Le coopérisme

Liberal democracy is in crisis worldwide, struggling to address urgent challenges such as climate change. However, there is another way: cooperative democracy. From consumer cooperatives and credit unions to worker cooperatives, mutual insurance companies, non-profit organisations and mutual aid initiatives, countless examples show that people working together can extend the ideals of participatory democracy and sustainability to all aspects of their lives. These forms of cooperation do not depend on electoral politics; rather, they draw on the longstanding practices and values of cooperatives: self-determination, democratic participation, equity, solidarity, and respect for the environment.

Bernard E. Harcourt develops a transformative theory and practice grounded in global models of successful cooperation. He identifies the most promising forms of cooperative initiatives and distils their lessons into an integrated analytical framework.

A work of critical normative theory, Le coopérisme offers a positive vision for addressing the pressing challenges of our time and demonstrates that, by drawing on the fundamental values of cooperation and the collective power of people working together, a new horizon of cooperative democracy lies within reach.