The Coming of New Industrial Society

“Sergey Bodrunov’s lively book addresses one of the most controversial consequences of liberal globalization—the deindustrialisation of the advanced capitalist states. Following the line of thinking of writers such as Clark Kerr and J.K. Galbraith, Bodrunov insists on the revival of industrialization and in doing so he makes advances on earlier theorizing. He insists that the development of civilization calls for a higher level of material production predicated on human knowledge and he anticipates much of current theorizing about the effects of artificial intelligence. In a provocative discussion, predicated on the experience of post-socialist Russia, he calls for positive economic policies to enhance the capabilities of modern economies to advance to higher levels of industrial development. The book will appeal to readers seeking solutions to modern economic problems through state coordination.” — David Lane, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of Cambridge, UK “As Marx, Veblen and John Kenneth Galbraith understood, human society co-evolves with its material and technological conditions, which fact has grave implications for those seduced by financialization or the post-industrial mirage. In The Coming New Industrial State: Reloaded, Sergey Bodrunov gives a fair—and sometimes harsh—portrait of modern Russia's fall into dependence on outside technologies, machines, and components. He advocates a path forward for Russia at the technical frontiers, with a mixed economy rooted in ‘an authentic culture’ without which, he writes, ‘there can be no effective industrial development.’ The war and sanctions may now catapult this analysis to the forefront.” — James K. Galbraith, The University of Texas at Austin, Member, Free Economic Society and Foreign Member, Russian Academy of Sciences “Sergey Bodrunov’s work is a major contribution to human knowledge, rooted both in his practical experience in Russian industry and government, and in revival of interest in the most profound issues in the philosophy of thought. It deserves the attention of everyone with an interest in innovation. But beyond that, anyone concerned with the rising challenge of new technologies should read it. At the center of The Coming New Industrial State lies the following proposition: until now, technology has driven society. The ‘information economy’ calls for a different relationship; it is society that must drive technology. Innovation, therefore, henceforth constitutes social innovation; a different way of organizing society. Bodronov not only poses the question, but provides much-needed answers.” — Alan Freeman, Geopolitical Economy Research Group, University of Manitoba