital Redefined - Chapter 5 - Part 2
Capital Redefined - Chapter 5 - Part 1
Capital Redefined - Chapter 4
Listen to the fourth chapter of the book in this episode
Chapter 4 The modular architecture of capital
Abstract
This chapter introduces a modular framework that draws on the intersections between the Marxian theory of capital, critical realism, and the Aristotelian fourfold causation theory. The framework provides an inclusive approach that incorporates elements from these three theories, allowing for a more nuanced understanding of capital and its dynamics. It examines the concept of capital as ‘fetish value’ and its destructive operations, highlighting its erasure of ‘true value’ and the undermining of life’s self-sustenance. Capital is redefined as both “the product and the infra-process of perverting the fundamental causes of true value into the causes of fetish value. As the product, it is the corporeal manifestation of fetish value, and as the infra-process, it is essentially the abstraction and appropriation of fundamental commons.” The chapter redefines key Marxian concepts such as abstraction, reification, fetishization, and appropriation to illustrate the nature and architecture of capital. It delves into the infra-processes of de/commonization, which highlight how capital emerges and sustains itself through civilizing mechanisms, while also examining how counter-capital movements that aim to restore and reinvent true value can be incorporated into our theory of value.
Capital Redefined - Chapter 3
Listen to the third chapter of the book in this episode
Chapter 3 Toward a modular conception of capital: A metatheoretical discussion
This chapter establishes the metatheoretical foundations for the development of a novel model called the ‘commonist modular approach’ to theorizing capital. It emphasizes that capital is not only characterized by ongoing processes but also operates through modular structures, engaging in diverse interactive socio-ecological mechanism. The focus is on examining the connections between Marx's causal explanation, critical realism, the Aristotelian doctrine of causality, and normative social theory. The chapter adopts a pragmatic approach, piecing together compatible and complementary elements from these philosophical traditions. Marx’s approach provides guidance for analyzing capitalist dynamics, while critical realism offers insights into understanding causality. The Aristotelian doctrine expands the concept of value sources beyond labor, recognizing their multiplicity. By examining the intersections between these traditions, the chapter lays the foundation for an ontologically coherent framework for theorizing value. By integrating diverse perspectives, this approach allows for a deeper understanding of the intricate dynamics of capitalism, offering new pathways for transformative scholarship within the realm of value theory.
Capital Redefined - Chapter 2 - Part 2
Capital Redefined - Chapter 2 - Part 1
Capital Redefined - Chapter 1 - Part 2
Capital Redefined - Chapter 1 - Part 1
The Well-living Paradigm - Audio article - Part 2
The Well-living Paradigm. Audio article. Part 1
By S A Haamed Hosseini
This article introduces the concept of ‘well-living’ as a transformative framework for reimagining quality of life in the face of current global socio-ecological challenges. Through a reflexive theoretical meta-analysis, it critically examines mainstream and reformist well-being discourses while drawing inspiration from transformative perspectives found in recent post-capitalist and indigenous movements. ‘Well-living’ is portrayed as both a civilizational endeavor and a multifaceted imperative, encompassing dimensions of creativity, liveability, conviviality, and alterity across various scales from individual to international contexts. Central to the ‘well-living’ paradigm are nine key qualities, including harmonious coexistence, aspirational foresight and purposefulness, solidarity, autonomy, authenticity, and integrity, thereby promoting an integrated approach to living in balance with oneself, others, and the natural world. Embracing ‘well-living’ as a goal and process can empower individuals and communities to challenge prevailing global capitalist paradigms, re-establish connections with the interconnected web of life, and strive for a more just, regenerative, and diverse world, accommodating multiple perspectives. Lastly, employing a 'commonist' perspective, the article outlines essential institutional and legislative-policy changes required to actualize the vision of 'well-living.'
Capital Redefined - Epilogue
Listen to the Epilogue chapter of the he boon in this final episode
Epilogue
This first edition of our short book remains a work in progress. It is an invitation to engage in a new and hopefully productive dialogue on how to address the challenges of understanding the intricate relationship between value and capital. We believe our proposed approach has also the potential to impact post-capitalist transformative theory and revolutionary praxis. We posit that ‘value’ must be re-examined and liberated from its subservient ties to capital. However, this must not come at the expense of disregarding how capital appropriates value. Under capitalism, value loses its inherent normativity, and Marxist critics have not provided a positive normative framework for capital as ‘value’ in motion. This conceptual ambiguity has led to confusion and division among critical theorists. ...
