Radical Markets: Uprooting Capitalism and Democracy for a Just Society

by Eric A. Posner, Eric Glen Weyl, Vitalik Buterin (Foreword by), Jaron Lanier (Foreword by)

Overview

Revolutionary ideas on how to use markets to achieve fairness and prosperity for all

Many blame today's economic inequality, stagnation, and political instability on the free market. The solution is to rein in the market, right? Radical Markets turns this thinking on its head. With a new foreword by Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin and virtual reality pioneer Jaron Lanier as well as a new afterword by Eric Posner and Glen Weyl, this provocative book reveals bold new ways to organize markets for the good of everyone. It shows how the emancipatory force of genuinely open, free, and competitive markets can reawaken the dormant nineteenth-century spirit of liberal reform and lead to greater equality, prosperity, and cooperation.

Only by radically expanding the scope of markets can we reduce inequality, restore robust economic growth, and resolve political conflicts. But to do that, we must replace our most sacred institutions with truly free and open competition—Radical Markets shows how.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780691196060
Publisher:	Princeton University Press
Publication date:	10/08/2019
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Eric A. Posner is the Kirkland and Ellis Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago Law School. E. Glen Weyl is principal researcher at Microsoft, founder and chairman of RadicalxChange, and visiting research scholar at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Twitter @glenweyl

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Preface: The Auction Will Set You Free xiii

Introduction: The Crisis of the Liberal Order 1

1 Property Is Monopoly 30

2 Radical Democracy 80

3 Uniting the World’s Workers 127

4 Dismembering the Octopus 168

5 Data as Labor 205

Conclusion: Going to the Root 250

Epilogue: After Markets? 277

Notes 295

Index 319

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Refreshing and welcome in its willingness to question received wisdom."—The Economist

"This is free market thinking but not as we know it."—Diane Coyle, Prospect

"A brilliant, provocative work."—Jason Furman, former chairman of President Obama's Council of Economic Advisers

"A must-read."—Carol Massar, Bloomberg Radio

Editorial Reviews

One of The Economist's Best Business and Economics Books of 2018

E. Glen Weyl & Eric Posner: One of Bloomberg Businessweek’s “Bloomberg 50” Icons of 2018

"Both a savage critique of 'techno-feudalism' and an idealistic appeal to share the fruits of our collective intelligence more fairly."—-John Thornhill, Financial Times

"Radical Markets . . . could be best described as an interesting new way of looking at the subject that is sometimes called “political economy” - tackling the big questions of how markets and politics and society intersect. . . . I highly recommend Radical Markets . . . to anyone interested in these kinds of issues, and look forward to seeing the discussion that the book generates."—-Vitalik Buterin

"Extremely thought provoking and clearly brilliant . . . Radical Markets certainly made me think about property, information, power. Well worth reading."—-Diane Coyle, The Enlightened Economist

"Doesn’t anybody have anything new to offer? . . . . [Y]es: . . . unleash the awesome power of markets . . . to uplift the poor . . . it just might be what the world needs now. . . . [Posner and Weyl are] smart and iconoclastic, and their book bursts with ideas like kernels of corn on a hot stove."—-Peter Coy, Bloomberg Businessweek

"What I love is just some new ideas, because the existing ideas to solve the injustices and inequalities aren’t working! A must-read."—-Carol Massar, Bloomberg Radio

"A very thought-provoking book is a bizarre fusion of ideas drawn from the classical liberal . . . . and socialist tradition(s). . . . It contains ideas . . . that really do make you think. It is a really fun book to read and of you are someone who actually likes having your suppositions and beliefs challenged, take a look at it."—-Reihan Salam, National Review's The Editors podcast

From the Publisher

"An arresting if eccentric manifesto for rebooting liberalism. . . . Radical Markets is refreshing and welcome in its willingness to question received wisdom."

The Economist