This paper argues that centralised planning has markedly utopian
overtones since it envisions a system in which the day-to-day behaviour of
workers is not governed by the profit motive. A system of producer
cooperatives, on the contrary, is devoid of such utopian strain since the
members of its constituent firms would engage in production with the aim of
maximising the satisfaction associated with their work and can therefore be an
alternative to the capitalism. Paraphrasing Engels, therefore, it is possible
to argue that the socialism is evolving from its utopian stage to the
scientific stage of the modern theory of producer cooperatives.
Laibman, D. (2006) The Future within the Present: Seven Theses for a Robust Twenty-First
Century Socialism. Review of
Radical Political Economics, 18, 305-318. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0486613406290895
Altvater, E. (1982) La teoria del capitalismo monopolistico di
Stato e le nuove forme di socializzazione capitalistica. In: Hobsbawm, E.J., Haupt, G., Marek, F., Ragionieri, E., Strada, V. and Vivanti, C., Eds., 1978-1982, Storia del marxismo, 5 voll., Einaudi, Turin, 651-699.
Lorenz, R. (1974) La costruzione del socialismo in Lenin. In: Istituto Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, Ed., Storia del marxismo
contemporaneo, Feltrinelli, Milan.
Labriola, A. (1896) Del materialismo storico; delucidazione preliminare. In: Labriola, A., Ed., La concezione materialistica della storia, Laterza, Bari.
Arnason, J.P. (1982)
Prospettive e problemi del marxismo critico nell’Est europeo. In:
Hobsbawm, E.J.,
Haupt, G.,
Marek, F.,
Ragionieri, E.,
Strada, V.
and Vivanti, C.,
Eds, 1978-1982, Storia del Marxismo, 5 voll., Einaudi, Turin, p. 179.
Arnason, J.P. (1982) Prospettive e problemi del marxismo critico
nell’Est europeo. In:
Hobsbawm, E.J.,
Haupt, G.,
Marek, F.,
Ragionieri, E.,
Strada, V.
and Vivanti, C.,
Eds.,
1978-1982, Storia del Marxismo, 5 voll., Einaudi, Turin, p. 180.
Lange, O. (1957) Alcuni problemi riguardanti la via polacca al
socialismo. In: Lange, O., Socialismo
ed Economia Socialista (Ital. transl.), La Nuova Italia, Florence, 1975.
Jossa, B. (2012) A
System of Self-Managed Firms as a New Perspective on Marxism. Cambridge Journal of Economics, 36, 821-841. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cje/bes012
Bidet, J. (1990) La teoria del modo di produzione capitalistico. In: AA.VV., 1990, Gramsci
e il marxismo contemporaneo, ed. by Muscatello, B., Editori Riuniti, Rome, 149-171.
Stauber, L.G. (1987) Capitalism and Socialism: Some General Issues
and the Relevance of Austrian Experience. Reprinted in: Nove, A.
and Thatcher, I.D.,
Eds, Markets and Socialism, Elgar, Aldershot, 70-95.
Vanek, J. (1971) Some Fundamental Considerations on Financing
and the Form of Ownership under Labour Management. Reprinted in: Vanek, J., Ed., The Labor
Managed Economy: Essays by J. Vanek,
Cornell University Press, Ithaca,
171-185.
Vanek, J. (1971) The
Basic Theory of Financing of Participatory Firms. Reprinted in: Vanek, J., Ed., The Labor
Managed Economy: Essays by J. Vanek,
Cornell University Press, Ithaca,186-198.
Ben-Ner, A. (1988) The
Life-Cycle of Worker-Owned Firms in Market Economies: A Theoretical Analysis. Journal of Economic Behavior and
Organization,10, 287-313. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0167-2681(88)90052-2
Zamagni, S. (2006) Promozione cooperativa e civilizzazione del
mercato. In:
Bulgarelli, M. and
Viviani, M.,
Eds, La promozione cooperativa; Copfond tra mercato e solidarietà, Il Mulino, Bologna, 217-244.
Bowles, S. and Gintis, H. (1996) The Dístribution of Wealth and the Viability of
the Democratic Firm. In:
Pagano, U., and
Rowthirn, R.,
Eds, Democracy and Efficiency in Economic
Enterprise, Routledge, London,120-137.
Losurdo, D. (2005) Marxismo, globalizzazione e bilancio storico
del socialismo. In: Musto,
M., 2005, Ed., Sulletracce di unfantasma, Manifestolibri, Rome.
Chilosi, A. (1992) Il socialismo di mercato: modelli e problemi. In: Chilosi, A., 1992, Ed., L’economia del periodo di transizione; dal modello di tipo sovietico all’economia di mercato, Il Mulino, Bologna,159-172.
Roncaglia, A. (2008) Il socialismo liberale di Paolo Sylos Labini. In:
Roncaglia, A.,
Rossi P. and
Salvadori, M.,
2008, Eds., Libertà, giustizia, laicità; in ricordo di Paolo
Sylos Labini, Laterza, Bari,
80-104.