The Social Ontology of Capitalism

This book addresses core questions about the nature and structure of contemporary capitalism and the social dynamics and countervailing forces that shape modern life. From a robust and self-consciously sociological framework, it analyzes and interrogates such issues as the nature of the social, the power of the sacred, the social nature of authority, the problem of representation, reification and alienation, utopia, and collective resistance. Marx’s historical materialism and his recognition that "productive functions" were broader in substance than narrow economism remain as vital as ever. This book utilizes that as a compelling guide for continued exploration into the philosophical underpinnings that ground critical inquiry and praxis.