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Rabea Berfelde discusses socialisation, its history and current socialisation movements. Future Histories LIVE. This episode is part of the ‘Future Histories LIVE' format. For this, individual episodes are recoded live – that is, in front of an audience – at irregular intervals. This episode was recorded on August 6th, during the 2025 Rethinking Economics Summer School Switzerland, titled “Economics as Resistance. Heterodox Strategies on Housing, Energy, and Agriculture against the New Right”. Shownotes Rabea at the Center for Social Critique of the Humboldt University Berlin: https://criticaltheoryinberlin.de/people/rabea-berfelde/ the Socialization in Theory and Practice research project: https://criticaltheoryinberlin.de/en/projects/socialization-in-theory-and-practice/ the 2025 Rethinking Economics Summer School Switzerland: https://resuso.ch/ Berfelde, R., & Möller, P. (2025). (Re)-Imagining Housing as an Infrastructure for Social Reproduction. In J. Groos & C. Sorg (Eds.), Creative Construction. Democratic Planning in the 21st Century and Beyond. Bristol University Press. https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/creative-construction Berfelde, R. et al. (2024). Für eine Linke mit Plan. Luxemburg. Gesellschaftsanalyse und Linke Praxis. 1/2024. https://zeitschrift-luxemburg.de/artikel/fuer-eine-linke-mit-plan/ Berfelde, R. & Heeg, S. (2024). Struggling with and through Knowledge Production: The Campaign ‘Expropriate Deutsche Wohnen & Co.'s' Attempt at Housing Definancialisation in Berlin. Critical Housing Analysis 11 (1): 105-114. https://www.housing-critical.com/home-page-1/struggling-with-and-through-knowledge-productio Berfelde, R., & Blumenfeld, J. (2024). Von der Vergesellschaftung zur Planung und wieder zurück: Über alte und neue Debatten um Wirtschaftsplanung und Vergesellschaftung. PROKLA. Zeitschrift für Kritische Sozialwissenschaft, 54 (215), 177–193. https://www.prokla.de/index.php/PROKLA/article/view/2119 Berfelde, R., & Möller, P. (2023). Radikaldemokratische Planung der Wohnraumversorgung? Das Vergesellschaftungskonzept von »Deutsche Wohnen & Co. enteignen«. PROKLA. Zeitschrift für Kritische Sozialwissenschaft, 53 (212), 561–577. https://www.prokla.de/index.php/PROKLA/article/view/2049 on the Bavarian Soviet/Council Republic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bavarian_Soviet_Republic on the German revolution of 1918-19: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_revolution_of_1918%E2%80%931919 Backhaus, J., Chaloupek, G., & Frambach, H. A. (2019). The First Socialization Debate (1918) and Early Efforts Towards Socialization. Springer. https://www.springerprofessional.de/the-first-socialization-debate-1918-and-early-efforts-towards-so/16761374 on Otto Neurath: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Neurath Chaloupek, G. (2007). Otto Neurath's Concepts of Socialization and Economic Calculation and his Socialist Critics. In: Nemeth, E., Schmitz, S.W., Uebel, T.E. (eds.) Otto Neurath's Economics in Context. Vienna Circle Institute Yearbook, vol 13. Springer. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4020-6905-5_4 on Karl Korsch: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Korsch on Otto Bauer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Bauer Meyer, N. (2023). Otto Bauer on the Long Transition to Socialism. Left Notes. https://www.left-notes.com/p/otto-bauer-long-transition-to-socialism on Karl Kautsky: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Kautsky Vrousalis, N. (2018). Council Democracy and the Socialisation Dilemma. In: Muldoon, J. (ed.) Council Democracy. Towards a Democratic Socialist Politics. Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781351205634-5/council-democracy-socialisation-dilemma-nicholas-vrousalis Blumenfeld, J. (2023). What was socialization? A look back. https://sfb294-eigentum.de/en/blog/what-was-socialization-a-look-back/ Critical Theory Network et al. (2024). 11 Theses on Socialisation. https://criticaltheoryinberlin.de/en/interventions/11-theses-on-socialisation/ Benanav, A. (2025). Beyond Capitalism – 1. New Left Review. 153 May-June 2025. https://newleftreview.org/issues/ii153/articles/aaron-benanav-beyond-capitalism-1 Benanav, A. (2025). Beyond Capitalism – 2. New Left Review. 154 July-August 2025. https://newleftreview.org/issues/ii154/articles/aaron-benanav-beyond-capitalism-2 Muldoon, J. (ed.) (2018). Council Democracy. Towards a Democratic Socialist Politics. Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9781351205634/council-democracy-james-muldoon on Deutsche Wohnen & Co Enteignen (the Berlin Housing Campagin): https://dwenteignen.de/en Hoffrogge, R. (2024). Commons and Constitution: historical and legal roots of the German socialization movement: https://sfb294-eigentum.de/de/blog/commons-and-constitution-historical-and-legal-roots-of-the-german-socialization-movement/ for projects on socialization in different sectors see also: https://communia.de/en/ communia (2024). Socialising Energy. Lessons from radical housing campaigns in Germany. In: Buxton, N. (ed.) (2024). Energy, Power and Transition. Transnational Institute. https://www.tni.org/files/2024-03/State%20of%20Power%202024-web.pdf on the legal assessment of socialising the energy sector in Germany: https://communia.de/energiekonzerne-enteignen-das-geht/ article 15 in the constitution of Germany: https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/gg/art_15.html for the draft of the socialisation law by the Berlin Housing Campaign see here: https://dwenteignen.de/en/material the Ackersyndikat: https://ackersyndikat.org/ RWE & Co Enteignen: https://rwe-enteignen.de/ Hamburg Enteignet: https://hamburg-enteignet.de/ the socialist calculation debate: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_calculation_debate the first