A pragmatist theory of capitalism

摘要

This article explores the potential of pragmatist social theory (Dewey and Mead) for elaborating and clarifying the classical analyses of capitalism by Marx, Schumpeter, Sombart and Weber. It shows how a reinterpretation in the context of pragmatist discourse can overcome the rationalist shortcomings of Weber's theory of capitalism and formulate key Marxist concepts like ‘capital’ or ‘reification’ more convincingly. It also outlines a multi-level approach for analysing the dynamics of capitalism, focusing on the interaction between class structures, individual creativity and the communication of innovative paradigms.