Attualità del pensiero di Napoleoni per l’analisi del capitalismo contemporaneo

Abstract

Contemporary capitalism has accentuated its contradictory aspects. Drawing inspiration from Napoleoni, this essay aims to analyze the interaction between economic theory and the evolution of capitalism. Specifically, I assess the relevance of Napoleoni’s thought in the face of changes in the economic, social, and institutional structure of contemporary capitalism. To this end, this contribution considers the recent revival/reinterpretation of traditional analyses of capitalism’s contradictions, focusing on three themes that represent a common thread running through Napoleoni’s entire analysis: effective demand and secular stagnation; the role of rents; the inversion of means and ends—together with the need to reorient production and innovation toward the satisfaction of social needs, if not yet toward the overcoming of capitalism.