Capital Redefined - Chapter 6 - Part 3
Capital Redefined - Chapter 6 - Part 2
Capital Redefined - Chapter 6- Part 1
Capital Redefined - Chapter 5 - Part 3
Capital Redefined - Chapter 5 - Part 2
Capital Redefined - Chapter 5 - Part 1
Capital Redefined - Chapter 4
Capital Redefined - Chapter 3
Capital Redefined - Chapter 2 - Part 3
Capital Redefined - Chapter 2 - Part 2
Capital Redefined - Chapter 2 - Part 1
Capital Redefined - Chapter 1 - Part 2
Capital Redefined - Chapter 1 - Part 1
On the Necessity of Liberating Value from Capital
At
the heart of our intellectual journey in this book lies the
profound realization that
in order to redefine capital, we must first engage in a
transformative discourse
that places (redefining) value at its very core.
Capital Redefined - Book's Preface
Capital Redefined - Book's front matter
When Carnage and Climate go hand in hand: From Gaza to COP28
I now find myself agreeing, ironically enough, with the US representative to the UN Security Council when he stated that "any ceasefire would be at best temporary." He said that to justify the shameful decision of his government to veto the council's unanimous vote for a permanent ceasefire. But I reiterate this for a different reason:
This madness will only "cease" when Zionist settler colonialism and Israel's apartheid regime end. And what reason do we really have not to believe that these systems will not crumble unless the world imposes severe sanctions and embargoes on this genocidal, racist regime?
But we also know that the large economies capable of such actions are aligned with the occupier, the colonizer, due to their own colonialist and imperialist nature both historically and in the present. Therefore, let's be honest: only a global, mass movement led by the people can create change.
But this is not limited to the century-long humanitarian catastrophe reaching its bloodiest climax in Gaza and the West Bank.
Look at the COP28 extravaganza going on these days, where the CEO of one of the largest fossil fuel companies has been appointed as the chair of the summit! He too has no hesitation in defending the status quo while only endorsing minimalist measures. This carnage of planetary biodiversity too has reached a climax of catastrophic status; and likewise, the perpetrators are placed in charge of looking after the victims. The US, taking a humanitarian gesture, warns Israel to be more careful on mass killings, and climate summit after summit demands that ecological criminals be softer in their destruction.
It is no accident that there are such stark similarities between climate and carnage, between colonizers and "carbonizers."
I am afraid we have reached such a pivotal point in human history where nothing short of mass action targeting the perpetrators will have any effect.
Hasn't fossil-finance capitalism become the "Israel" of so-called "nature"? Hasn't the globalized capitalist system subjected all living beings (except capitalists) to a more than a century-long lethal siege as doomed as civilian life in Gaza?
Orwellian and Huxleyan Worlds: Two Ends of a Spectrum
Israel’s 7 Oct Intelligence Conundrum: A Security Oversight?
The Value Revolution: Reclaiming Life beyond Capital - Introducing a new book
From: Common alternatives website
November 20, 2023
Featured publication
Hosseini, S A Hamed, and Barry K Gills (2024) Capital Redefined: A Commonist Value Theory for Liberating Life. London, Routledge. Open Access content is available for this title
In an age defined by capitalist systems that dominate our socioeconomic structures, the need for innovative perspectives and transformative theories has never been more pressing. “Capital Redefined,” crafted by S. A. Hamed Hosseini and Barry K. Gills, launches a pioneering scholarly endeavor to reconceptualize ‘capital’ and its intertwined value theory at a time when the resurgence of the ‘C word’ signals a reawakening of longstanding disputes and the emergence of new theoretical discourses. Their book is not just an academic endeavor but a radical manifesto-making framework that challenges the established norms of value theory in the context of capitalism.
This short essay explores the core themes and radical insights presented in the book.
How the Illusion of Choice Perpetuates the Cycle of Authoritarianism
The reason we continually find ourselves in this predicament is that communities lack direct participation in shaping their destinies. The power structure remains hierarchical, despite claims of representativeness. This notion of representation is a self-stabilizing mechanism employed by capital to create the illusion of agency among the people. We’re made to believe that our individual vote, one among millions, will significantly impact the results. Deep down, we know this isn’t entirely true, but it’s the limited space the system provides for our influence.
