Chris Wyatt

Chris Wyatt’s research interests are, from his doctoral thesis through to his current work on alternative theoretical approaches to political economy, are on the libertarian left, which at base theorises non-authoritarian forms of socialism.  Areas of interest are workplace cooperatives, direct forms of democracy and creative labour.  His continuing project is to sketch the organisational contours of a democratically planned economy beyond the boundaries of market and statehood.  The main thinkers cover in his work are G.D.H. Cole, John Rawls, Karl Marx, Peter Kropotkin, Micheal Bakunin, Roberto Michels, Frederick Hayek and J.J. Rousseau.  The endorsements for his second book are as follows.

"Capitalism is in crisis, but all the alternatives appear to be discredited. The Defetishised Society is a remarkable achievement that indicates the preliminary steps beyond this impasse. Chris Wyatt demonstrates the contemporary relevance of Marx's critique of alienation, reification, and fetishism. But he goes beyond Marx and critique by showing how advanced capitalist societies can draw on reserves of libertarian potential to move beyond the crises of technocratic capitalism, stagnant social democracy and state socialism in decline. The book will surely be one of the most important works of political theory for years to come."- Darrow Schecter, University of Sussex

"The Defetishized Society analyses our commodified lives, both through Marx's theory of commodity fetishism and the fetishism of commodities we see in everyday society today. But Chris Wyatt does not just interpret the world. He also looks at how to change it. His book goes argues for a system of economic democracy that exposes commodity fetishism. Wyatt's libertarian socialist approach offers an alternative to both the libertarianism of the right and the statism of the left.This book is important, sophisticated and relevant. It is embedded in a solid theoretical grounding but also attuned to concrete contemporary realities. It is academically sound and sophisticated yet also develops political implications and practical possibilities." -Luke Martell, Professor of Political Sociology, University of Sussex

"Wyatt's book is topical and important. Well-informed and clearly written, it describes a radical economic and political alternative to the the sorry present disorder. He draws on G. D. H. Cole's libertarian socialism, Rawls's work on the equitable distribution of resources, and Marx's ideas on commodity fetishism. The resulting synthesis provides provides a powerful argument for a New Economic Democracy which would provide an alternative cooperative mode of production and. equally important, a corresponding mode of consumption. If enough people read this book, and act on it, there is hope for us yet." - David Mclellan, Professor of Political Theory, Goldsmiths College, University of London, UK.