Karl Polanyi
Karl Polanyi reveals that the self-regulating free market is a dangerous utopian myth that inevitably forces human society to protect itself from complete destruction.
Prior to the modern era, economic activities were entirely subordinate to social relationships, customs, and religious institutions.
Treating land, labor, and money as true commodities is a dangerous fiction because they actually represent the natural environment, human lives, and state-backed purchasing power.
The self-regulating market is an impossible utopian project that would physically destroy humanity and transform its surroundings into a wilderness if left unchecked.