There have been moments when the façade of this mirage has crumbled, leading to frustration expressed through civil disobedience, riots, violence, mass protests, and, occasionally, revolutions. However, in these instances, the more organized and radicalized minority forces, often funded by elements of the establishment and amplified by both far-right corporate media and mainstream outlets, seize control. They divert the momentum toward the establishment of a new order, typically consisting of an ostensibly anti-elite, yet authoritarian, elite.
These newly empowered leaders quickly consolidate power, eliminating dissent within their own ranks (as seen in Hitler’s “Night of the Long Knives”) and creating an oppressive environment unparalleled in history. What’s intriguing is that their grassroots supporters, previously concerned about the lack of democracy under centrist governments, often contribute to this situation or are willing to surrender their freedoms. They do so because they’ve found charismatic leaders who promise protection against various perceived threats, from Bill Gates’ Frankenstein vaccine projects to global liberal child abusers to Chinese covid virus-makers, Muslim terrorists, black queens, and the “parasitic” Indigenous people on welfare, rapist immigrants and asylum seekers, anti-Christ groups, and more.
It’s a complex and unsettling dynamic that warrants deep reflection on the nature of power, representation, and the cyclical nature of societal change.
Gender Equity in STEM: How Could This Be a Misleading Cause?
Consequently, the focus must simply shift towards co-opting and assimilating women into these fields which are actually muscularized to the core under the technocratic mindset entwined with capitalism. This severely undermines the potential for an authentic, self-driven women’s struggle to emancipate modern science and technology from capital’s clutches, diverting them from their mission to serve their communities, their gender, and humanity on a global scale. The consequences of succumbing to these delusions are dire. By veiling the true intent of preserving patriarchal capitalism under the guise of gender equity and ecological preservation, we hinder genuine progress. This diversion not only obstructs the authentic empowerment of women but also perpetuates the dominance of capital over science and technology. As a result, the potential for transformative change that benefits communities and humanity at large remains stifled, leaving us trapped in a cycle of inequality and unsustainable practices."
read the full text here (3 min read):
or you may listen to the speechified text here: [https://lnkd.in/gHMReGki]
Australian Government Accord for Higher Education Reform: An Honest Response
S A Hamed Hosseini
Do national accords aimed at addressing public sector issues lead to substantive changes? I asked myself when I saw the Australian government (under Labor) unveiling their latest accord for higher education reform.
In the context of higher education in Australia, as in many other countries, profound restructuring has occurred since the adoption of neoliberal policies in the 80s, resulting in the disempowerment of staff and students and the corporatization of its institutions. Ironically, many of these changes were championed by the same party (of center-left), raising skepticism about their intent to tackle these challenges. Historically, such accords from left and right conservative parties have failed to bring about structural shifts that defy the grip of capital, the bedrock of the economy, and the root cause of socio-ecological crises including the crisis of higher education and the rest of the public service sector.
....
Echoes of the (Third) Reich: Is Germany’s Past Becoming Today’s Global History?
I’m uncertain whether voicing concerns on social media or creating programs on public broadcasting services about the resurgence of the far right, without providing a more profound explanation of why history could potentially repeat itself, would lead to substantial outcomes. The real root cause lies within the system (capitalism) itself
Moving Beyond the Illusions of ‘Electoral Democracy’ and Embracing the ‘So-Called Impossible
Liberal, representative, and parliamentary democracies have grown out of a history intertwined with colonialist capitalism, designed to bolster capital hegemony and serve as a state apparatus. However, this very system has now reached unprecedented levels of dysfunction, failing to address the mounting existential crises. It stands as a root cause for the global quagmire we find ourselves in.
Operational with mass deception, plundering, and distraction, it thrives on shielding the ruling classes while obscuring the true origins of our socio-ecological and moral maladies. A replacement is imperative, one emerging from grassroots participatory democracy, shaped through genuine decision-making and planning processes.
One potential alternative lies in a democratic confederation of communities, fortified by a larger legislative body entrusted with overseeing extra-local matters. This overarching council, formed through bottom-up elected delegation from smaller councils, holds the promise of transcending the power struggles that plague organized political factions. These factions often referred to as parties, promise transformative change while capitalizing on people’s vulnerabilities, fears, manufactured ignorance, and aspirations. It’s time to move beyond this illusion and toward a truly participatory and transformative political paradigm.
Imperative Unison: Reclaiming Unions for the Vital Liberation of Higher Education
The meaning of 'fitr' in Qur'anic context
The speech by S A Hamed Hosseini discusses the meaning of "fitr" in Quran by drawing the indigenous meaning of the concept.
