From Models to Modules: Towards a Change of Approach in Postcapitalist Political Economy

Authors

• Simon Tremblay-Pepin, Saint Paul UniversityFollow

ORCID

0000-0003-2317-0216

Keywords

postcapitalism, political economy, economic planning, democracy, market socialism, modules

Document Type

Essay

Abstract

In this article, I take for granted the existence of a field of social sciences called postcapitalist political economy. This field of research emanates from the critique of capitalism and seeks to establish, in theory and practice, alternative political and economic systems to capitalism. I argue that in its late and post-Soviet period (1988 – 2012), this field has mostly, but not solely, been based on debates between all-encompassing models. Analyzing its contemporary period (2013 to now), I will sustain that we are partly witnessing a transfer from a model-based approach to a modular one. I present six arguments to defend that this transition is beneficial from an epistemological as well as a strategic point of view. I also suggest some vocabulary elements that could help build common ground between the modules currently being designed.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Tremblay-Pepin, Simon (2026) "From Models to Modules: Towards a Change of Approach in Postcapitalist Political Economy," Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis: Vol. 4: Iss. 5, Article 2.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55533/2765-8414.1168
Available at: https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/emancipations/vol4/iss5/2