Perspectives on Commoning: Autonomist Principles and Practices (In Common)

In the wake of socialism’s demise and liberalism’s loss of direction, new ideas are needed for the next major realignment of the social and political domain. Making a unique contribution to the idea of ‘the commons’, this book offers a radical form of direct democracy with real-world implications. But whereas much of the current scholarship has looked at the commons from the perspective of governance, this book instead focuses on ‘commoning’ as social practice. Perspectives on Commoning argues that the commons are not just resources external to us, but are a function or characterisation of what we do. Thus, we can talk of the act of commoning, positioning our behaviour beyond the domains of the private and the public, beyond the dichotomy of capitalism versus socialism. Covering everything from biopolitics to urban spaces, this impressive range of international contributors address the commons as both theory and history, providing a useful review of current conceptions as well as practical proposals for the future. A unique consolidation of philosophy, sociology and economics, the book shows how a new understanding of the commons as practice will help to achieve its full emancipatory potential.

Massimo De Angelis is Emeritus Professor at the University of East London, UK. He is the founding Editor of the web journal The Commoner (Thecommoner.org) and author of numerous articles on commons and their role in the transformation of capitalism. His books include The Beginning of History (2007) and Omnia Sunt Communia: On the Commons and the Transformation to Post Capitalism (2017).