rw irrf vrvirw q jt rrn zoo) o

con ruson
AFTER DI ALECTI CS
Rudicu| Scciu| Tnccry in u Pcst-Ccnnunist Wcr|d
I
socs& n ss& havo loth loon contial to nod-
oin political and social thought, duiing tho zoth contuiy it was
socialisn, in a looso ocunonical sonso, that was tho nost suc-
cosslul ol tho two in toins ol intolloctual attiaction and pullic
suppoit.

Socialisn was onllazonod on tho lannois ol nass paitios in

Biazil, Biitain, China, Fianco, Goinany, India, Indonosia, Italy, Japan,
Moxico, Russia, South Aliicain lact, viitually ovoiy najoi countiy ol
tho glolo, with tho oxcoption ol Nigoiia and tho 0s. It was onliacod as a
ihotoiical goal, at loast, ly a iango ol locally powoilul paitios lion Aictic
Social Donociats to Aliican nationalists. Socialisn and Connunisn
oxoicisod a powoilul attiaction ovoi sono ol tho nost liilliant ninds
ol tho zoth contuiy: Einstoin was a socialist, wiiting a lounding nani-
losto loi tho Anoiican Maixist jouinal Mcntn|y Rcvicw, Picasso was a
Connunist, who dosignod tho logo ol post-Woild Wai Connunist-
lod poaco novononts. In spito ol its consoivativoly dohnod oiiginal task
and its own staunchly consoivativo tiaditions, tho Swodish Acadony has
allottod tho Nolol Piizo loi litoiatuio to a soiios ol lolt-wing wiitois, lion
Ronain Rolland to Elliiodo Jolinok.
Following two spiingtidos in tho altoinaths ol tho zoth contuiy`s woild
wais, vaiiotios ol socialisn ioachod thoii naxinun inuonco and tians-
loinational anlition in tho oos and ;os, as did its contial, il not
its solo, thooiotical canon: Maixisn. Goopolitically, tho Soviot Union
attainod paiity with tho 0s, which was doloatod ly tho Viotnanoso
Connunists. Tho Chinoso Cultuial Rovolution was tho laigost-scalo
attonpt at iadical social chango ovoi caiiiod out, and was soon as a daz-
zling iod loacon ly nany pooplo all ovoi tho woild. Aliica noith ol tho
oq iv q
Linpopo was swopt ly docolonization and onlaikod upon piojocts
ol socialist nation-luilding. In Latin Anoiica tho Culan Rovolution
inspiiod a honisphoiic suigo ol iovolutionaiy socialist politics, lollowod
ly anothoi oxanplo, dilloiont lut alliod, in Chilo.
Tiado-union novononts in tho nost dovolopod countiios ioachod thoii
highost lovols ol alhliation in tho nid-;os. In Wostoin Euiopo and
tho Ocoanic Antipodos, Social Donociacy was naiching loiwaid, loth
oloctoially and in its ioloin piogianno. In Swodon lion o8 to ;o,
and in Fianco lotwoon ;8 and 8, Social Donociats piosontod thoii
nost iadical concioto plans ovoi loi social chango. Militant woiking-
class novononts ol stiikos, dononstiations and woikplaco occupations
shook Fianco in May o8 and Italy in tho autunn ol o. Studont
novononts, which in Euiopo had histoiically loon nainly iight-wing,
onoigod as powoilul loltist loicos acioss Euiopo, tho Anoiicas, laigo
paits ol Aliica lion South Aliica to Ethiopia and, noio woakly, to tho
Aial Noith, in Asia lion Istanlul to Bangkok and Tokyo, and in Ocoania.
Maix and Maixisn pushod opon tho doois to tho acadony in sono ol tho
najoi capitalist countiios, achioving a stiong inuonco thoio, ovon il
thoy woio novoi hogononic in any signihcant intolloctual contio outsido
Italy and Fianco.
Thon, suddonly, tho high watoi withdiow, and was lollowod ly a noo-
liloial tsunani. Socialist constiuctions woio knockod down, nany ol
thon pioving ianshacklo oi lako in tho piocoss, socialist idoas and
Maixist thooiios woio ongullod in tho dolugo. Piivatization locano tho
glolal oidoi ol tho day, loinulatod in tho Washington Consonsus ol tho
0s Tioasuiy, & and Woild Bank. At tho dawn ol tho zst contuiy, not
only liloial capitalisn lut onpiio and inpoiialisn havo stagod a tiiun-
phant iotuin, and with thon tho woildviows ol tho Bollo Epoquo. Tho
oxplanation ol this suddon tuin, and why it happonod in tho last two
docados ol tho zoth contuiy, is a task lai loyond tho scopo ol this liiol
ovoiviow ol tho landscapo ol lolt social thooiy altoi tho nooliloial 'disas-
toi`. Sono outlino, howovoi, nust lo givon ol tho changing paianotois

This toxt giow lion an initial invitation to contiiluto to a colloction on dilloiont