On the Urgency of (Re)Integrating with the Radical
COVID-19 has shown that radical transformations are not only possible but unavoidable to prevent greater implosions. Living through a slow- or de-growth status – where collective “well-living” is gaining primacy over hedonistic well-being – has awakened us to the implausibility of returning to the old normal. Now is the time to quarantine our minds from the fatal cognitive virus of the capitalistic myth of “There Is No Alternative.” Though painful, lockdowns provide moments of reflection on where we are, how we have reached here, and what we can do to unite our creative imaginations and political actions to shape the post-pandemic world.
read more here: globaldialogue.isa-sociology.org/on-the-urgency-of-reintegrating-with-the-radical/
or thecommonalts.com/on-the-urgency-of-reintegrating-with-the-radical/
From well-being to well-living: Towards a post-capitalist understanding of quality of life
Source: Hosseini, S. (2018). From well-being to well-living: Towards a post-capitalist understanding of quality of life. [Journal Article]. AQ – Australian Quarterly, 89(2), 35-39. Retrieved from https://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=472003185948185;res=IELAPA
Australians are told that they live in one of the top 10 richest countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita, and that they enjoy a level of ‘well-being’ or ‘quality-of-life’ higher than many other advanced societies. Australia is ranked second after Norway on the OECD Better Life Index (2017), a new index developed to measure nations’ wellbeing more inclusively than the older methods that focused on wealth or income. This index includes non-monetary aspects of social life such as employment, environment and education.
Although such shifts in our understanding of wellbeing must be welcomed, the concept of wellbeing hasn’t been liberated from its underlying hegemonic political agendas and has become even more complicated by an increasing public, state and corporate interest.
Read the rest of the article here: thecommonalts.com/from-wellbeing-to-well-living/
Unveiling the Quran’s Empowerment of Women Amidst Misogynist Muslim Traditions and Islamophobic Myth
Empowerment and Equality: The Quranic Revolutionary Shift in Treating Captive Women
Is slavery recognized in the Quran? And does the Quran state that Muslim men can take slave women or concubines as their property, or marry them by force, even if these women are married to someone else?
To answer this question, let’s examine the conventional translations of Verse 24 from Surah An-Nisa, that addresses Muslim men with respect to the issue of marriage:
...
The wide-eyed maidens of
Paradise and the youthful boy servants!
“They will recline on thrones lined up, and We will marry them to fair women with large, [beautiful] eyes.” (Quran, 52:20)
“And there will circulate among them [servant] boys [especially] for them as if they were pearls well-protected.” (Quran, 52:24)
Only two words in these verses have led to such interpretations. The term “hur ‘ayn” (which has been translated as “women of delicate bodies and large eyes”) and the term “ghilman” (which has been translated as “young boys or servants”). It’s evident what kind of individuals would seek such things, and if Paradise is meant to be a place of enjoyment, why not! ...
Has the Quran precisely delineated the form and dimensions of the celestial maidens bosom?
A video featuring an Arab cleric has been making rounds on social media. In this video, the cleric asserts that a verse from Surah An-Naba (Chapter 78) in the Quran provides a detailed description of the physical attributes of the celestial maidens. He goes so far as to claim that even the size of their breasts has been precisely outlined. Remarkably, the cleric’s discourse centers entirely on a mere two-word verse, constructing an argument that, while echoed in numerous translations and interpretations, finds its foundation in this solitary phrase. One might genuinely wonder: do this Arab individual and others professing expertise in Arabic and the Quran not comprehend the nuanced meanings of these words, or do they lack the ability to decode them accurately? The answer is clear – they are indeed capable. Then, what impels them to adopt such perplexing assertions? The fulcrum steering the interpretation of any textual realm remains anchored within the cultural and socio-political backdrop from which the observer hails. Should one find themselves entrenched within a socio-historical and cultural sphere where male dominance is perceived as the norm, and where the notion of Paradise is exclusively tailored for men, the tendency emerges to regard women solely through a lens of physical and sexual objectification, an embodiment of fulfillment for male desires. Inevitably, their interpretation of the Quran gravitates towards a narrative that serves to validate pre-existing convictions. This trend extends to those who likewise adhere to the prevailing patriarchal culture, reinforcing their alignment with these notions and amplifying their misconceptions, fortified by the resonance of analogous v...