Kerry--Thanks for the reply. The new post-Wallersteinian argument is that
his world system was but a section of a larger world system, as Europe is
but a peninsula on the larger eurasian land mass. Accepting this new
perspective is as difficult as was accepting Wallerstein's WS years ago,
which many still resist. As to the vulgar economism, the answer is yes,
that is exactly what it is. Material life is still foundational; the only
issue is what constitutes the relevant system in which such materiality is
structured. The growing suspicion is that it is larger than the
capitalist world economy as present WST has it. Whether WST stays at its
present level or jumps to the next level is an open question.
My guess is that the growing evidence of Asian economic activity and the
lack of European exceptionalism in mode of production and religion make
the received theory from Marx to Weber to today that something
special happened in Europe that then, like a social virus, swirled out to
engulf the world, seem increasingly outmoded. This is the deep suspicion
that has led to this questioning of WST.
Albert Bergesen
Department of Sociology
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona 85721
Phone: 520-621-3303
Fax: 520-621-9875
email: albert@u.arizona.edu