Immanuel Wallerstein

The modern world-system is a capitalist world-economy, which originated in the 'long' 16th century (ca. 1450-1640) and extended its geographical scope over the entire globe by the late 19th century.

The Modern World-System, Vol. I: Capitalist Agriculture and the Origins of the European World-Economy in the Sixteenth Century 1974

The world-system is not an empire, but a system of states, which are linked together by a division of labor and a hierarchy of power.

The Modern World-System, Vol. I: Capitalist Agriculture and the Origins of the European World-Economy in the Sixteenth Century 1974

Capitalism is not merely a system of production for profit, but a system of endless accumulation of capital.

Historical Capitalism 1983

The core-periphery distinction is not a static geographical division, but a dynamic and evolving relationship within the world-system.

The Modern World-System, Vol. I: Capitalist Agriculture and the Origins of the European World-Economy in the Sixteenth Century 1974

The state is not an independent actor, but an institution embedded within the world-system, serving to facilitate capital accumulation.

The Modern World-System, Vol. I: Capitalist Agriculture and the Origins of the European World-Economy in the Sixteenth Century 1974

Crises are not aberrations in the capitalist world-economy, but integral and recurrent features of its cyclical rhythms.

The Politics of the World-Economy: The States, the Movements, and the Civilizations 1984

The concept of 'development' as a linear progression is a myth, masking the ongoing processes of unequal exchange and exploitation within the world-system.

The Capitalist World-Economy 1979

Social movements are not merely reactions to economic conditions, but active agents attempting to transform the structures of the world-system.

The Politics of the World-Economy: The States, the Movements, and the Civilizations 1984

The world-system is in a state of systemic crisis, indicating a bifurcation point where fundamental change is possible.

Utopistics: Or, Historical Choices of the Twenty-first Century 1998

We are living in an era of transition, a period of chaos and uncertainty, but also of immense possibility for creating a different world-system.

Utopistics: Or, Historical Choices of the Twenty-first Century 1998

The future is not predetermined; it is being made by our collective choices and actions in the present.

Utopistics: Or, Historical Choices of the Twenty-first Century 1998

Utopistics is not about dreaming of an impossible perfect world, but about identifying realistic alternatives to the current world-system.

Utopistics: Or, Historical Choices of the Twenty-first Century 1998

The modern university is a product of the modern world-system, and its structure reflects the divisions and hierarchies of that system.

The End of the World As We Know It: Social Science for the Twenty-First Century 1999

Social science, as it has developed, is deeply implicated in the construction and legitimation of the modern world-system.

The End of the World As We Know It: Social Science for the Twenty-First Century 1999

We need to 'unthink' social science, to deconstruct its assumptions and categories, in order to build a more relevant and emancipatory knowledge.

The End of the World As We Know It: Social Science for the Twenty-First Century 1999

The concept of 'civilization' is often used to justify hierarchies and inequalities within the world-system.

After Liberalism 1995

Liberalism, as an ideology, has been the dominant geoculture of the modern world-system, but it is now in decline.

After Liberalism 1995

The decline of liberalism opens up space for new ideological struggles and alternative visions of the future.

After Liberalism 1995

The world-system is not merely an economic system, but a totality of social relations, political structures, and cultural practices.

The Modern World-System, Vol. I: Capitalist Agriculture and the Origins of the European World-Economy in the Sixteenth Century 1974

The concept of 'progress' is a historical construct, not a universal truth, and it has often served to legitimize exploitation.

The End of the World As We Know It: Social Science for the Twenty-First Century 1999

Quotes by Immanuel Wallerstein