S04E07 - Kohei Saito, Christoph Sorg and Jan Groos on Creative Construction and the Struggle over Progress

Kohei Saito, Christoph Sorg and Jan Groos discuss democratic
planning in the 21st century. 


Future Histories LIVE.


This episode is part of the ‘Future Histories LIVE’ format. For
this, individual episodes are recorded live – that is, in front
of an audience – at irregular intervals. This episode is the live
recording of a book launch and discussion event that took place
on June 11, 2026 at the NACHTASYL Hamburg: 


https://www.thalia-theater.de/de/stuecke/creative-construction-and-the-struggle-over-progress-democratic-planning-in-the-21st-century/361


The video recording of the event can be found on our
Youtube-Channel: 


https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfRFz38oh9RH73-pWcME6yw


Shownotes 


Sorg, C. & Groos, J. (2026). Creative Construction.
Demokratische Planung im 21. Jahrhundert. Brumaire. 


https://brumaireverlag.myshopify.com/products/creative-construction


Saito, K. (2026). Am Ende des Fortschritts. Überleben in den
Ruinen des Kapitalismus. dtv.


https://www.dtv.de/buch/am-ende-des-fortschritts-28534


NACHTASYL Hamburg and Thalia Theater: 


http://nachtasyl.de/


https://www.thalia-theater.de/de


on Friedrich von Hayek:  


https://geschichte.univie.ac.at/de/personen/friedrich-august-von-hayek


Saito, K. (2023). Systemsturz. dtv.    


https://www.dtv.de/buch/systemsturz-28369


Cédric Durand at the University of Geneva: 


https://www.unige.ch/sciences-societe/dehes/membres/cedric-durand


Philipp Staab at Humboldt University Berlin: 


https://www.sowi.hu-berlin.de/de/lehrbereiche/zukunftarbeit/mitarbeiter_innen/pstaab


Jacob Blumenfeld with Critical Theory in Berlin: 


https://criticaltheoryinberlin.de/people/jacob-blumenfeld/


on the Dark Enlightenment (or Neo-Reactionary) movement: 


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Enlightenment


https://www.populismstudies.org/Vocabulary/dark-enlightenment/


Curtis Yarvin coined the term as Blogger under the pseudonym
Mencius Moldbug: 


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtis_Yarvin


Nick Land summarised Yarvin's theories in a book: 


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Land


Linus Westheuser and ‘climate populism’:


https://linuswestheuser.com/


Westheuser, L. & Siebert, J. (2025). Warum wir
Klimapopulismus brauchen. Surplus.  


https://www.surplusmagazin.de/warum-wir-einen-klimapopulismus-brauchen/


For the chapters on ‘models’ by Jakob Heyer, Stefan Meretz and
Simon Sutterlütti see: 


https://brumaireverlag.myshopify.com/products/creative-construction


on Karl Polanyi: 


International Karl Polanyi Institute (2019). Karl Polanyi. Life
and Works of an Epochal Thinker. Falter. 


https://www.karlpolanyisociety.com/


Benanav, A. (2025). Beyond Capitalism I-II. New Left
Review. 


https://newleftreview.org/issues/ii153/articles/aaron-benanav-beyond-capitalism-1


https://newleftreview.org/issues/ii154/articles/aaron-benanav-beyond-capitalism-2


Herrmann, U. (2024). Das Ende des Kapitalismus. Warum Wachstum
und Klimaschutz nicht vereinbar sind – und wie wir in Zukunft
leben werden. Kiepenheuer & Witsch. 


https://www.kiwi-verlag.de/buch/ulrike-herrmann-das-ende-des-kapitalismus-9783462007015


Neckel, S. (2022). Infrastruktursozialismus: Die Bedeutung der
Fundamentalökonomie. In Kapitalismus und Nachhaltigkeit (Ed. S.
Neckel, P. Degens, S. Lenz). Campus. 


https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362107108_Infrastruktursozialismus_Die_Bedeutung_der_Fundamentalokonomie


on Claus Offe and the 'legitimation crisis':


Offe, C. (1986). Strukturprobleme des kapitalistischen Staates:
Aufsätze zur Politischen Soziologie. Suhrkamp.


https://www.amazon.de/Strukturprobleme-kapitalistischen-Staates-Politischen-Soziologie/dp/3518105493


Krippner, G. R. (2012). Capitalizing on Crisis. The Political
Origins of the Rise of Finance. Harvard University Press.


https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674066199


Menon, N. (2024). Planning Democracy. How a Professor, an
Institute, and an Idea Shaped India. Penguin India.  


https://www.penguin.co.in/book/planning-democracy/


Blumenfeld, J. P. (2024). Managing Decline. Cured Quail
(3). 


https://www.academia.edu/121062536/Managing_Decline


Mau, S. (2023). Mute Compulsion. A Marxist Theory of the Economic
Power of Capital. Verso. 


https://www.versobooks.com/products/2759-mute-compulsion?srsltid=AfmBOooxWbwMWcWT7UUqrlpAT2yXYPK6B5TSR59_IAoxYR_lp_wpSTgf


Struwe, A. (2025). Totalität. Marx, Adorno und das Problem
kritischer Gesellschaftstheorie. Verbrecher Verlag. 


https://www.verbrecherverlag.de/shop/totalitaet/


on Nancy Fraser and the question on ‘demos’ (exemplary): 


Fraser, N. (2005). Reframing Justice in a Globalizing World. New
Left Review. 


https://newleftreview.org/issues/ii36/articles/nancy-fraser-reframing-justice-in-a-globalizing-world


Rikap, C. (2025). A Progressive Roadmap for Expanding European
Digital Sovereignty. Policy Brief. FEPS. 


https://feps-europe.eu/publication/a-progressive-roadmap-for-expanding-european-digital-sovereignty/


Related Episodes of Future Histories


S03E59 | Cédric Durand on Ecological Planning 


https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s03/e59-cedric-durand-on-ecological-planning/


S03E53 | Philipp Staab zur Systemkrise  


https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s03/e53-philipp-staab-zur-systemkrise/


S02E15 | Jakob Heyer zu Grundproblemen einer postkapitalistischen
Produktionsweise (Teil 2)


https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s02/e15-jakob-heyer-zu-grundproblemen-einer-postkapitalistischen-produktionsweise-teil-2/


S02E14 | Jakob Heyer zu Grundproblemen einer
postkapitalistischen Produktionsweise (Teil 1)


https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s02/e14-jakob-heyer-zu-grundproblemen-einer-postkapitalistischen-produktionsweise-teil-1/


S03E51 | Aaron Benanav - Beyond Capitalism II 


https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s03/e51-aaron-benanav-beyond-capitalism-ii/


S03E50 | Aaron Benanav - Beyond Capitalism I 


https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s03/e50-aaron-benanav-beyond-capitalism-i/


S02E58 | Søren Mau on Planning and Freedom


https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s02/e58-soren-mau-on-planning-and-freedom/


  —


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Episode Keywords


#KoheiSaito, #ChristophSorg, #JanGroos, #Interview, #BookEvent,
#FutureHistories, #Hamburg, #Planning, #Capitalism, #Socialism,
#DarkSocialism, #Economics, #ClimateChange, #ClimateBreakdown,
#Democracy, #BigTech, #WartimePlanning, #DemocraticPlanning,
#State, #Collapse, #Market, #Investment, #Progress, #Future,
#FutureHistoriesInternational