From Peer Production To Compeerism
Discussion
Hannes Gerhardt:
"We can begin by first noting that the terminology of ‘commons-based peer production’ (or just ‘peer production’), still widely embraced by P2P theorists, is inadequate in capturing the proposal actually being offered. The main issue here is that it is unclear whether the concept refers to a supplement to capitalism, as per Benkler, or to an upstart form of production challenging capital, as posited in the P2P approach. Homing in on the second of these meanings, the term ‘compeerism’ is offered as a related yet still distinct outlook, ultimately consisting of an amalgamation and finessing of existing theorizations of a commons-based transition out of capitalism.
The label of compeerism is apt as it combines the commons and the ‘peer to peer’ focus into one, while adding a dimension of political intentionality by making the term an ‘ism’. Compeerism also encapsulates and puts an emphasis on the commons/community and implies sharing in the word ‘peer’, reflecting a commitment to counter-capitalist ‘commonification’, that is, the process of shifting critical assets into the commons realm (Broumas, 2020). Furthermore, the actual word ‘compeer’ is defined as ‘an equal’ or ‘peer’, with the archaic verb meaning ‘to be equal to’. This connotation is fitting as it points to the need to enable equitable opportunities to produce, access, govern, and collaboratively use the commons.
Lastly, compeerism, as a word, is succinct and evocative, and hence more likely to inspire a call to action than the rather stale label of ‘commons-based peer production’, or even worse its commonly used acronym ‘CBPP’. Consider, for instance, this adaptation of Hélder Câmara’s famous quote: “When we purchase goods for the poor, they call us saints; when we ask why the commons aren’t used to eliminate poverty, they call us compeerists!”. If we were here to substitute ‘compeerists’ with ‘commons-based peer producers’, the quote would clearly lose its force. Moving forward, the term compeerism explored and advanced in this book denotes two interrelated conceptualizations. On the one hand, it references a broad theoretical framework to make sense of the current and potential future relationship between the state, capital, and the commons.
This assessment pays special attention to how capital has been, is being, or could be exited and replaced with commons-oriented forms of production and governance. On the other hand, compeerism also designates a political-economic positionality that embraces specific, non-capitalist values. Indeed, the compeerist proposition is not just about theorizing a technologically enabled reworking of how production is organized, as per Benkler, but rather how a completely new organization of society could come about, and, critically, why such a transition is worth pursuing.
The conception of value and values inherent in compeerism, broadly shared by the counter-capitalist approaches from which it is inspired, goes a long way in illuminating its underlying drive and fundamental clash with capital (De Angelis, 2007; Arvidsson and Peitersen, 2016)."
Source
* Book: FROM CAPITAL TO COMMONS Exploring the Promise of a World Beyond Capitalism. Hannes Gerhardt. Bristol University Press, 2023.
URL = https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/capital-to-commons