Beyond Marx: A Modern Vision for Economic Democracy, Labor Contracts, and Employee-Owned Cooperatives | David Ellerman

Work For Humans

Despite their revolutionary zeal, followers of Marx have failed to create real economic democracies, frequently ending up with one-party systems that mirror the capitalist structures they sought to overthrow. A compelling alternative exists: a modern vision for economic democracy and employee-owned cooperatives. By examining the historical missteps and unveiling innovative approaches, we discover how true democratic firms can thrive today.
David Ellerman is a distinguished economist, philosopher, and author with a career focused on the crossroads of economics, philosophy, and organizational theory. He has held prominent roles, such as an economic advisor at the World Bank, where he played a key role in shaping development policy and institutional reforms. Before his time at the World Bank, David was a visiting scholar at the University of California, Riverside, and lectured at Boston University.
In this episode, Dart and David discuss:
- The historical context of labor contracts and alienation
- Differences between alienable and inalienable rights
- The link between performance management systems and American slavery
- The flawed basis of Marxist and traditional economic theories
- Real-world examples of democratic firms and worker cooperatives
- The evolution and impact of ESOPs (Employee Stock Ownership Plans)
- The psychological cost of layoffs in an organization
- The role of economic theories in shaping organizational practices
- And other topics…
David Ellerman is a renowned economist, philosopher, and author who has dedicated his career to exploring the intersections of economics, philosophy, and organizational theory. David has held influential positions, including serving as an economic advisor at the World Bank, where he contributed to development policy and institutional reforms. Prior to his tenure at the World Bank, he also served as a visiting scholar at the University of California, Riverside, and as a lecturer at Boston University.
David's books include Helping People Help Themselves and The Democratic Worker-Owned Firm, both of which have been highly regarded in the fields of economics and organizational theory. He has also written extensively for academic journals and popular outlets, contributing to the discourse on economic development, property theory, and worker ownership. David holds his BA in Mathematics from MIT and his PhD in Economics from Boston University.
Resources mentioned:
Helping People Help Themselves by David Ellerman: https://www.amazon.com/Helping-People-Help-Themselves-Alternative-ebook/dp/B071FH7C9Y/
The Democratic Worker-Owned Firm by David Ellerman: https://www.amazon.com/Democratic-Worker-Owned-Firm-Routledge-Revivals/dp/1138892653/
Mondragon Corporation: https://www.mondragon-corporation.com/en/
Anna's Archive: https://annas-archive.gs/?
Connect with David:
Website: https://www.ellerman.org/