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Consider the late Roman Empire. The Roman Empire had a beginning, and then an end, and the "late" part was the part that was closer to the end. That's the nor

Consider the late Roman Empire. The Roman Empire had a beginning, and then an end, and the "late" part was the part that was closer to the end. That's the normal meaning of the word "late". So "late stage capitalism" means - or at least implies - that it's the form capitalism takes before capitalism finally ends. It shouldn't be used for a form that capitalism repeatedly cycles into and out of. If you wanted to use a different term to describe this phase - "monopolistic phase capitalism" or something - then that would be fine. "Late stage", though, gives an illusion of linear movement through a definite time period, which historically has proven to be an incorrect view.

RandomLensman 3y ago
Don't think the term came with any timeframe when it was coined (and the "phases of capitalism" where long, like hundreds of years). Whether it is a late-stage or not is up to future, really, though. I would agree, though, that there are sharper terms to describe the current flavor of capitalism.
Ensorceled 3y ago
> So "late stage capitalism" means - or at least implies - that it's the form capitalism takes before capitalism finally ends That's not how terms work. Maybe you don't like the phrase but it has a meaning, you can't just decide a commonly used term means something else and then debate that strawman. > If you wanted to use a different term to describe this phase - "monopolistic phase capitalism" or something Who is the "you" here? My grandfather was a mere lad when this term was coined.
- AnimalMuppet 3y ago
  Terms have a denotation - the defined meaning - and then they have a connotation - what they imply. I'm objecting to the latter. And, we're not at an academic conference that studies such things. We're on HN, where most of the people don't have a precise definition of the term in mind when they read stuff like this. So the misleading connotation matters, at least in this setting.

RandomLensman 3y ago

Don't think the term came with any timeframe when it was coined (and the "phases of capitalism" where long, like hundreds of years). Whether it is a late-stage or not is up to future, really, though. I would agree, though, that there are sharper terms to describe the current flavor of capitalism.

Ensorceled 3y ago

> So "late stage capitalism" means - or at least implies - that it's the form capitalism takes before capitalism finally ends That's not how terms work. Maybe you don't like the phrase but it has a meaning, you can't just decide a commonly used term means something else and then debate that strawman. > If you wanted to use a different term to describe this phase - "monopolistic phase capitalism" or something Who is the "you" here? My grandfather was a mere lad when this term was coined.

AnimalMuppet 3y ago
Terms have a denotation - the defined meaning - and then they have a connotation - what they imply. I'm objecting to the latter. And, we're not at an academic conference that studies such things. We're on HN, where most of the people don't have a precise definition of the term in mind when they read stuff like this. So the misleading connotation matters, at least in this setting.