aspocts ol Euiopoan social thooiy, locusing on tho quostion ol 'Post-Maixisn and tho
Lolt`, and was latoi oxpandod loi n. Any suivoy ol a hold as lioad as this will lo lia-
llo to onissions and ovoisights, as woll as to tho political, poisonal and gonoiational
inclinations ol its authoi. A shoitoi, noio Euiocontiic voision ol this aiticlo appoaiod
in Goiaid Dolanty, od., !undbcck cj Eurcpcun Scciu| Tnccry, London zooo.
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ o
within which such thooiization has takon placo, loloio pioviding a sun-
naiy pictuio ol iosponsos.
. ru r0n o &onrv
Whothoi its analysis tonds towaids cololiation and accoptanco, oi cii-
tiquo and iojoction, social thooiization doponds upon tho social woild
it thooiizos. A najoi ioason loi studying tho piosont is to undoistand
tho powoi that it oxoicisos, and ciitiquos ol it aio laigoly, il not also-
lutoly, dopondont on tho hopo ol a possillo dilloiont woild. Such hopo,
in tuin, doponds on tho visilility, howovoi laint, ol sono altoinativo
powoi oi loico with a potontial to caiiy tho ciitiquo loiwaid into activo
chango. What happonod to socialisn and Maixisn in tho 8os and
os was that tho altoinativo loicos appoaiod to nolt away. Whilo tho
inoqualitios ol capitalisn woio incioasing in nost countiios, whilo tho
glolal gap lotwoon iich and pooi was widoning, and whilo tho liutal-
ity ol tho iulois ol tho nain capitalist statos was ioalhinod again and
again, tho dialoctic ol capitalisn was inploding. Capital`s now push was
not acconpaniod ly any stiongthoning ol tho woiking-class and anti-
capitalist novononts, noi ly tho oponing ol a systonic oxit into anothoi
nodo ol pioductionat loast not in poispoctivos visillo to tho nakod oyo.
On tho contiaiy: laloui was woakonod and onliyonic systonic altoina-
tivos loll apait, oi woio conplotoly naiginalizod. Tho glolal conuonco
ol lolt-wing political doloats and social noltdowns in tho last two docados
ol tho zoth contuiy was ovoiwholning, ly any noasuio.
Any analytical assossnont, howovoi, has to tako into account tho slow
woiking-thiough ol tino. Most contonpoiaiy thooiists woio actually
loinod duiing oailioi conjunctuios ol hopo and powoi. Existing thooiy
still nainly iogistois tho iosponso ol this piocoding gonoiation to tho tuin
ol tho 8os and os, at tho sano tino, a now layoi ol loltists is onoig-
ing lion tho Woild Social Foia, tho anti-glolalization novonont and
tho Indo-Anoiican nolilizations lion Chiapas to Bolivia and loyond,
whilo tho socio-political noaning ol tho now Muslin anti-inpoiialisn
ionains to lo dotoininod.
In tho iich capitalist countiios, tho stiuctuial tuin to doindustiialization
and tho nishandling ly tho contio-lolt ol tho dilhcult conjunctuio ol tho
;oswith loth nass unonploynont and soaiing inationpiopaiod
oo iv q
tho way loi tho iovongo ol nooliloialisn, spoaihoadod in industiializa-
tion`s countiy-ol-oiigin. Whon tho now ocononic doctiino tuinod out
to lo an unoxpoctodly aggiossivo challongo, tho nain powois suppos-
odly 'luilding socialisn` adoptod dilloiont stiatogios. That ol tho Soviot
Union would piovo suicidal: tiying to placato political liloialisn whilo
lotting tho oconony spiial downwaids, ly toloiating incioasingly aggios-
sivo laiiacuda litos. Tho Chinoso, and latoi tho Viotnanoso, took tho
'lioo-naikot` ioad: il capitalisn is tho only show on oaith, wo aio going
to iun it. Altoi tho lailuios and noial hollownoss ol tho Chinoso Cultuial
Rovolution, tho ccvloi all its loinoi Maoist diatiilos against 'capital-
ist ioadois`was tho political loico that nost uniloinly and dodicatodly
took that iouto.
In Latin Anoiica, loth ioloinist and iovolutionaiy hopos had loon
quonchod in llood ly tho ond ol tho ;os. In tho Aial woild, tho suc-
cosslul Isiaoli attack in o; had shattoiod tho soculai lolt. Aliican cliont
statos ol Cold Wai Connunisn tuinod coats with tho disappoaianco ol
thoii pations. Tho hugo Indonosian Connunist Paity had litoially loon
nassaciod in o. Chiloan Maixisn, loth Socialist and Connunist,
novoi iocovoiod lion tho llow ol ;. In Euiopo, tho vc has dissolvod
itsoll, and tho vc has shiunk to tho sizo ol a laigo-scalo soct. Elsowhoio,
Wost Bongal, an Indian stato with a population tho sizo ol Goinany`s,
has continuod to io-oloct its Connunist govoinnont, and a Caiilloan
Castioisn has nanagod to suivivo, iovivihod ly iocont dovolopnonts
in Vonozuola and Bolivia. Rod lannois aio still kopt ying ly sizoallo
ninoiitios in southoin Euiopo, lion Poitugal to Giooco, and ly tho
laigost paity ol Giook Cypius, tho nodoiato k. But, poihaps with
tho oxcoption ol tho lattoi, thoy aio paitios ol tostinony iathoi than ol
hopo. Tho social-donociatic aspiiations ol post-Connunist Euiopo
havo cono to littlo, its paitios havo tondod to lo oithoi liloial, coiiupt
oi loth. Socialist hopos ol post-apaithoid South Aliica havo also cono to
nothing, although tho nc doos piovido an oxanplo ol woiking donoc-
iacy in Aliica. Tho lolt-wing tuin ol Latin Anoiican countiios in tho
zooos owos littlo to classical socialist oi Maixist thought, doiiving noio
inspiiation lion iadical Catholicisn in tho caso ol Biazil, lion Latin
Anoiican populisn in Aigontina and Vonozuola, and lion indigonous
pooplos` nolilization in Boliviaalthough tho Movonont to Socialisn
ol Piosidont Evo Moialos was laigoly luilt ly loinoi cadios lion tho
lolt-wing ninois` union. Novoitholoss, in oach, and paiticulaily in tho
Bolivian caso, thoio is an aiticulato lolt-wing socialist conponont.
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ o;
Tho woild has not yot loon nado ontiioly salo loi liloialisn. Now iadical
loicos continuo to onoigo: populist novononts in Indo-Anoiica, wavos
ol nigiation thiowing up innigiants` novononts in tho 'Fiist Woild`,
and a wholo ganut ol political nanilostations ol Islan, lion Islanist
donociacy to soctaiian toiioiisn. Tho nost intoiosting, ciucial loi con-
ing dovolopnonts, nay lo tho advont ol a social Islanisn, conpaiallo
to tho social Catholicisn ol Euiopo lion tho Nothoilands to Austiia a
contuiy ago. But tho old naps ol 'ioads to socialisn` havo lost thoii loai-
ings. Now conpassos ol tho lolt havo to lo nado, it should lo oxpoctod
that this will tako sono tino.
Murisns brckcn triung|c
As a nininun lianowoik loi situating iocont tuins ol lolt-wing social
thooiy, wo nood to look at how Maixist and socialist thought havo loon
onloddod in cultuial histoiy. This ontails, hist, a look at tho spocihc
stiuctuiation ol Maixisn as an 'isn`, and at tho loicos loaiing upon
that stiuctuio. Socondly, Maixisn and socialisn should lo iocognizod
as paits ol a widoi cultuial onsonllo, that ol nodoinity, and thoioloio
alloctod ly tho vicissitudos ol tho lattoi.
Tho histoiy ol Maixisn nay lost lo soon as a tiiangulation, giowing out
ol loth tho histoiical situation and tho oxtiaoidinaiy iango ol intoiosts ol
its lounding lathois. Tho 'isn` has thioo dilloiont polos, with vaiying dis-
tancos to oach othoi, not to nontion vaiying polo-coalitions. Intolloctually,
Maixisn was hist ol all a histoiical social scionco, in tho lioad Goinanic
sonso ol Wisscnscnujt, locusod on tho opoiation ol capitalisn and, noio
gonoially, on histoiical dovolopnonts dotoininod 'in tho last instanco`
ly tho dynanics ol tho loicos and iolations ol pioduction. Socondly, it
was a philosophy ol contiadictions oi dialoctics, with opistonological
and ontological anlitions, no loss than othical inplications. Thiidly,
Maixisn was a nodo ol politics ol a socialist, woiking-class kind, pio-
viding a conpass and ioad-nap to tho iovolutionaiy ovoithiow ol tho
oxisting oidoi. Tho politics was tho ovoidotoinining apox ol tho tiian-
glo, naking tho 'isn` a social cuiiont, not just an intolloctual linoago.
Histoiical natoiialisn, with tho Maixian ciitiquo ol political oconony,
and natoiialist dialoctics, with tho social philosophy ol alionation and
connodity lotishisn, had thoii intiinsic intolloctual attiactions, lut
thoso woio usually connoctod to synpathios with, and olton connit-
nont to, a socialist class politics. Tho iolations ol politics to scionco (and
o8 iv q
histoiiogiaphy oi to philosophy, in Maix-isn, woio always asynnotii-
cal. Il and whon political loadoiship was dilloiontiatod lion thooiotical
loadoiship, it was always political powoi which gainod tho uppoi hand,
although political loadoiship anong tho hist two gonoiations altoi Maix
usually ioquiiod a capacity loi thooiotical aigunontation.
Maix, Engols, Kautskytho chiol thooiotician ol tho Social Donociatic
Socond Intoinationaland Lonin, oach in thoii own way, nastoiod all
thioo gonios. Stalin and Mao dalllod in all thioo, too. Howovoi inpios-
sivo tho intolloctual-cun-political voisatility and oxpoitiso ol thoso
lounding gonoiations, such qualitios woio also an oxpiossion ol tho oaily
nodoinity ol tho lato th contuiy, with scaicoly dilloiontiatod intolloctual
discouisos, and tho natuial piopondoianco ol politics. In tho couiso ol tho
zoth contuiy, tho longth ol tho sidos ol tho tiianglo would lo incioasingly
oxtondod. Any soiious attonpt at undoistanding 'post-Maixisn` will havo
to doal with this tiianglo ol social scionco, politics and philosophy.
Tho Maixisn that onoigod in Wostoin Euiopo altoi tho Fiist Woild Wai
was lasically philosophical in appioach, oiiginally oschatologically con-
noctod to iovolutionaiy politics (Lukacs, Koisch, Giansci, latoi on it
oithoi stood disciootly alool lion it (tho Fiankluit School, oi was only
indiioctly iolatod to it (Althussoi, Lololvio, Saitio, ovon il linkod ly paity
nonloiship as in tho hist two casos.
z
In spito ol tho haid sociological
lossons ol tho Fiankluitois in 0s oxilo, and ol tho sciontist thiust ol tho
Althussoiians, Euiopoan Maixist philosophois in this poiiod haidly ovoi
ongagod intolloctually with Maixist social sciontists oi histoiians.
A Maixist nodo ol politics novoi attiactod onough suppoit to locono
consolidatod in Wostoin Euiopo as a distinctivo political piactico. It was
always opon to oppoitunistic ontoipiiso, and to authoiitaiian logitina-
tion. This nado what poihaps nay lo callod tho 'natuial` Maixist coalition
ol politics and social scionco dilhcult and iaio. Thoio was, ol couiso, ono
inpoitant link: tho political connitnont to socialisn, in tho histoiical
sonso ol a dilloiont kind ol socioty. In tho oos, ;os, ovon in tho oaily
8os, this was a connitnont not only ol iadical intolloctuals and youthlul
iovolutionaiios. It was piolossod ly nass paitios, oi ly signihcant cui-
ionts within thon, as in tho Biitish Laloui Paity and continontal Wostoin
Euiopoan Social Donociacios. Thoio was also tho 'actually oxisting` lact
z
Soo Poiiy Andoison, Ccnsidcruticns cn Wcstcrn Murisn, London ;o.
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ o
that a sizoallo gioup ol statos, two ol thon voiy powoilul, woio 'luild-
ing socialisn`. Boliol in thoii achiovonont was linitod, lut tho viow that
thoy at loast constitutod an ongoing social constiuction sitoalthough
cuiiontly poihaps stagnant oi ovon docayingwas widospioad.
Socialist politics, in tho anliguous sonsos ioloiiod to, kopt tho Maixist
tiianglo togothoi, ovon il thoio was littlo in it ol spocihcally Maixist
intont. But socialist politics disintogiatod in tho couiso ol tho 8os:
loggod down and diivon to suiiondoi in Fianco, oloctoially ciushod in
Biitain and pushod onto tho dolonsivo in Scandinavia, aliuptly tuining
iight loi goopolitical and othoi ioasons in Southoin Euiopo, alandonod
oi latally undoininod in Connunist Euiasia, alioady ciushod undoi
tho nilitaiist loot in Latin Anoiica. This pullod tho caipot lion undoi
Maixisn as a social scionco, its analysos losing any discoinillo poton-
tial audionco. Maixist philosophy, liko histoiiogiaphy and social scionco,
cano to ioly on acadonic positions. Poihaps locauso it was innuno to
onpiiical dispiool, philosophy nanagod lottoi, naintaining a link to
naiginal iovolutionaiy politics, ospocially in paits ol Latin Euiopo.
Tho Maixist tiianglo ol social scionco, politics and philosophy has loon
liokonin all likolihood, iiionodially. This is not to say that socialist
politics, pionisod on clains loi a dilloiont, socialist socioty, has disap-
poaiod. Whoio tho oloctoial syston allows its oxpiossion, suppoit loi
such a politics oscillatos lotwoon and zo poi cont ol tho national voto, it
nay locono nuch laigoi. Political idoologios and oiiontations havo thoii
ups and downs, and post-socialisn nay soon lo ovoishadowod ly sono
now socialisn. But tho undoidovolopnont ol Maixist political thooiy,
togothoi with tho social iostiuctuiation ol capitalist sociotios, nako it
unlikoly that an ascondant socialist politics would lo voiy Maixist. Tho
zonith ol tho industiial woiking class has passod, whilo nany pioviously
nogloctod political suljocts aio coning to tho loio.
Undoi non-iopiossivo conditions, Maix-isn is unlikoly to oxoiciso an
attiaction as tnc social scionco oi histoiiogiaphy loi post-os cohoits
ol connittod socialist scholais. By tho standaids ol physics oi liology,
tho advancos ol social scionco and histoiical scholaiship nay look nod-
ost, thoy novoitholoss iopiosont onoinous stiidos loiwaid sinco tho ago
ol Dus Kupitu|. Yot, sinco oach gonoiation ol social sciontists tonds to
hnd liosh souicos ol inspiiation anong tho classics ol social thought, it
soons nost likoly that Maix will lo iodiscovoiod nany tinos ovoi in tho
;o iv q
lutuio, novol intoipiotations will lo nado and now insights loundlut
conducivo to littlo isn-ish idontihcation. Philosophois, on tho othoi hand,
aio halitually, iathoi than occasionally, lont ovoi thoii piodocossois.
Whothoi Maix will achiovo tho z,oo-yoai longovity ol Plato, Aiistotlo
and Conlucius is an opon quostion, lut tho possilility cannot lo iulod
out. A ghost novoi dios, as Doiiida said.

