Thinking through and Beyond Capitalism after the Great Reset

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, groups from a wide spectrum of political and theoretical orientations had begun to rethink capitalism against the backdrop of growing inequalities and environmental degradation worldwide. For example, pro-capitalist groups had proposed eco-capitalism and conscientious capitalism, whereas anti-capitalist groups had mobilized eco-socialist and global-justice movements. Then, during the pandemic, these attempts to address the problems of capitalism seemed to intensify, as the World Economic Forum (WEF), together with its corporate partners, launched the "Great Reset" initiative to make the post-pandemic world "a better place." Integral to this global initiative is "stakeholder capitalism," a new form of capitalism that will create "a global economy that works for progress, people, and planet." Is such all-inclusive capitalism simply the newest ideology of the transnational capitalist class, or is it practically the best available option in responding to the climate crisis, inequalities, and other urgent global challenges in today's world? Do anti-capitalists have effective critiques of, and real-utopian alternatives to, post-pandemic capitalism? Equally important, can sociologists meaningfully intervene -- through their thought and action -- in the ever-evolving practice of capitalism through accelerationism and other latest developments in critical praxis? Embracing all perspectives ranging from pro-capitalist to anti-capitalist as well as from left-wing to right-wing, this session welcomes papers from the full spectrum of political and theoretical orientations to think through and beyond the emerging trajectories of capitalism after the Great Reset.