by Bayer
[Title Page and Publication Details]: Title page and publication metadata for Professor Hans Bayer's 1956 lecture on codetermination and technical development in industrial society. [Table of Contents]: A detailed table of contents outlining the two main parts of the text: economic theory of supra-company codetermination and its concrete forms. [Introduction: Economic Perspectives on Codetermination]: The author introduces the need for an economic rather than purely socio-political analysis of codetermination, noting the vast existing literature and the specific focus on supra-company structures. [Part I: Economic Theory - The Economy as an Organism]: Bayer critiques the view of the economy as a mere mechanism (the 'invisible hand') and argues for viewing it as an organism centered on human decision-making and responsibility. This organic view provides the ethical and political foundation for codetermination as a means to bridge tensions between economic goals and reality. [Tensions in Modern Industry: Production, Consumption, and Power]: The author analyzes four groups of tensions in industrial society: internal company hierarchies, the gap between production and consumption, the conflict between individuals and the collective (focusing on capital concentration and anonymity), and the shift from absolute to relative values. He argues that trade union wage policy is essential to prevent the labor share of the social product from falling due to the 'law of marginal morality' among employers. [The Second Industrial Revolution and its Social Tragedy]: Bayer discusses how the combination of automation and atomic power exacerbates existing economic tensions, leading to a 'social tragedy' where technical progress does not automatically translate into social welfare. He argues that competition forces over-investment and disproportion, while automation makes traditional marginal productivity theory for wage determination obsolete due to rigid production combinations. [Model-Theoretical Investigations of Codetermination]: Using a model-theoretical approach, Bayer distinguishes between three types of codetermination: isolated (company-focused), integrated (company-focused but socially aware), and supra-company (industry-wide or national). He critiques isolated codetermination as potentially leading to 'company egoism' and argues for a tiered institutional structure as proposed by the DGB. [Overcoming Tensions through Different Codetermination Models]: The author evaluates the effectiveness of different codetermination models in resolving social tensions. He critiques company-level profit-sharing and partnership models (referencing Nell-Breuning and Franz Böhm) as insufficient if they remain isolated, arguing that only supra-company coordination can address structural economic imbalances and the concentration of power. [Part II: Concrete Forms of Codetermination in Germany and Abroad]: A review of the legal reality of codetermination in Germany, including the Montan-Mitbestimmungsgesetz and the Betriebsverfassungsgesetz. Bayer notes a trend of increasing resistance against supra-company influence and discusses the role of the 'Labor Director' (Arbeitsdirektor) and the representation of employees in holding companies. [International Comparisons of Supra-Company Institutions]: Bayer examines institutional models of supra-company codetermination in other countries, such as the Austrian Chambers of Labor, Swedish competition commissions, and the Dutch Social-Economic Council. He highlights the Swedish model's success in integrating labor into cartel oversight and concludes with the role of labor in the European Coal and Steel Community (Montanunion). [The Struggle for Supra-Company Codetermination in Germany]: The final section traces the historical struggle for economic democracy in Germany from the 19th century to the DGB's 1950 proposals. Bayer argues that the fight for codetermination is a fight against the 'education monopoly' and for a total reorganization of the economy, emphasizing that true cooperation requires recognizing the fundamental power imbalance between the strong and the weak.
Title page and publication metadata for Professor Hans Bayer's 1956 lecture on codetermination and technical development in industrial society.
Read full textA detailed table of contents outlining the two main parts of the text: economic theory of supra-company codetermination and its concrete forms.
Read full textThe author introduces the need for an economic rather than purely socio-political analysis of codetermination, noting the vast existing literature and the specific focus on supra-company structures.
Read full textBayer critiques the view of the economy as a mere mechanism (the 'invisible hand') and argues for viewing it as an organism centered on human decision-making and responsibility. This organic view provides the ethical and political foundation for codetermination as a means to bridge tensions between economic goals and reality.
Read full textThe author analyzes four groups of tensions in industrial society: internal company hierarchies, the gap between production and consumption, the conflict between individuals and the collective (focusing on capital concentration and anonymity), and the shift from absolute to relative values. He argues that trade union wage policy is essential to prevent the labor share of the social product from falling due to the 'law of marginal morality' among employers.
Read full textBayer discusses how the combination of automation and atomic power exacerbates existing economic tensions, leading to a 'social tragedy' where technical progress does not automatically translate into social welfare. He argues that competition forces over-investment and disproportion, while automation makes traditional marginal productivity theory for wage determination obsolete due to rigid production combinations.
Read full textUsing a model-theoretical approach, Bayer distinguishes between three types of codetermination: isolated (company-focused), integrated (company-focused but socially aware), and supra-company (industry-wide or national). He critiques isolated codetermination as potentially leading to 'company egoism' and argues for a tiered institutional structure as proposed by the DGB.
Read full textThe author evaluates the effectiveness of different codetermination models in resolving social tensions. He critiques company-level profit-sharing and partnership models (referencing Nell-Breuning and Franz Böhm) as insufficient if they remain isolated, arguing that only supra-company coordination can address structural economic imbalances and the concentration of power.
Read full textA review of the legal reality of codetermination in Germany, including the Montan-Mitbestimmungsgesetz and the Betriebsverfassungsgesetz. Bayer notes a trend of increasing resistance against supra-company influence and discusses the role of the 'Labor Director' (Arbeitsdirektor) and the representation of employees in holding companies.
Read full textBayer examines institutional models of supra-company codetermination in other countries, such as the Austrian Chambers of Labor, Swedish competition commissions, and the Dutch Social-Economic Council. He highlights the Swedish model's success in integrating labor into cartel oversight and concludes with the role of labor in the European Coal and Steel Community (Montanunion).
Read full textThe final section traces the historical struggle for economic democracy in Germany from the 19th century to the DGB's 1950 proposals. Bayer argues that the fight for codetermination is a fight against the 'education monopoly' and for a total reorganization of the economy, emphasizing that true cooperation requires recognizing the fundamental power imbalance between the strong and the weak.
Read full text