Publication Date
6-3-2025
Description
In the face of poly-crisis what means are at our disposal to meet the challenges of these multitudinous forces? Within Original Institutionalism, there are two dominant value theories guiding the way, each predicated upon their own axiological commitments, which animate their responses to this question. The first, developed by John R. Commons, is committed to achieving reasonable value through policy reform. The second is articulated, developed, and extended by those following in the tradition of Clarence Ayres, committed to increasing Instrumental Value through the process of Institutional Adjustment. Given the current poly-crisis, a revisitation of these axiological commitments and value principles is warranted. Specifically, what are the analytic and pre-analytic foundations of these value principles, both of which advocate reform over revolution and violence? In unpacking each, the axiological commitments are problematized. These insights are then incorporated into the Radical Institutionalist theory to expand it beyond the biases embedded in earlier axiological commitments. This paper is neither a call for violence, nor for revolution, but rather an endeavor to broaden our theory of change. The way forward, building on the Radical Institutionalists, is a non-dualistic theorization of change whereby both reform and revolution are theorized, built on a hegemonic understanding of power while incorporating the insights of the postcolonial literature. In doing so, we can expand the theory of Original Institutionalism, providing a grounding that facilitates a more comprehensive theorization of change: a necessity in the face of the current poly-crisis.
Type
Working Paper(unpublished)