Research Catalog

Title

From socialism to capitalism : eight essays / János Kornai.

Author

Kornai, János.

Publication

Budapest ; New York : Central European University Press, 2008.

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Details

Description

xvi, 240 pages : illustrations; 24 cm

Summary

"The author has collected here the studies in which he sought to contribute to the theory of the great systems, the political governmental forms, and the change of system. Though he tries to answer the questions he puts to himself, the questions may actually be seen as more important than the responses. What is socialism? What is capitalism? What is democracy? Studying a country at a given moment, how is it possible to decide whether the institutions at work in it resemble those of other countries? How do rhetoric or ideology relate to reality? Which operating characteristics of a country are system-specific and which found under any system?"--Jacket.

Subject

• Capitalism
• Communism > History
• Democratization
• Capitalism
• Communism
• Democratization
• Kapitalismus
• Politischer Wandel
• Sozialismus
• Communism > History
• Kapitalism
• Kommunism
• Demokratisering
• Osteuropa

Genre/Form

History

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (p. 211-224) and indexes.

Contents

Preface -- The coherence of the classical system -- Introduction -- The main line of causality -- The affinity among elements of the system -- The prototype and the national variations -- The Soviet effect -- Verification -- The viability of the classical system -- The inner contradictions of reform socialism -- Introduction -- Transformation without a strategy -- The evolution of a private sector -- The persistence of bureaucracy -- Alternative forms of social organization -- The weakness of "third forms" -- Normative implications -- Market socialism? Socialist market economy? -- Introduction -- Interpretation of the term "market" -- Interpretation 1: Marx's concept -- Interpretation 2: The Walrasian concept -- Interpretation 3: The Leninist concept -- Interpretation 4: The social democratic concept -- Interpretation 5: What are the current Chinese and Vietnamese interpretations of "socialism"? -- The speed of transformation -- Introduction -- Ownership reform and development of the private sector -- Macroeconomic stability -- Conclusion -- The great transformation of Central Eastern Europe: success and disappointment -- Introduction -- In the context of world history -- From the perspective of everyday life -- The tasks of the economists' profession -- What does "change of system" mean? -- Introduction -- Positive versus normative approach -- A positive approach to the change of system -- A positive approach to changing the political structure -- The reception of capitalism and democracy: a normative approach -- "Replacing the elite" and "dispensing justice": a normative approach -- Concluding remarks -- Appendix: The transformation of China -- What can countries embarking on post-socialist transformation learn from the experiences so far? -- Introduction -- Starting points -- Some lessons -- Concluding remarks -- Appendix -- The system paradigm -- Introduction -- A system paradigm, not a transformational paradigm -- A brief intellectual history -- The main attributes of the system paradigm -- Post-socialist transformation: the great challenge -- Some other puzzles -- Failures of prediction -- Appendix: On segregation of the social science -- Previous publications of the studies in this volume -- References -- Name index -- Subject index.

ISBN

• 9789639776166
• 9639776165

LCCN

2008001200

OCLC

• ocn191090263
• 191090263
• SCSB-14204355

Owning Institutions

Princeton University Library