socialisation conference 2022: https://communia.de/en/project/socialization-conference-october-2022/ the second socialisation conference 2024: https://communia.de/en/project/lets-socialize-socialization-for-climate-justice/ on anti-fascist economics: https://www.exploring-economics.org/en/discover/anti-fascist-economics/ Future Histories Episodes on Related Topics S03E29 | Nancy Fraser on Alternatives to Capitalism https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s03/e29-nancy-fraser-on-alternatives-to-capitalism/ S03E19 | Wendy Brown on Socialist Governmentality https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s03/e19-wendy-brown-on-socialist-governmentality/ S03E10 | Katharina Keil zu Vergesellschaftung und Transformation https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s03/e10-katharina-keil-zu-vergesellschaftung-und-transformation/ S02E57 | Jenny Stupka zum Kampf um Vergesellschaftung https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s02/e57-jenny-stupka-zum-kampf-um-vergesellschaftung/ S02E57 | Jenny Stupka zum Kampf um Vergesellschaftung https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s02/e57-jenny-stupka-zum-kampf-um-vergesellschaftung/ S02E48 | Heide Lutosch, Christoph Sorg und Stefan Meretz zu Vergesellschaftung und demokratischer Planung https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s02/e48-heide-lutosch-christoph-sorg-und-stefan-meretz-zu-vergesellschaftung-und-demokratischer-planung/ S02E29 | Max und Lemon von communia zu Vergesellschaftung und demokratischer Wirtschaft https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s02/e29-max-und-lemon-von-communia-zu-vergesellschaftung-und-demokratischer-wirtschaft/ S02E23 | Nina Scholz zu den wunden Punkten von Google, Amazon, Deutsche Wohnen & Co. https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s02/e23-nina-scholz-zu-den-wunden-punkten-von-google-amazon-deutsche-wohnen-co/ S03E32 | Jacob Blumenfeld on Climate Barbarism and Managing Decline https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s03/e32-jacob-blumenfeld-on-climate-barbarism-and-managing-decline/ --- If you are interested in democratic economic planning, these resources might be of help: Democratic planning – an information website https://www.democratic-planning.com/ Sorg, C. & Groos, J. (eds.)(2025). Rethinking Economic Planning. Competition & Change Special Issue Volume 29 Issue 1. https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/ccha/29/1 Groos, J. & Sorg, C. (2025). Creative Construction - Democratic Planning in the 21st Century and Beyond. Bristol University Press. [for a review copy, please contact: amber.lanfranchi[at]bristol.ac.uk] https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/creative-construction International Network for Democratic Economic Planning https://www.indep.network/ Democratic Planning Research Platform: https://www.planningresearch.net/ --- Future Histories Contact & Support If you like Future Histories, please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/FutureHistories Contact: office@futurehistories.today Twitter: https://twitter.com/FutureHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futurehpodcast/ Mastodon: https://mstdn.social/@FutureHistories English webpage: https://futurehistories-international.com Episode Keywords #RabeaBerfelde, #JanGroos, #Interview, #FutureHistories, #FutureHistoriesInternational, #futurehistoriesinternational, #FutureHistoriesLive #DemocraticPlanning, #DemocraticEconomicPlanning, #Capitalism #BerlinHousingCampaign, #DWE, #Economics, #Socialism, #Socialisation, #OttoNeurath, #AaronBenanav, #Transition
The idea that a political order derives its authority, legitimacy, and justification from some kind of initial agreement or contract, whether hypothetical or tacit, has been a mainstay of political philosophy, at least since Hobbes. Today, the leading approach to theorizing justice–John Rawls’ conception of “justice as fairness”– employs a contract doctrine, albeit of a somewhat modified kind. There, too, the idea is that an initial agreement, struck under special conditions of fairness, settles the principles of justice that will govern a society. The fundamental thought driving social contract theories is undeniably intuitive: What else could justify social rules and principles but the agreement of those who are to live under them? But, of course, there are fairly obvious problems with the very idea of a hypothetical prosocial fair agreement that results in principles and rules to govern actual societies. In Social Contract Theory for a Diverse World: Beyond Tolerance (Routledge, 2017), Ryan Muldoon (SUNY Buffalo) launches an original kind of criticism of social contract theory, both in its classical and current formulations. According to Muldoon, extant social contract theories do not take sufficient account of diversity. Muldoon then proposes a revised version of social contract theory, and also a reorientation in political philosophy itself. In Muldoon’s hands, social contract theory is not aimed primarily at the production and justification of principles of justice; rather, the social contract is a tool of discovery in an ongoing social experiment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The idea that a political order derives its authority, legitimacy, and justification from some kind of initial agreement or contract, whether hypothetical or tacit, has been a mainstay of political philosophy, at least since Hobbes. Today, the leading approach to theorizing justice–John Rawls’ conception of “justice as fairness”– employs a contract doctrine, albeit of a somewhat modified kind. There, too, the idea is that an initial agreement, struck under special conditions of fairness, settles the principles of justice that will govern a society. The fundamental thought driving social contract theories is undeniably