A Forgotten Page of the University Science History. Historical-Economic Studies at IFTI - INEI in the 1950s-1960s: Israel D. Brin

The article, which was written within a project of studying the history of creation and existence of the “invisible college” of historical and economic studies at IFEI — INEI in the 1950s–1960s, reconstructs the intellectual biography of one of its participants — Israel D. Brin. The Irkutsk period of the scientist's work is characterized by his referring to historical-economic analysis: establishing a link between the problems of state capitalism and the problems of the NEP and considering the specific institutional forms that state capitalism took during the period of the NEP in the USSR in the 1920s. The works of the political economist reflected the transformation of the economic history of the NEP into a holistic and complex scientific issue. In addition to historians, political economists got involved in the solution of this problem. Their referring to the past was caused not only by historical interest, but also by urgent problems of the present. The New Economic Policy was interesting from the point of view of the implementation of its principles as well as the use of the institutional forms of state capitalism, tested during the implementation of this policy, in the practice of the people's democracies of Europe and Asia, which were in the process of transition from capitalism to socialism after the Second World War.

Joseph’s Food Politics as Life-Keeper of Many People: A Close Rereading of Genesis 47:13–26

The Septuagint reading predominantly influences the interpretation of Genesis 47:13-26 (primarily v. 21). Despite a positive portrayal of Joseph, he is also seen as Pharaoh’s accomplice to enslave the Egyptian people. This connection with slavery activities contradicts the traditional image of Joseph as the life-keeper of many people. Solution for the negative portrait of Joseph usually refers to the Masoretic Text, although it is not a reference to many modern Bible translations and commentaries. The Septuagint as a reference, in this case, is indeed difficult to reject. However, that does not mean that Joseph promotes the slavery of the Egyptian people throughout the land, but rather an ancient form of state capitalism. This article draws on textual criticism, word studies, form criticism, and agricultural knowledge background in the ancient Middle East. The contribution of this research is to show that, instead of enslaving, Joseph formulated an Egyptian food politics in the larger context of Joseph’s narrative reality as the life-keeper of many people.

Rethinking d/Development

A dialectical relationship between ‘big D’ Development (broadly, the formal interventionist, international Development sector) and little ‘d’ development (the immanent structures and processes of capitalism) is a concept widely invoked in Geography and Development Studies. In this paper, we ask how the d/Development dialectic is evolving under current conjunctures of emergent state capitalism(s). We suggest that, going beyond ‘containment’, Development is ever more deeply inhabited by (capitalist) development; with implications for its palliative and restructuring roles, and for praxis, contestation and transformation.