Tho histoiy ol philosophy tonds

to gonoiato ovoi now tochniquos ol ioading.
Cnu||cngc cj pcstncdcrnity
Lolt and Maixist social thooiy nust also lo situatod within tho lioadoi
cultuial lianowoik ol nodoinity within which it was hist aiticulatod,
and ly whoso vicissitudos it will inovitally lo alloctod. Tho sano poiiod
that saw tho oclipso ol political Maixisn also witnossod tho donial ol
nodoinity in tho nano ol postnodoinity, and tho iiso ol postnodoin-
isn. Tho lattoi has at loast two, voiy dilloiont oiigins.
q
Ono is aosthotic:
a nutation ol tho nodoinist succossion ol avant-gaidos, nost cloaily
dovolopod in tho hold ol aichitoctuio, as a ioaction against tho austoio
High Modoinisn ol Mios van doi Roho and tho 'Intoinational Stylo`.
Tho othoi souico lios in social philosophy, a nanilostation ol ox-loltist
oxhaustion and disonchantnont. Tho koy hguio hoio is tho lato Fionch
philosophoi Joan-Fianois Lyotaid, a disillusionod loinoi nilitant ol tho
lai-lolt giouplot Scciu|isnc cu Burburic.

Why did postnodoinisn locono such a loinidallo challongo? Why

was postnodoinity 'ladly noodod, intuitivoly longod loi, and dospoiatoly
sought`, as an oaily dovotoo iocontly put it,
o
with tho lonoht ol a noio
scoptical hindsight? Tho aosthotic attiaction is oasily undoistandallo,
alovo all as anothoi nanilostation ol tho iolontloss nodoinist diivo loi
innovation, whilo its spocihc loins nay lo soon as inuoncod ly opposi-
tion to its innodiato piodocossoi]onony, as woll as ly its socio-cultuial
contoxt. But that doos not tako us voiy lai with iospoct to tho thooioti-
cal and political signihcanco ol postnodoinisn. Hoio, Jollioy Aloxandoi
captuiod ono saliont point whon ho concludod that 'Postnodoin thooiy . . .

Jacquos Doiiida, Spcctrcs dc Mur, Paiis , p. o.

q
Soo tho uniivallod ciitical aichaoology ol Poiiy Andoison, Tnc Origins cj
Pcstncdcrnity, London 8.

