Instead of planning for the revolutionary overthrow of the state, or mobilising in mass political parties, anti-capitalist activists increasingly embrace 'Alternative Societies'; nominally non-capitalist spaces which can exist within the here and now. Consider the spread of mutual aid groups and workers' co-operative firms during the COVID-19 pandemic, or the rise of interest in Universal Basic Income trials. Developing insights from the early Frankfurt School, Harris poses an alarming and hitherto under-explored question: what if these purportedly radical 'non-capitalist' projects are actually stabilising component parts of neoliberalism? To what extent are today's anti-capitalists serving to sustain the systems they despise?

'The time has come to take the excesses of left political theory to critical task. In this bold new book, one of the most important new voices in the Critical Theory tradition does just that. Harris confronts the advocates of pre-figurative politics and those that glibly assert that capitalism can be transformed from within. He shows how deeply powerful capitalism as a social system is and how a new critical theory is needed to cultivate a more muscular and politically relevant movement politics capable of genuine social transformation.'
>'This very important and challenging book draws on early critical theory in a sustained and nuanced evaluation of post-capitalist projects.'
>'In this erudite and compelling book, Harris analyses purportedly emancipatory forces in debates over capitalism's future and alternative societies. Focusing on mutual aid groups, workers' co-operatives and universal basic income, he offers a detailed examination of the strengths and weaknesses of progressive activisms. But the refreshingly sceptical feel to the analysis is no mere exercise in exposing wishful thinking. Rather, it is a sustained and accessible attempt to apply insights from the 'first generation' of Frankfurt School critical thinking to contemporary challenges of social transformation. This is a significant contribution to the political sociology of large-scale, long-term social change.'
-- Barrie Axford, Emeritus Professor in Politics, Oxford Brookes University