TY - JOUR

T1 - The symptomatology of crises, reading crises and learning from them

T2 - some critical realist reflections

AU - Jessop, Robert Douglas

PY - 2015/7/1

Y1 - 2015/7/1

N2 - This contribution considers the potential of critical realism to illuminate the nature of crises, crisis management, and crisis lessons. After reviewing key aspects of critical realism in general, the analysis notes the challenge of developing critical realism in particular by identifying appropriate entry-points and standpoints for the analysis of specific explananda. It then provides a general critical realist account of the nature of crises in the social world and of learning in, about, and from crisis. A key concept here is symptomatology — the exploration of the contingently necessary relation between actual symptoms and underlying causal mechanisms. This is related in turn to the crucial distinction between scientifically adequate explanations of crisis and conjuncturally ‘correct’ readings of the potential for transformative action in the face of crisis. This has important bearings on the emancipatory contribution of critical realism in the context of a continuing critique of ideology and domination. The article then provides particular critical realist accounts of (1) the abstract possibility of crisis in the capitalist mode of production and (2) its concrete actualization in the complex, overdetermined cases of the North Atlantic Financial Crisis and the Eurozone Crisis. It ends with some general remarks on the potential of crisis as an entry-point into the analysis of the contradictory nature of social structures.

AB - This contribution considers the potential of critical realism to illuminate the nature of crises, crisis management, and crisis lessons. After reviewing key aspects of critical realism in general, the analysis notes the challenge of developing critical realism in particular by identifying appropriate entry-points and standpoints for the analysis of specific explananda. It then provides a general critical realist account of the nature of crises in the social world and of learning in, about, and from crisis. A key concept here is symptomatology — the exploration of the contingently necessary relation between actual symptoms and underlying causal mechanisms. This is related in turn to the crucial distinction between scientifically adequate explanations of crisis and conjuncturally ‘correct’ readings of the potential for transformative action in the face of crisis. This has important bearings on the emancipatory contribution of critical realism in the context of a continuing critique of ideology and domination. The article then provides particular critical realist accounts of (1) the abstract possibility of crisis in the capitalist mode of production and (2) its concrete actualization in the complex, overdetermined cases of the North Atlantic Financial Crisis and the Eurozone Crisis. It ends with some general remarks on the potential of crisis as an entry-point into the analysis of the contradictory nature of social structures.

KW - crisis

KW - crisis management

KW - Eurozone crisis

KW - financialization

KW - learning

KW - North Atlantic financial crisis

KW - power

KW - symptomatology

U2 - 10.1179/1572513815Y.0000000001

DO - 10.1179/1572513815Y.0000000001

M3 - Journal article

VL - 14

SP - 238

EP - 271

JO - Journal of Critical Realism

JF - Journal of Critical Realism

SN - 1476-7430

IS - 3

ER -