Benjamin Ask Popp-Madsen – författare

Uncovering the neglected theories of the council system in the 20th centuryThis book examines the historical emergence of the council system in Russia and Germany by the end of the First World War, reconstructing the intellectual history of council democracy in 20th century political theory, and providing in-depth analysis of council democracy in the political thought of Cornelius Castoriadis, Claude Lefort and Hannah Arendt.Popp-Madsen argues that council democracy can productively be interpreted through the prism of constituent power: the form-giving power of the people to decide on their own institutional forms of political co-existence. Whereas other interpreters of constituent power claim an unbridgeable gap between constituent power and constituted power, this book asserts that council democracy discloses a historically grounded way of institutionalising the constituent power. Council democracy, in this interpretation, becomes a way of controlling the constituent power without completely exhausting it, thereby giving the citizenry continual access to the powers of self-transformation, co-creation and constituent freedom.

Uncovers the neglected theories of the council system in the 20th centuryReconstructs the history of the century council system and puts it into dialogue with theoretical formulations of council democracy from Karl Marx to Hannah ArendtFocuses on neglected parts i.e. the council system of the political thought of Castoriadis, Arendt and Lefort, and reinterprets their political thinking in the light of the council systemIntroduces a novel theoretical vocabulary through which to understand the historical experiences of the council systemContributes to the literature on radical democracy by situating council democracy as an alternative to both liberal democracy and radical democracyAnalyses the contemporary relevance of council democracy in the light of the contemporary 'square movements'This book examines the historical emergence of the council system in Russia and Germany by the end of the First World War, reconstructing the intellectual history of council democracy in 20th century political theory, and providing in-depth analysis of council democracy in the political thought of Cornelius Castoriadis, Claude Lefort and Hannah Arendt.Popp-Madsen argues that council democracy can productively be interpreted through the prism of constituent power: the form-giving power of the people to decide on their own institutional forms of political co-existence. Whereas other interpreters of constituent power claim an unbridgeable gap between constituent power and constituted power, this book asserts that council democracy discloses a historically grounded way of institutionalising the constituent power. Council democracy, in this interpretation, becomes a way of controlling the constituent power without completely exhausting it, thereby giving the citizenry continual access to the powers of self-transformation, co-creation and constituent freedom.

As the main agents of economic growth world-wide, corporations embody a paradoxical role in our current social and political order. They are increasingly viewed as legitimate partners and subjects of global governance and the sustainable transition, but they are also routinely involved in scandals and crises both in relation to their financial power but also to the climate crisis.Acknowledging corporations as both the (perceived) agents of sustainable growth and technological development favouring a sustainable transition, as well as of inequality, greenwashing, climate crisis and environmental disasters, this edited collection includes chapters that focus on the corporation as a specific form of business organization and the role of the corporation and corporate governance in the sustainable transition. It brings together innovative research that investigates ways of reforming corporate governance practices in the light of corporations responsibility for climate degradation; develops a deeper understanding of the specificity of the modern corporation, its legal claims to liability and personhood, and how that affects its role in the sustainable transition; and addresses the responsibility and accountability of corporations. How are corporations made accountable and responsible with regards to the sustainable transition? How is the corporation conceived as a subject, (un)accountable to its actions and (in)capable of enabling change?Advancing a comprehensive research agenda that enhances the understanding of the pivotal and paradoxical role corporations and alternative models of corporate governance play in relation to climate change, The Corporation, Corporate Governance and the Sustainable Transition is a compelling resource for understanding the pitfalls and potential of corporate power.

As the main agents of economic growth world-wide, corporations embody a paradoxical role in our current social and political order. They are increasingly viewed as legitimate partners and subjects of global governance and the sustainable transition, but they are also routinely involved in scandals and crises both in relation to their financial power but also to the climate crisis.Acknowledging corporations as both the (perceived) agents of sustainable growth and technological development favouring a sustainable transition, as well as of inequality, greenwashing, climate crisis and environmental disasters, this edited collection includes chapters that focus on the corporation as a specific form of business organization and the role of the corporation and corporate governance in the sustainable transition. It brings together innovative research that investigates ways of reforming corporate governance practices in the light of corporations’ responsibility for climate degradation; develops a deeper understanding of the specificity of the modern corporation, its legal claims to liability and personhood, and how that affects its role in the sustainable transition; and addresses the responsibility and accountability of corporations. How are corporations made accountable and responsible with regards to the sustainable transition? How is the corporation conceived as a subject, (un)accountable to its actions and (in)capable of enabling change?Advancing a comprehensive research agenda that enhances the understanding of the pivotal and paradoxical role corporations and alternative models of corporate governance play in relation to climate change, The Corporation, Corporate Governance and the Sustainable Transition is a compelling resource for understanding the pitfalls and potential of corporate power.