The Political Economy of Fortune and Misfortune
Prospects for Prosperity in Our Times
By Scott Timcke
Published
Mar 31, 2023Page count
180 pagesISBN
978-1529221756Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Bristol University PressPublished
Mar 31, 2023Page count
180 pagesISBN
978-1529221763Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Bristol University PressPublished
Mar 31, 2023Page count
180 pagesISBN
978-1529221763Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Bristol University Press
The Political Economy of Fortune and Misfortune
In the media:
Scott Timcke 'The Policial Economy of Fortune and Misfortune: Prospects for prosperity in Our Times' for the New Books Network podcast
Luck greatly influences a person’s quality of life. Yet little of our politics looks at how institutions can amplify good or bad luck that widens social inequality. But societies can change their fortune.
Too often debates about inequality focus on the accuracy of data or modelling while missing the greater point about ethics and exploitation. In the wake of growing disparity between the 1% and other classes, this book combines philosophical insights with social theory to offer a much-needed political economy of life chances.
Timcke advances new thought on the role luck plays in redistributive justice in 21st century capitalism.
“Timke’s book is a theoretically sophisticated engagement with the concepts of luck, inequality and justice; what these mean under capitalism; and, crucially, what they could mean in the pursuit of social justice. A timely read that critically engages and expands the conceptual, philosophical and political boundaries.” Carin Runciman, University of Edinburgh
"Timcke presents a cogent and compelling argument showing the structural opportunism of luck in shaping our understanding of the nature of distributional justice." Gary McCarron, Simon Fraser University
"Scott Timcke argues that liberalism lacks a good dose of Marxist historical materialism. Coming after the failures and crises of neoliberalism and the Third Way, Timcke's work makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of inequality, challenging assumptions about luck and meritocracy in contemporary capitalist societies." Sean Jacobs, The New School
Scott Timcke is Senior Research Associate with Research ICT Africa. His research focuses on the transformations of race, class and technology during modernity.
1. Introduction
2. The Egalitarian Turn in Liberalism
3. Where Liberalism Falls Short
4. The Problem of Contingency
5. Accounting for Uncertain Opportunities
6. A Social Analysis of Institutional Luck
7. Markets are Not Morally Neutral
8. Conclusion: The Tasks of Engaged Liberal Social Theory
