The Radical Keynes: An Appraisal

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Carlo Fanelli

Abstract

From popular and journalistic accounts to a revival of conferences and new books inspired by Keynes’ thought, many (re)turned to him for a deeper understanding of contemporary capitalism and potentially its alternatives. My aim in this paper is twofold: First, to provide a theoretical critique of the ‘radical’ Keynes rediscovered since 2008 and, second, evaluate to what extent Keynes’ policy measures challenged or reinforced the structural inequalities at the root of capitalist social relations. My motivation in writing this essay stems from recent academic treatments attempting to ‘reclaim’ Keynes as a radical critic of capitalism. Yet, understood historically, to be radical is to get to the root of the problem.

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