A World Beyond Work? Labour, Money and the Capitalist State between Crisis and Utopia

Sensing a future beyond work lurking in an age of crisis, the ‘post-capitalist’ utopias of today spread the idea of a permanent escape from work aided by the automation of production, a universal basic income and the reduction of working hours to zero. By skilfully unpicking the political economy of contemporary work and its futures, this book mounts a forceful critique of the post-work society vision. Drawing on the works of Marx, A World Beyond Work? brings together material written over the last five years on the emergence of a radical left agenda.

Dinerstein and Pitts reveal that transitional measures towards a world beyond work do not do enough to break away from the key features of capitalist society, and instead potentially stifle the capacity for transformative social change. Proposing an innovative alternative, the authors envision the construction of ‘concrete utopias’ that shape and anticipate non-capitalist futures. They explore the idea of societies in which intervening in and “commoning” our access to the things we need, and the increase of cooperative projects, could present an alternative path.

This pivotal book is a must-read for academics, students, journalists and anyone interested in contemporary politics, society and employment.