Philanthropy as a hegemonic painkiller in the context of double movement: A gramscil analysis

The problem of 'legitimacy' in capitalism is constantly being questioned because of the negativities it causes. However, the capitalist system somehow continues to exist as a mode of production that needs to be changed for some and terminated for others. When we look at the production relations-productive power balance and social development processes in the history of humanity, it is seen that the last mode of production is 'capitalism'. In the thesis, the 'self-reproduction' process of capitalism is examined based on the analysis method and conceptual analysis tools of the 'French Regulation Theory'. Karl Polanyi explained this with the 'Double Movement Theory', stating that capitalism developed 'defensive movements' to protect itself against the corrosive market conditions of capitalism. This process, which continues with the mutual struggle of opposing movements, will one day be completed with the end of capitalism. Despite the fact that capitalism became more aggressive in the neo-liberal period after 1974, the fact that he instrumentalized the phenomena such as 'philanthropy' discussed in this thesis for his own benefit and survived despite everything gives the impression that Polanyi was too optimistic and wrong in these predictions about the end of capitalism. In the study, Antonio Gramsci's concept of 'hegemony' is discussed as the reason for the failure of Polanyi's promises, and 'philanthropic activities', which capitalism instrumentalizes to reproduce itself, are examined in this context. As a result of the study, it is concluded that philanthropy is insufficient to eliminate the social wounds and problems caused by capitalism, and plays only a temporary painkiller role. Keywords: Mode of Production, Regulation Theory, Double Movements, Hegemony, Philanthropy.