Joan-Fianois Lyotaid, Lu ccnditicn pcstncdcrnc, Paiis ;.

o
Zygnunt Baunan and Koith Tostoi, Ccnvcrsuticns witn Zygnunt Buunun,
Canliidgo zoo, p. ;.
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ ;
nay lo soon . . . as an attonpt to iodioss tho piollon ol noaning cioatod
ly tho oxpoiioncod lailuio ol tho sixtios".`
;

At stako was a ionaikallo conation ol liillianco and nyopia. In tho
cultuial sphoio, inpoitant changos had cloaily takon placo lotwoon tho
woik ol, say, Mios van doi Roho and Roloit Vontuii, oi Jackson Pollock
and Andy Waihol, changos onoiging in tho oos, and sotting a now
aosthotic tono loi tho noxt docados. Thoso dovolopnonts waiiantod anal-
ysos ol a now nodo ol cultuial pioduction, such as Fiodiic Janoson`s
Pcstncdcrnisn.
8
But ovon tho voiy lost attonpts at iolating such cultuial
analysis to socioocononic chango novoi lully succoodod in aiticulat-
ing tho connoctions lotwoon tho two. Janoson lasos his account on
Einost Mandol`s Lutc Cupitu|isn, a pictuio ol tho postwai woild oconony
oiiginating in tho oos, and laigoly locusod on tho stato iogulation ol
capital and its insupoiallo linits.

This piocludod discussion ol a 'latoi`

post-; capitalisn, still loss ol tho suigo ol a iight-wing nooliloial nod-
oinisn. Dospito Janoson`s soninal contiilutions, postnodoinisn was
nainly an ox-lolt cuiiont, which nutatod into a sot ol cultuial-political
attacks on nodoinity and tho nodoin, a nalaiso within scholaily analyt-
ics.
o
Outsido tho spocihc audioncos ol aichitoctuio and ait, it laigoly
addiossod tho lolt and tho ox-lolt, including loninisn, and paid scant
attontion to tho sinultanoous iiso ol iight-wing nodoinisn, in tho loin
ol nooliloialisn oi assoitivo capitalisn.

Instoad, postnodoinisn lod on tho donoialization and uncoitainty ol
tho lolt in tho altoinath ol lato oos and oaily ;os ouphoiia. Its cii-
tiquo ol ioason and iationality thiivod on tho 'nachinoiy ol inagos`
;
Jollioy Aloxandoi, 'Modoin, Anti, Post, Noo`, n ]zo, MaichApiil ,
p. 8z.
8
Fiodiic Janoson, Pcstncdcrnisn, Or, Tnc Cu|turu| Lcgic cj Lutc Cupitu|isn, London
.

Einost Mandol`s Lutc Cupitu|isn was pullishod in English in ;, its Goinan odi-
tion appoaiod in ;z lion Suhikanp. Accoiding to tho authoi`s piolaco, tho nain
olononts ol tho thooiy ol lato capitalisn woio concoivod in oo;.
o
Soo also Linda Hutchoon, Tnc Pc|itics cj Pcstncdcrnisn, London and Now Yoik
j8| zooz, Paulino Maiio Rosonau, Pcst-Mcdcrnisn und tnc Scciu| Scicnccs,
Piincoton .

Janoson hinsoll scolhngly disnissos tho doctiino`s intolloctual attiactions: 'no

ono is going to poisuado no that thoio is anything glanoious alout tho thought ol
a Milton Fiiodnan, a Hayok oi a Poppoi in tho piosont day and ago`, soo Janoson,
A Singu|ur Mcdcrnity, London zooz, pp. z.
;z iv q
ol tolovision socioty, which piovidod sustonanco to acadonic 'cultuial
studios`.
z
Thoio woio, in addition, two luithoi pillais ol tho now odi-
hco ol postnodoinity. Ono was tho social iostiuctuiing that lollowod
lion doindustiialization, an opochal social chango. Anothoi was tho cii-
tiquo ol nodoinist piogioss that aioso lion ocological concoins, which
woio intonsihod ly tho oil ciisos ol tho ;os and oaily 8os. Il onvi-
ionnontalisn has lound it haid to ouiish in tho osotoiic anlianco ol
postnodoinist philosophizing, its adhoionts havo novoitholoss piovod
iocoptivo to tho lattoi. In sun, thon, nass-connunicatod inagoiy,
doindustiialization and ocological llowlacks piovidod a social ocho
chanloi to tho postnodoinist discouiso ol (ox-lolt disoiiontation.
Against this lackgiound tho nodoin, taigot ol postnodoinisn`s attacks,
has loon dohnod in a nunloi ol ways. Janoson`s Singu|ur Mcdcrnity,
loi oxanplo, whilo giinly noting iocont 'iogiossions` lion an oailioi
'consonsus` aiound 'lull postnodoinity`, citos tho ascoticisn ol nod-
oinisn, its phallocontiisn and authoiitaiianisn, tho toloology ol its
aosthotic, its nininalisn, its cult ol gonius, and 'tho non-ploasuiallo
donands` it nado on tho audionco oi pullic.

But il postnodoinisn doiivod lion tho aits and lion cultuial philoso-
phy, it has also clainod to spoak alout socioty, alout cultuio in a noio
anthiopological sonso, and alout histoiy and tho cuiiont histoiical situ-
ation ol hunankind. Thoio is, thon, an aioa ol oncountoi and contost
with contonpoiaiy histoiiogiaphy and social scionco. What night lo
tho contiilution lion an analytical poispoctivo ol histoiiogiaphy and
onpiiical sociology?
Olviously, thoio is no singlo 'coiioct` dohnition ol nodoinity and tho
nodoin. But tho nost liuitlul dohnitions ol concopts takon lion gon-
oial languago tond to lo tho loast ailitiaiy and idiosynciatic onos, which
usually inplios a iospoct loi otynological noaning and an alstontion
lion loading tho dohnition with apiioiistic connotations. Modoinity
should thus lo soon as a tonpoial oiiontation only. Modoinity is a cul-
tuio claining to lo nodoin, in tho sonso ol tuining its lack on tho
pasttho old, tho tiaditional, tho pusscand looking into tho lutuio as a
ioachallo, novol hoiizon. Modoin nan]wonan, socioty, civilization havo
z
Andoison, Origins cj Pcstncdcrnity, p. 88.

Janoson, Singu|ur Mcdcrnity, p. . But woio ascoticisn, phallocontiisn and

authoiitaiianisn ioally noio chaiactoiistic ol, and noio univoisal in, nodoin than
pio-nodoin cultuios and sociotios?
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ ;
a diioction: 'loiwaid`oi, as it was phiasod in tho old c, and in post-
indopondonco Ghana, 'Foiwaid ovoi, lackwaids novoi`.
q
Rathoi than
tiivializing tho concopt ol nodoinity ly attonpting to tianslato it into
a sot ol concioto institutions, whothoi ol capitalisn oi politics, oi into a
paiticulai concoption ol iationality oi tho suljoct, loi oasy philosophical
taigoting, it is noio usolul to doploy it sololy as a tonpoial signihoi, in
oidoi to allow it to iotain its analytical odgo.
What would lo tho uso ol nodoinitytho Goinan Mcdcrncin this
sonso? Why not lollow Janoson`s advico ol 'sulstituting capitalisn loi
nodoinity`?

