Society After Money: A Dialogue

Description

Project Society After Money is an interdisciplinary project between commons theory, evolutionary political economy, media studies and sociology, that enter into a dialogue with one another in order to look at their specific theories and criticisms of money. Conceived as the beginning of a necessary interdisciplinary dialogue, the possibilities of post-monetary forms of organization and production are taken into account and examined. On one hand there is a lot of talk about 'digital revolution', 'mediatized society', 'networks', 'Industry 4.0'. On the other hand the present is described in terms of crisis: 'financial crisis', 'economic crisis', 'planetary boundaries'. At once there is the description of a media-technological change along with massive social and ecological disruptions. Society After Money is based on the premise that there might be a conflict between digital media/digital technology and the medium of money - and perhaps new digital possibilities that allow alternative forms of economy. It criticizes what is normally seen as self-evident and natural, namely that social coordination has to be done by the medium of money. We're left with a highly innovative collection of contributions that initiates a broader social discourse on the role of money in the global society of the 21st century.

"Project Society after Money" is an interdisciplinary project between commons theory (Stefan Meretz, Bonn), evolutionary economics (Manuel Scholz-Wackerle, Vienna), media studies (Jens Schroeter, Bonn) and sociology (Hanno Pahl, Munich), which was founded in 2016, funded by the VW foundation 2016-2018. It includes several additional researchers from the aforementioned fields. It's aim is to discuss possible alternative economic forms beyond money. This research is highly relevant given the economic and ecological crisis.

'Logic is the money of the mind', wrote Karl Marx in 1844. In 2018, in a world of humans with minds transformed by the global impact of information technologies, logic becomes distorted: Will money as we know it disappear? Society After Money uses transdisciplinary approaches to understand burning questions of today's society: How will the digital revolution change money forms? Is money indeed a necessary ingredient of social dynamics? What is the essence of money? In this thought provoking book, a broad variety of ideas has been collected. It should be read by everybody interested in thinking about money in a fresh and unconventional way. * Hardy Hanappi, Jean Monnet Chair for Political Economy of European Integration, Technological University of Vienna, Austria *