Here’s What’s Coming After Capitalism
We have the collective wisdom and resources to create something better. But first, we need to give ourselves permission to grieve.
By Emilia Roig. Originally published on Emilia’s Substack, The Big Shift.
As a fierce opponent of capitalism, these are the two objections I most often hear: 1) How can you oppose capitalism while being part of it — even benefiting from it? and 2) But what is the alternative? What will come after capitalism?
I breathe oxygen while criticizing pollution, because we can’t live without breathing air. The same goes for capitalism. The grip of this system is so pernicious that existing outside of capitalism is practically impossible. However, not being part of what we criticise is not a prerequisite for valid and legitimate criticism. Same goes for racism and the patriarchy. As far as I know, we’re all caught in their nets.
So what is the alternative? What will come after capitalism?
We live in a world deeply addicted to control. We cling to the illusion of certainty and predictability (I live in Germany, a country obsessed with control and predictability, judging by how they fetishise all sorts of insurances for every possible eventuality) as though knowing what comes next might save us from the discomfort of change. But what if the truth is that we don’t need to know what’s next to move forward? What if letting go of this need is the very key to our collective evolution?
Not only is predicting the future impossible, but it’s also not a prerequisite for letting go of what no longer serves us. Whether it’s a romantic relationship or the global economic system of capitalism, endings don’t require a clear picture of what comes next. Throughout history, societies have repeatedly faced the collapse of systems without a clear successor in sight. The fall of feudalism didn’t come with a detailed blueprint for industrial capitalism. It simply came with the undeniable realization that the old way was no longer viable.
Our collective obsession with control keeps us shackled to systems that harm us.
We live with the belief that certainty offers safety when, in reality, it is simply a comforting illusion. The need to know what comes after capitalism is not only unnecessary but actively hinders our ability to let it go.
Letting go is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. Whether letting go of a person, of an idea or representation of how things ought to be, or letting go of an older version of me, or expectations, or comfort. Letting go is incredibly hard. And the hardest part about letting go is the fear of making a mistake. What if I needed to try harder instead of letting go? Or what if letting go is the easy path and I’d get rewarded for holding onto it? But letting go is not the active process of rejecting something. It means opening our hands and releasing the grip. It means allowing things to unfold without us forcing them into a particular direction. Letting go enables us to see things as they are. When we tightly hold onto something, it’s mostly because we know that these things will die without our holding onto them.
The current system no longer serves us. That truth alone is sufficient reason to release our grip. No amount of resistance will prevent its collapse. Our energy is better spent accepting this inevitability, surrendering to the process, and preparing ourselves to co-create whatever comes next.
For much of human history, capitalism didn’t exist. We lived, loved, built communities, and thrived without it.
We must remember that we created capitalism; it did not create us. The ingenuity, creativity, and resilience of humanity are far more powerful than any economic system we’ve built.
If we can trust in these qualities, we can trust in our capacity to craft a new paradigm — one that prioritizes well-being, equity, and sustainability over relentless growth and profit.
The path forward is not about controlling the future but about regaining faith in ourselves. We have the collective wisdom and resources to create something better. But first, we need to give ourselves permission to grieve.
Letting go always involves grief. The end of capitalism will be no different. We’ve been conditioned to equate it with survival itself, making its decline feel like an existential threat. But this fear is misplaced. Grieving allows us to honor what was, release our attachment to it, and open space for the new.
So let us grieve. Let us mourn the illusions of certainty and control we’ve held so tightly. And then, let us trust.
Because we have no other choice. Clinging to the fantasy of control won’t stop capitalism’s collapse; it will only exhaust us. The sooner we release our need to know, the sooner we can collectively step into the unknown with curiosity, courage, and faith.
The future is unwritten. And that’s exactly as it should be.
Emilia Roig is an award-winning social justice advocate, bestselling author, and expert on intersectionality, systemic inequalities, and injustice. This article was originally published on Emilia’s Substack, and is republished here with kind permission.
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- Browse Emilia’s books (in German): Lieben, which revolutionizes our understanding of love as a transformative energy that connects us with all people, nature, and the cosmos; Das Ende der Ehe, which reveals how marriage often exacerbates inequality for women and leads to financial dependence; and Why We Matter, which exposes patterns of systemic oppression and calls for radical solidarity.
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