Michele Cangiani

Karl Polanyi is one of the most influential social scientists of our era. A report of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) begins by noting that we are in a "Polanyi era": a time of dangerously unregulated markets, where the greatest need for decisive political action is matched by the least trust in politics. This handbook provides a comprehensive of recent research on Polanyi's work and ideas, including the central place occupied by his thinking on the relationship between economics and politics. The stellar line-up of contributors to this book explore Polanyi's work reflecting the intrinsic interdisciplinarity of Polanyi's approach to understanding our society, its place in history, its fundamental dynamics, and its contradictions, as well as the methodological issues he raises. The handbook broadly follows a chronological structure beginning with influences on Polanyi, his formative experiences and early works. A significant section is dedicated to Polanyi's seminal work, The Great Transformation, and its impact. Further sections also look at Polanyi's wider influence, on various disciplines and methodological debates, and his ongoing relevance for present-day issues including debates on populism, neoliberalism and low carbon transitions. This handbook is a vital resource for students and scholars of economics, politics, sociology, and other social sciences.

Lo stato attuale e i possibili sviluppi delle istituzioni democratiche sono oggetto di riflessioni teoriche, oltre che, prima di tutto, un problema per la nostra società. Una prospettiva storica può essere utile al riguardo; come scrisse Karl Polanyi, la storia del XX secolo è stata caratterizzata dallo scontro ideologico «sulle istituzioni e sui metodi della democrazia». In Polanyi si trova un’originale approccio ai problemi della democrazia e della libertà, sia dal punto di vista dell’approfondimento teorico sia da quello del loro inserimento in un’interpretazione complessiva della storia contemporanea. Riferimenti agli ambienti intellettuali e alle tendenze politiche che hanno influenzato Polanyi possono giovare alla comprensione del suo pensiero.The present situation of democratic institutions and their possible developments are the object of scholars’ concern, and, first of all, a political problem to be raised and faced. Some useful and even indispensable suggestions can be supplied by an historical perspective. The history of the 20th century was characterized, according to Karl Polanyi, by ideological struggles concerning «democratic institutions and methods». The issues of democracy and freedom are central in Polanyi’s reconstruction of contemporary history, beside being the object of his original theoretical inquiry. Some references to intellectual circles and political tendencies, by which Polanyi was influenced, can help us to better understand his thought