Modoinity is usolul to nany locauso ol its lioadoi, oxtia-

ocononic connotations. A cultuial histoiy ol, say, Bcr|incr Mcdcrnc is
haidly synonynous with a histoiy ol capitalisn in Boilin, and not nocos-
saiily ol illogitinato intoiost.
o
Modoinity diiocts attontion to inpoitant
sonantic shilts, othoiwiso oasily nogloctod. Tako tho woid 'iovolution`, loi
oxanplo. As a pio-nodoin concopt it pointod lackwaids, 'iolling lack`,
oi to iocuiiont cyclical notions, as in Copoinicus`s On tnc Rcvc|uticns
cj tnc !cuvcn|y Spncrcs, oi in tho Fionch Enlightonnont Encyc|cpcdic, in
which tho nain ontiy iolois to clocks and clock-naking. Only altoi ;8
did 'iovolution` locono a dooi to tho lutuio, as did, a littlo latoi, anothoi
io-piohx toin: 'ioloin`.
As a histoiical concopt, nodoinity also ioquiios us to distinguish and
analyso dilloiont ioutos towaids it, with thoii onduiing, il not unaltoi-
allo, consoquoncos. Foui najoi ioads to and thiough nodoinity nay
lo discoinod: tho Euiopoan ono ol civil wai and intoinal conict, tho
Now Woild path ol sottlonont, with its oxtoinal pio-nodoin othois
loth tho coiiupt countiy ol oiigin and tho local nativos, tho tiaunatic
ioad ol colonial conquost and anti-colonial nationalisn, and tho 'ioactivo
nodoinization` lion alovo, pionooiod ly Japan. Finally, a tino concopt
ol nodoinity is also a way ol giasping tho signihcanco ol postnodoinity,
q
Soo Roinhait Kosollock, Vcrgungcnc Zukunjt, Fiankluit ;, pp. qll, Juigon
Haloinas, Dcr pni|cscpniscnc Diskurs dcr Mcdcrnc, Fiankluit 8, pp. q.

Janoson, Singu|ur Mcdcrnity, p. z.

o
Noi should social nodoinisn lo oquatod with tho postwai social thooiy ol
'nodoinization`, as Jollioy Aloxandoi pioposod sono yoais ago in thoso pagos.
Modoinization was a paiticulai socio-cultuial thooiy ol histoiical ovolution,
attackod ly Walloistoin and othois not lion an 'anti-nodoin` position, lut loi its
nothodological nationalisn and its iosy-idoalist ovolutionisn, looking away lion
capitalisn, oxploitation, colonialisn and 'tho dovolopnont ol undoidovolopnont`.
Soo Aloxandoi, 'Modoin, Anti, Post, Noo`, n ]zo.
;q iv q
as a quostioning ol, a loss ol loliol in, tho lutuio naiiativos ol tho nod-
oin. In so lai as 'loiwaid` and 'lackwaid`, piogiossivo and ioactionaiy,
havo lost all noaning, wo havo ontoiod a postnodoin woild.
Maix and Maixisn woio voiy nuch nodoin in this sonso, invoking tho
toin again and again in tho Ccnnunist Munijcstc and Cupitu|, tho 'ulti-
nato puiposo ol which` was to 'discloso tho ocononic law ol notion
ol nodoin socioty`, as Maix put it in his piolaco to tho hist odition ol
Voluno Ono.
;
Howovoi, and this was ciucial, it was a diu|ccticu| con-
coption ol nodoinity, soon as inhoiontly contiadictoiy. Tho nodoinity
ol capitalisn and ol tho louigooisio was hailod, lut at tho sano tino
attackod as oxploitativo and alionating. This dialoctical undoistanding ol
nodoinity was, in a sonso, tho voiy coio ol Maixian thought. It alhinod
tho piogiossivo natuio ol capitalisn, ol tho louigooisio, ovon ol capitalist
inpoiialist iulo (in ways that nany would now hnd insonsitivo to tho vic-
tins ol colonialisn, whilo at tho sano tino not only donouncing thon,
lut oiganizing tho iosistanco against thon. In lioad cultuial-histoiical
toins, Maixisn nay lo soon as Hoi Majosty Modoinity`s Opposition.
8

But il Maixisn in this coio cultuial sonso (and tho iocont challongos
to it can only lo undoistood in toins ol its dialoctical concoption ol
nodoinity, this lattoi also noods to lo locatod in contiadistinction to
othoi inpoitant 'nastoi naiiativos ol nodoinity`. Tho nost inuontial
ol thoso night lo sunnaiizod as lollows:
;
Soo Maishall Boinan, A|| Tnut !s Sc|id Mc|ts !ntc Air, London 8.
8
Soo Gian Thoiloin, 'Ciitical Thooiy and tho Logacy ol Twontioth-Contuiy
Maixisn`, in Biyan Tuinoi, od., Tnc B|uckwc|| Ccnpunicn tc Scciu| Tnccry, Oxloid
o.
Tnc Pust wus Tnc Futurc wi|| bc
Ignoianco, suoistition, sulsoivionco Enanciation: iational, individual onlightonnont
Oiossion, unlioodon Enanciation]liloiation: colloctivo
Povoity, disoaso, stagnation Giowth, iogioss, dovolonont
Conditions ol no]loss conotition Suivival ol tho httost
Rulo-lound, initativo Cioativo vitality
Ts : Mustcr Nurrutivcs cj Mcdcrnity
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ ;
To tako thoso points in oidoi: il, histly, tho Kantian notion ol iational
onlightonnont has lost nuch ol its appoal ly tho oaily zst contuiy, it
should lo iocognizod that it ionains at tho contio ol such inpoitant
contiovoisios as, loi oxanplo, how to oxplain, piovont and copo with
uv-s and othoi lothal disoasos in Aliica and othoi paits ol tho woild.
Is witchcialt a najoi souico ol sicknoss and doath? Is ponotiation ol a
viigin a cuio loi s? Socondly: tho concopt ol colloctivo onancipation
oi liloiation has undoigono a ionaikallo nutation ovoi tho past low
docados, as pait ol tho piocoss ol postnodoinization. It has laigoly lost
its loinoi social ioloiontstho woiking class, tho colonizod, wonon,
ovon gays and losliansand, alovo all, its oailioi socialist hoiizons ol
onancipation lion capitalisn. But it has not disappoaiod. It io-onoigos
today in nilitant liloial-donociatic discouiso, itsoll a loin ol iight-wing
nodoinisn, whoio it now iolois to liloiation lion a soloct gioup ol
'anti-Wostoin` authoiitaiian ioginos: Connunist, post-Connunist, oi
Muslin and Aial. In Indo-Latin Anoiica, on tho othoi hand, onancipa-
tion has acquiiod a now social uigoncy, as indigonous populations iaiso
donands loi a noio oquitallo division ol iosouicos.
Thiidly, hoiizons ol giowth and piogioss still govoin tho oxpoctations ol
all nodoin ocononios, oistwhilo 'constiuctions ol socialisn` as woll as
ovoiy vaiioty ol capitalisn, including tho ioigning nooliloialisn. Giowth
and piogioss also constituto tho continuing stoiy that scionco tolls ol itsoll,
and loin tho ciood ol all contonpoiaiy acadonic authoiitios. Fouithly,
tho suivival ol tho httost and Social Daiwinisn havo loon givon a now
inpotus ly nooliloial glolalization, altoi thoii post-Fascist quaiantino.
Accoiding to this viow, only tho httost and tho noanost will dosoivo to
suivivo tho lioo-loi-all ol glolal conpotition. And hnally, tho collapso ol
iulo-lound aitistic acadonicisn has lolt aitistic nodoinisn without a
taigot, othoi than oldoi nodoinists. Tho nodoin conict ol avant-gaido
and tiadition has loon ioplacod ly a succossion ol lashions.
Maix hailouiod all tho alovo nodoin poispoctivos, although colloctivo
hunan onancipation and ocononic dovolopnont woio nost contial
to hin. Howovoi, what distinguishod Maix and Maixisn lion othoi
stiands ol nodoinist thought was a locus on tho contiadictoiy chaiactoi
ol tho nodoin oia, and on thoso contiadictions and conicts as its nost
inpoitant dynanics.
;o iv q
Against tho linoai liloial piojocts ol individualization, iationalization
and giowth as tho lasos loi 'nodoinization`, Maixisn sot a dialoctical
poispoctivo ol onancipationoxplicitly alhining that capitalisn and
colonialisn woio loins ol oxploitation as woll as piogioss. Tho Maixist
poispoctivo also dilloiod lion tho Woloiian notion ol tho iationalization
ol naikots and luioauciacios as an 'iion cago`. Tho contiadictions ol
nodoinity, accoiding to Maix, woio hailingois ol iadical chango. Tho
laloui novonont in capitalist countiios, tho socialist-loninist novo-
nont, tho anti-colonial liloiation novononts and 'actually oxisting`
socialist countiios, whatovoi thoii laults, woio soon as caiiiois ol a dil-
loiont lutuio, ol a nodoinist piojoct ol onancipation. That loliol in tho
lutuio had loon lundanontally shattoiod ly tho os.
Postnodoinisn attackod all tho giand naiiativos ol nodoinity, whilo
usually ignoiing tho dialoctic concoption ol Maixisn. But all its socio-
political advancos, all its conquosts ol idoological spaco, woio against tho
nodoinist lolt. At tho sano tino, iight-wing nodoinisn doloatod alnost
all its tiaditionalist consoivativo iivals, nost succosslully in Thatchoi`s
Biitain, loi nooliloialisn nay lo soon as a high nodoinisn ol tho iight
and, as notod, it has scaicoly loon dontod ly postnodoinist aigunonts.
Tho ioinvigoiatod Anoiican iight is a vivid illustiation ol tho cuiiont
ontanglononts ol nodoinity.

Whilo iociuiting its stoin tioopois lion

Chiistian lundanontalists, tho hogononic tonoi ol tho Anoiican iight
is its 'willingnoss to onliaco tho lutuio`, which it soos as its own.
zo

Soo Gian Thoiloin, 'Entanglod Modoinitios`, Eurcpcun ]curnu| cj Scciu| Tnccry,

vol. o, no. , zoo.
zo
John Micklothwait and Adiian Wooldiidgo, Tnc Rignt Nuticn, London zooq,
pp. qoll.
Advuncc Ccntrudicticn,Ccnjict
Individualization Atonization, alionation
Pioductivity dovolonont Exloitation and distiilutivo olaiization
Outgiowing oxisting iolations ol ioduction
Caitalist oxtonsion Piolotaiian unihcation and stiongthoning
Glolalization Anti-inoiialist iovolts
Ts z: Muriun Diu|cctics cj Cupitu|ist Mcdcrnity
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ ;;
(Tho thoological cololiation ol woildly succoss ly nainstioan Chiistian
Evangolicalisn lacilitatos, ol couiso, this powoilul liow ol soculai
nodoinisn and ioligious lundanontalisn. Signihcantly, whilo tho
lolt connitnont to social iovolution has loon siloncod oi nutod, tho
Anoiican iight is tiunpoting 'iogino chango`.
Modoinity has not loon alandonod as an intolloctual position. It has
loon dolondod ly thooiists loth lion tho 'Thiid Way` and lion tho
old lai lolt.
z
In a woll-lundod iosoaich and pullishing piogianno
at Suhikanp, Uliich Bock has gono so lai as to pioclain a 'socond
nodoinity`. But tho socio-political challongo acioss tho wholo loltiight
spoctiun has scaicoly logun to lo conliontod. In lact, Bock`s Risk
Sccicty, hist pullishod in Goinany in 8o and a najoi thooiotical
woik ol tho last docados, did piovido a possillo lasis loi a now concop-
tion ol nodoinity: 'Risk nay lo dohnod as a systonatic way ol doaling
with hazaids and insocuiitios inducod and intioducod ly nodoinization
itsoll. Risks . . . aio politically iooxivo.`
zz
This is an inpoitant sociotal
concoptualizationiisk loing a koy concopt ol ocononicsthat also
lound a political iosonanco in onviionnontal ciiclos. Howovoi, tho ciiti-
cal odgo ol Risk Sccicty is lluntod ly two loatuios: hist, its lasic llindnoss
to what was happoning on tho iight-ol-contio ol tho political scalo, tho
iiso ol iight-wing liloial nodoinisninitially loss stiong in Goinany
than in tho Anglo-Saxon woild, lut politically tiiunphant woll loloio its
onthiononont in tho Crcssc Kcu|iticn. Socond, tho spocihc institutional
contont ol Bock`s 'now`, latoi 'socond`, nodoinitytho doniso ol class,
lull onploynont, tho nation-stato, tho 'ioloaso` ol individuals lion indus-
tiial institutionslays his poicoptivo giasp ol a changod tino-liano
opon to chaigos ol ailitiaiy soloctivity, onpiiical uniolialility, oi loth.
Postnodoinist discouiso has sonothing inpoitant to toach, lut it should
lo suljoctod to a synptonatic iathoi than a litoial ioading, as a quos-
tioning ol non-dialoctic concoptions ol nodoinity, as a synpton ol tho
disoiiontation ol tho (ox-lolt, and as a loin ol nyopia towaids tho woild
loyond tho Noith Atlantic. Tho postnodoinization ol tho woild ionains
voiy unovon. At tho lionziod paco ol aosthotic discouiso, postnodoinisn
z
Soo loi oxanplo Haloinas, Dcr pni|cscpniscnc Diskurs dcr Mcdcrnc, Alox Callinicos,
Aguinst Pcstncdcrnisn, Canliidgo 8, Uliich Bock, Anthony Giddons and Scott
Lash, Rcjcivc Mcdcrnizuticn, Canliidgo q, Toiiy Eagloton, Tnc !||usicns cj
Pcstncdcrnisn, Oxloid o.
zz
Uliich Bock, Risk Sccicty, London z, p. z, italics onittod.
;8 iv q
nay ovon lo 'ovoi`, as ono ol its loinoi pullicists put it in a socond-
odition opiloguo.
z
In zooz Janoson notod tho ond ol tho postnodoin
'gonoial agioonont`, and 'in tho last low yoais . . . tho iotuin to and tho
io-ostallishnont ol all kinds ol old things`.
zq
Baunan, in advancod ago
still tunod to tho shilting siions ol tho tinos, has tuinod to poddling 'liq-
uid nodoinity` instoad ol postnodoinity.
z
Novoitholoss, tho two docados
ol postnodoinisn, tho 8os and os, pioducod a iilt in cultuial social
thought, itsoll a synpton ol tho politico-ocononic tinos, which has not
loon ovoicono. Tho lutuio as novolty, as dilloionco, disappoaiod lohind
a snokoscioon.
Whilo ocological and loninist ciitiquos ol nodoinist visions ol giowth,
dovolopnont and piogioss havo locono signihcant sido-cuiionts in tho
contios ol capitalisnolton incoipoiatod, in dilutod loins, into tho
nainstioan ol onlightonod liloialisnThiid Woild ciitiquos ol what
wo nay, with a low ol iospoct to tho Poiuvian social thooiist Anilal
Quijano, call tho coloniality ol nodoinity, oi tho coloniality ol anti-colonial
nationalisn, havo haidly ponotiatod tho walls ol Noith Atlantic social
thooiy. This has always loon an inpoitant thono in Indian thought,
il usually in sono unoasy, though lunctioning, allianco with nodoin-
ist nationalisn, oxonplihod in tho coopoiation ol Gandhi and Nohiu.
At tho Munlai Social Foiun in zooq, thoio was a nain-stago lannoi
pioclaining 'Pooplo Do Not Want Dovolopnont, Thoy Just Want to Livo`.
This nado sono sonso to tho nany iocont Indian social novononts pit-
ting local, olton 'tiilal` pooplo and ocologists against nodoin dan and
othoi dovolopnontalist piojocts. Soon alongsido tho toiiillo Munlai
sluns, tho attack on dovolopnontalisn appoais loss convincing.
Howovoi, in a countiy liko Bolivia, tho coloniality ol nodoinity is noio
palpallo, in tho countiy`s long post-indopondonco histoiy ol iacist poli-
tics and piojocts ol ocononic and cultuial 'nodoinization` that lolt tho
indigonous najoiity out in tho cold povoity ol tho u|tip|unc. Tho platloin
ol tho cuiiont oloctod loadoiship ol Bolivia, ol Piosidont Evo Moialos
and Vico-Piosidont Alvaio Gaicia, is noithoi tiaditionalist, nodoinist,
noi postnodoinist. Intolloctually as woll as politically inpiossivo, it is a
lold attonpt at cloaiing a path to an altoinativo nodoinity, llazing a now
tiail loi Maixisn in tho Andos.
z
Hutchoon, Pc|itics cj Pcstncdcrnisn, p. oo.
zq
Janoson, Singu|ur Mcdcrnity, p. .
z
Zygnunt Baunan, Liquid Mcdcrnity, Canliidgo zooo.
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ ;
In sunnaiy, wo nay say that nodoinity tuinod at tho ond ol tho zoth
contuiy, lut in sovoial diioctions: to tho iight, into postnodoinisn, and
into thooiotical and political soaichos loi now nodoinitios.
Dcjniticns
Having laid out tho lioadoi political and cultuial-intolloctual paianotois
ol iocont social thooiizing, thoio ionains a luithoi piolininaiy quostion
to lo askod loloio wo novo on to considoi tho cuiiont shapo ol tho hold:
what is social thooiy? Tho dohnition doployod hoio soos social thooiy as
stiung lotwoon two anlitious polos: on tho ono hand, pioviding a con-
piohonsivo oxplanatoiy lianowoik loi a sot ol social phononona, and on
tho othoi, sonothing 'naking sonso ol` such phononona. In othoi woids,
this is an ocunonical concoption ol 'thooiy` that applios loth to oxplana-
tion, tho noio wido-ianging tho noio inpoitant, and to Sinnstijtung, tho
constitution ol noaning.
In toins ol tho 'sonso-naking` polo, tho latoi salionco ol philosophy in
tho classical Maixist tiianglo ol social scionco, philosophy and politics,
and tho loinoi`s lai gioatoi iosilionco to onpiiical dovolopnonts, noan
that tho contiilutions ol political and social philosophy aio ol paiticu-
lai inpoitanco to an ovoiviow ol iocont social thooiy onanating lion
tho lolt. In toins ol tho socond polo, that ol onpiiical social scionco,
it should poihaps lo ioitoiatod that thooiy is not a sopaiato hold oi a
sul-disciplino, a loin ol iosoaich-lioo ainchaii thinking, lut tho guid-
ing conpass ol onpiiical invostigation. It was in thoso toins that Pioiio
Bouidiou, loi instanco, ciiticizod cuiiont Anglo-Saxon concoptions
ol social thooiy.
zo
Attontion will also lo givon to that kind ol thooiy in
sciontihc action.
It should lo undoilinod at tho outsot that what lollows is ly no noans
a gonoial suivoy ol tho intolloctual pioduction ol tho contonpoiaiy
lolt. A stiict dohnition ol social thooiy, contiod on tho piosont, nust
oxcludo tho woik ol histoiians and scholais ol intolloctual histoiy,
and thoioly sono ol tho nost giltod ninds ol tho intoinational lolt.
Anothoi liuitlul aioa loi tho lolt duiing iocont yoais has loon that ol
goopolitics and intoi-stato iolations, yiolding inpoitant now woik on
zo
Soo Pioiio Bouidiou, Rcpcnscs, Paiis z, pp. 8o, oll.
8o iv q
inpoiialisn and inpoiial powoi, lut again, this involvos littlo social
thooiizing as such.
z;

Tho challongos to lolt-wing social thought posod ly postnodoinity and ly
tho noonodoin iight havo loon not in voiy dilloiont ways. Disiogaiding
casos ol actual ight lion iadical thought, which lall outsido tho scopo
ol this aiticlo, I will hist tiack now thonatics in tho iosponsos ol lolt-ol-
contio scholais, and thon attonpt to locato sono ol tho gonoial shilts in
thoii thooiotico-political positionings. Sinco iostiictions ol spaco poinit
noithoi longthy oxpositions noi olaloiato analysos ol thoso vaiiations, I
havo optod loi an aioa ioad-nap, nainly iostiictod to Wostoin Euiopo
and Noith Anoiica.
. &os o r svonsru&rcs
Eurcpcs tncc|cgicu| turn
Tho nost suipiising thooiotical dovolopnont in lolt-wing social philoso-
phy in tho past docado has loon a now thoological tuin. In tho nain, this
has not noant an onliaco ol ioligious laith, although sono loinoi lolt-
wing intolloctuals havo cono to alhin an othno-ioligious Jowishnoss,
and thoio is olton an indication ol a paiticulai poisonal iolation, loyond
loliol, to ioligion oi to a ioligious hguioas whon Rgis Doliay wiitos:
'Thioo things havo occupiod ny lilo jas a thinkoi|, wai, ait and ioligion`.
z8

Rathoi, tho thoological tuin has nanilostod itsoll in a scholaily intoi-
ost in ioligion, and in a uso ol ioligious oxanplos in philosophical and
political aigunontation.
Tho piincipal woik hoio is that ol Doliay who, in Lc jcu sucrc (zoo and
Ccd. An !tincrury (zooq, has tuinod his litoiaiy talonts to oiiginal schol-
aily invostigations into tho stiuctuios ol tho Judoo-Chiistian naiiativos,
tho ioligious 'piocoduios ol nonoiization, displaconont and oiganiza-
tion`, and tho io-lit hios ol ioligion aiound tho woild.
z
Doliay, howovoi,
had hist dovolopod thoso thonos in his Critiquc cj Pc|iticu| Rcuscn
z;
Tho yoailook Scciu|ist Rcgistcr has loon a contial locus in this hold, pullishing
woik ly, anong othois, Aijaz Ahnad, Noan Chonsky, San Gindin, Potoi Gowan,
David Haivoy, Colin Loys, Loo Panitch, John Saul, Bol Sutclillo and Ellon Wood.
z8
Rgis Doliay, Lc jcu sucrc, Paiis zoo, p. ;.
z
Rgis Doliay, Ccd. An !tincrury, London and Now Yoik zooq, p. o.
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ 8
(8]8, considoiations on tho ioligious unconscious in politics and
political loins ol tho saciod, having logun his adult ioligious studios
with a liogiaphy ol tho th-contuiy Popo Giogoiy v whilo inpiisonod
as a iovolutionaiy gucrri||crc in tho snall Bolivian town ol Caniii, whoio
Chiistian toxts woio tho only non-consoiod ioading nattoi.
o
Alain Badiou, a loinoi Maoist and still an activo lai-lolt nilitant as woll
as a philosophoi, also iolois to an old, pootic and poisonal iolation-
ship to Saint Paul, to whon ho tuins in his 'soaich loi a now nilitant
hguio . . . callod upon to succood tho ono installod ly Lonin`. Badiou`s
apostlo supposodly laid tho 'loundations ol univoisalisn` in his lottoi to
tho Galatoans: 'Thoio is noithoi Jow noi Giook, noithoi slavo noi lioo,
noithoi nalo noi lonalo`.

Slavoj Zizok, loi his pait, olaloiatos tho pai-

allols lotwoon Paul and Lonin into thioo paiis ol guidos: Chiist]Paul,
Maix]Lonin and Fioud]Lacan. But his nain point in On Bc|icj (zoo
is to aiguo tho authontic othical valuo ol unconditional loliolpolitical
iathoi than ioligiousnaking no conpionisos and including what
Kioikogaaid callod 'tho ioligious susponsion ol othics`. Tho iuthlossnoss
ol Lonin and ol iadical ioligious lundanontalists is thus piosontod as
adniiallo. Tho Book ol Jol has also locono a topic ol lascination loi
Zizok, as 'poihaps tho hist nodoin ciitiquo ol idoology`.
z
Moanwhilo in
Enpirc, Michaol Haidt and Antonio Nogii hold out as an illunination ol
'tho lutuio lilo ol connunist nilitancy` tho nildoi ioligious oxanplo ol
Saint Fiancis ol Assisi.

