INTRODUCTION TO TRANSITIONS AND MODES IN THE WORLD SYSTEM
The present "transition from socialism to capitalism" and the possible future
"shift of hegemony from the United States to Japan" are occasion to re-examine
several scientific tenents of our politics and political tenents of our social
science. Among these are 1) the "transition from feudalism to capitalism," 2)
the "transition from capitalisnm to socialism," 3) the process of "transition"
itself, 4) the notion of feudal, capitalist and socialist "modes of
production," and 5) and the hegemonic rise and decline of Europe and the West
in the modern world capitalist system. The question arises whether any or all
of the above are based on scientific analytical categories, or whether they
are only derived from fond ideological beliefs. Perhaps both contemporary
political reality and available historical evidence should now lead us to
abandon some or even all of these positions.
My tentative conclusion will be......
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