intuitive: What else could justify social rules and principles but the agreement of those who are to live under them? But, of course, there are fairly obvious problems with the very idea of a hypothetical prosocial fair agreement that results in principles and rules to govern actual societies. In Social Contract Theory for a Diverse World: Beyond Tolerance (Routledge, 2017), Ryan Muldoon (SUNY Buffalo) launches an original kind of criticism of social contract theory, both in its classical and current formulations. According to Muldoon, extant social contract theories do not take sufficient account of diversity. Muldoon then proposes a revised version of social contract theory, and also a reorientation in political philosophy itself. In Muldoon’s hands, social contract theory is not aimed primarily at the production and justification of principles of justice; rather, the social contract is a tool of discovery in an ongoing social experiment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The idea that a political order derives its authority, legitimacy, and justification from some kind of initial agreement or contract, whether hypothetical or tacit, has been a mainstay of political philosophy, at least since Hobbes. Today, the leading approach to theorizing justice–John Rawls’ conception of “justice as fairness”– employs a contract doctrine, albeit of a somewhat modified kind. There, too, the idea is that an initial agreement, struck under special conditions of fairness, settles the principles of justice that will govern a society. The fundamental thought driving social contract theories is undeniably intuitive: What else could justify social rules and principles but the agreement of those who are to live under them? But, of course, there are fairly obvious problems with the very idea of a hypothetical prosocial fair agreement that results in principles and rules to govern actual societies. In Social Contract Theory for a Diverse World: Beyond Tolerance (Routledge, 2017), Ryan Muldoon (SUNY Buffalo) launches an original kind of criticism of social contract theory, both in its classical and current formulations. According to Muldoon, extant social contract theories do not take sufficient account of diversity. Muldoon then proposes a revised version of social contract theory, and also a reorientation in political philosophy itself. In Muldoon’s hands, social contract theory is not aimed primarily at the production and justification of principles of justice; rather, the social contract is a tool of discovery in an ongoing social experiment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The idea that a political order derives its authority, legitimacy, and justification from some kind of initial agreement or contract, whether hypothetical or tacit, has been a mainstay of political philosophy, at least since Hobbes. Today, the leading approach to theorizing justice–John Rawls’ conception of “justice as fairness”– employs a contract doctrine, albeit of a somewhat modified kind. There, too, the idea is that an initial agreement, struck under special conditions of fairness, settles the principles of justice that will govern a society. The fundamental thought driving social contract theories is undeniably intuitive: What else could justify social rules and principles but the agreement of those who are to live under them? But, of course, there are fairly obvious problems with the very idea of a hypothetical prosocial fair agreement that results in principles and rules to govern actual societies. In Social Contract Theory for a Diverse World: Beyond Tolerance (Routledge, 2017), Ryan Muldoon (SUNY Buffalo) launches an original kind of criticism of social contract theory, both in its classical and current formulations. According to Muldoon, extant social contract theories do not take sufficient account of diversity. Muldoon then proposes a revised version of social contract theory, and also a reorientation in political philosophy itself. In Muldoon’s hands, social contract theory is not aimed primarily at the production and justification of principles of justice; rather, the social contract is a tool of discovery in an ongoing social experiment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The idea that a political order derives its authority, legitimacy, and justification from some kind of initial agreement or contract, whether hypothetical or tacit, has been a mainstay of political philosophy, at least since Hobbes. Today, the leading approach to theorizing justice–John Rawls’ conception of “justice as fairness”– employs a contract doctrine, albeit of a somewhat modified kind. There, too, the idea is that an initial agreement, struck under special conditions of fairness, settles the principles of justice that will govern a society. The fundamental thought driving social contract theories is undeniably intuitive: What else could justify social rules and principles but the agreement of those who are to live under them? But, of course, there are fairly obvious problems with the very idea of a hypothetical prosocial fair agreement that results in principles and rules to govern actual societies. In Social Contract Theory for a Diverse World: Beyond Tolerance (Routledge, 2017), Ryan Muldoon (SUNY Buffalo) launches an original kind of criticism of social contract theory, both in its classical and current formulations. According to Muldoon, extant social contract theories do not take sufficient account of diversity. Muldoon then proposes a revised version of social contract theory, and also a reorientation in political philosophy itself. In Muldoon’s hands, social contract theory is not aimed primarily at the production and justification of principles of justice; rather, the social contract is a tool of discovery in an ongoing social experiment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices