Technocapitalism, the Intangible Economy, and Economic Centralization
In: Perspectives on Global Development and TechnologySearch for other papers by Alec Stubbs in
Current site
Google Scholar
Abstract
The aim of this article is to analyze the underlying economic structures which have led to the rise of the tech giants. In their book Capitalism without Capital: The Rise of the Intangible Economy, economists Jonathan Haskel and Stian Westlake outline the four fundamental features of the technocapitalist (or what they consider the intangible) economy. Key to the emerging intangible economy, they suggest, are the four “S’s” of this new form of capitalism, viz., scalability, sunkenness, synergies, and spillovers. In the following, I explicate the ways in which, if taken seriously, these four features of the technocapitalist economy tend towards heightened levels of economic centralization and economic inequality as compared to those experienced under industrial capitalism.
Purchase
Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Institutional Login
Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials
Personal login
Log in with your brill.com account
-
Goldstein, Michael. 2018. “Destruction Of Taxi Industry By Uber, Lyft Affects Trump Lawyer Michael Cohen.” Forbes. April 30. (https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelgoldstein/2018/04/30/destruction-of-taxi-industry-by-uber-lyft-affects-trump-lawyer/#744c8ec22806).
-
Haskel, Jonathan and Stian Westlake. 2018. Capitalism without Capital: The Rise of the Intangible Economy. NJ: Princeton University Press.
-
Johnston, Michael. 2013. “Visual History Of The S&P 500.” ETF Database. August 26. (http://etfdb.com/history-of-the-s-and-p-500/#1988).
-
Katz, Lawrence F. and Alan B. Krueger. 2019. “The Rise and Nature of Alternative Work Arrangements in the United States, 1995-2015.” ILR Review 72(2):382-416.
-
Manyika, James, Susan Lund, Jacques Bughin, Kelsey Robinson, Jan Mischke, and Deepa Mahajan. 2016. “Independent Work: Choice, Necessity, And The Gig Economy.” McKinsey Global Institute. (https://www.mckinsey.com/global-themes/employment-and-growth/independent-work-choice-necessity-and-the-gig-economy).
-
Molla, Rani. 2018. “Lyft has eaten into Uber’s U.S. market share, new data suggests.” Vox. December 12. (https://www.vox.com/2018/12/12/18134882/lyft-uber-ride-car-market-share).
-
NASDAQ. 2019. “NASDAQ Companies.” (https://www.nasdaq.com/screening/companies-by-industry.aspx?sortname=marketcap&sorttype=1&exchange=NASDAQ).
-
Schweickart, David. 2011. After Capitalism. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
-
Suarez-Villa, Luis. 2009. Technocapitalism: A Critical Perspective on Technological Innovation and Corporatism. PA: Temple University Press.
-
Zuboff, Shoshana. 2019. The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power. Public Affairs.
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 1069 | 205 | 18 |
| Full Text Views | 84 | 22 | 9 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 148 | 41 | 15 |
Technocapitalism, the Intangible Economy, and Economic Centralization
In: Perspectives on Global Development and TechnologySearch for other papers by Alec Stubbs in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
The aim of this article is to analyze the underlying economic structures which have led to the rise of the tech giants. In their book Capitalism without Capital: The Rise of the Intangible Economy, economists Jonathan Haskel and Stian Westlake outline the four fundamental features of the technocapitalist (or what they consider the intangible) economy. Key to the emerging intangible economy, they suggest, are the four “S’s” of this new form of capitalism, viz., scalability, sunkenness, synergies, and spillovers. In the following, I explicate the ways in which, if taken seriously, these four features of the technocapitalist economy tend towards heightened levels of economic centralization and economic inequality as compared to those experienced under industrial capitalism.
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 1069 | 205 | 18 |
| Full Text Views | 84 | 22 | 9 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 148 | 41 | 15 |