The existential economy: Ownership, being, and democratic application

Ulf Johanson and Emmanuel Aboagye

Chapter 8 in Pluralistic Economics, 2026, pp 97-105 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: The preceding chapter showed how social norms, economic structures, and character formation intertwine to shape the modern individual. The rise of the business character and authoritarian character, the dominance of instrumental rationality, and the deepening of ownership-oriented forms of life have collectively imposed a restrictive understanding of freedom, one grounded in market value, conformity, and submission. These developments revealed how economic systems not only coordinate production but also cultivate forms of subjectivity, narrowing the space for solidarity, care, and genuinely human forms of flourishing. As we have already demonstrated, the intensification of commodification and the expansion of market logic have eroded the social bonds that earlier ages considered fundamental, replacing them with competitive individualism and an increasingly fragile sense of self.

Keywords: Realm of necessity; Realm of freedom; Labour time; Available time; Democracy; cruelty in Society (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035393497
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