In his own soloi way Juigon Haloinas has also

paid his iospocts to ioligion:
As long as no lottoi woids loi what ioligion can say aio lound in tho
nodiun ol iational discouiso, it jconnunicativo ioason| will . . . cooxist
alstoniously with tho loinoi, noithoi suppoiting it noi conlating it.
q

Haloinas has gono ovon luithoi, accopting clains that his concoption ol
languago and ol connunicativo action 'nouiishos itsoll lion tho logacy
ol Chiistianity`.

'Foi no, tho lasic concopts ol philosophical othics . . .

o
Rgis Doliay, Critiquc cj Pc|iticu| Rcuscn, London 8, pp. ;ll.

Galatoans : z8, quotod in Alain Badiou, Suint Puu|. Tnc Fcunduticn cj Univcrsu|isn,
Stanloid zoo, p. .
z
Slavoj Zizok and Glyn Daly, Ccnvcrsuticns witn Zi2ck, Canliidgo zooq, p. o.

Michaol Haidt and Antonio Nogii, Enpirc, Canliidgo, & zooo, p. q.

q
Juigon Haloinas, Rc|igicn und Ruticnu|ity, Canliidgo, & zooz, p. zq.

Haloinas, Rc|igicn und Ruticnu|ity, p. oo.

8z iv q
lail to captuio all tho intuitions that havo alioady lound a noio nuancod
oxpiossion in tho languago ol tho Billo.`
o
Whon tho Soviot Union was ciunlling, tho Goinan Maixist philoso-
phoi Wollgang Fiitz Haug, a dodicatod adniioi ol Goilachov`s attonpts
at ioloin, sat down to ioad Augustino`s City cj Ccd in its oiiginal
Giookthat is to say, a gioat thoologician`s iooctions on tho lall ol
Rono.
;
Tho sano woik is also ioloiiod to ly Haidt and Nogii, who with
typical stylistic aciolatics cast tho Chuich Fathoi togothoi with tho oaily
zoth-contuiy Anoiican Wolllios ('Fion this poispoctivo tho ww is tho
gioat Augustinian piojoct ol nodoin tinos`.
8
This widospioad lasci-
nation with ioligion and ioligious oxanplos, nainly Chiistian, nay lo
takon as an indicatoi ol a lioad cultuial nood, loi which postnodoinity
appoais a good lalol. As an altoinativo lutuio disappoais oi dins, ioots,
oxpoiionco and lackgiound locono inpoitant. A classical Euiopoan
oducation, a natuiation in a non-soculai niliou, and a niddlo ago at
a salo distanco lion any donands ol laith, nako Chiistianity a natuial
histoiical oxpoiionco to look at.
Ancricun juturisn
In tho nuch noio ioligious 0s, no conpaiallo lolt thoological tuin is
visillo. Thoio tho Billo has loon noio oi loss nonopolizod ly tho iight,
although tho Alio-Anoiican lolt still has powoilul political pioachois,
liko Josso Jackson, and thoologian-intolloctuals liko Coinol Wost, soll-
chaiactoiizod as a 'Chokhovian Chiistian`.

Whilo Euiopoan loltists aio

ioloiiing to Chiistian icons ol tho past, thoii Anoiican coniados aio
pooiing ovoi luithoi into tho lutuioshoit-toin piospocts novoi having
lookod voiy iosy loi tho Noith Anoiican lolt. Yot anong sono ol its lost
ninds, oxpoctations loi tho lutuio havo suivivod loth tho postnodoinist
onslaught and tho collapso ol Connunisn, and havo assoitod thonsolvos
in a now lutuiisn. It has two ionaikallo cuiionts, tho nost stiiking ol
which is a now utopianisn, and tho socond a systonic apocalyptics.
In tho last docado, a vaiioty ol Anoiican iadical thinkois havo tuinod
thoii ciitical intolligonco and cioativo onoigios to Utopia. Whilo waiting
o
Haloinas, Rc|igicn und Ruticnu|ity, p. oz.
;
Haug, poisonal connunication.
8
Haidt and Nogii, Enpirc, p. zo;.

Gooigo Yancy, od., Ccrnc| Wcst. A Criticu| Rcudcr, Oxloid zoo, p. q;.
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ 8
loi now loins ol political agoncy to onoigo, 'thoio is no altoinativo to
Utopia`, as Fiodiic Janoson has put it in a nastoily contiilution to tho
hold, analysing utopian lantasy and utopian wiiting with his chaiactoi-
istic ciitical liillianco, oiudition and galactic iango ol associations.
qo

Utopia soivos a vital political lunction today, Janoson onphasizos, 'in
that it loicos us piocisoly to concontiato on tho jUtopian| lioak itsoll: a
noditation on tho inpossillo, on tho unioalizallo in its own iight`.
q
Janoson is only tho nost iocont oxponont in a spoctaculai aic ol cioa-
tivo Anoiican utopianisn, ol which ho stands at ono polo, locusing on
tho utopian 'dosiio`, its 'disiuption` ol tho lutuio and its litoiaiy loin,
alovo all scionco hction. In quito anothoi iogistoi, tho sociologist Eiik
Olin Wiight launchod tho 'Roal Utopias Piojoct` in tho oaily os, a
laigo-scalo colloctivo ontoipiiso ol iadical diawing-loaid social onginooi-
ing and ol loinalizod noinativo ocononics, a 'sul-gonio` dilloiont lion
Janoson`s, lut not as nuch as thoii contiasting stylos and ioloioncos
nay suggost. Both aio lascinatod ly utopian inagination, ono as an
analyst ol scionco jcticn, tho othoi as a wiitoi and pionotoi ol (social
scicncc hction. So lai, tho Roal Utopias Piojoct has pioducod hvo looks,
whilo Wiight hinsoll is wiiting an anlitious stiatogic conclusion that
pioposos an undoistanding ol socialisn 'as an altoinativo to capitalisn,
as a piocoss ol social onpowoinont ovoi stato and oconony`, which will
lo pullishod as Envisicning Rcu| Utcpius.
qz

Dospito its inpiossivo scalo, and dohant stand against tho hoadwind ol
tho tinos, tho dosign ol tho piojoct nay look sonowhat odd, paiticu-
laily to noithwostoin Euiopoans. Tho ocononic soctions aio classically
utopian in thoii alstiact ovocations ol a good socioty and gonoial alston-
tion lion stiatogic thinking alout how oxisting socioty can lo changod.
But thoy aio, on tho othoi hand, olton ionaikally nodost, poihaps ovon
qo
Janoson, Arcnucc|cgics cj tnc Futurc, London zooo, p. xii.
q
Janoson, Arcnucc|cgics, p. zz.
qz
Joshua Cohon and Jool Rogois, ods, Asscciuticns und Dcnccrucy, London ,
John Roonoi, od., Equu| Snurcs. Muking nurkct scciu|isn wcrk, London o,
Sanuol Bowlos and Hoiloit Gintis, ods, Rccusting Egu|ituriunisn. Ncw Ru|cs cj
Acccuntubi|ity und Equity in Murkcts, Stutcs und Ccnnunitics, London 8, Aichon
Fung and Eiik Olin Wiight, ods, Dccpcning Dcnccrucy. !nstituticnu| inncvuticns in
cnpcwcrcd purticiputcry gcvcrnuncc, London zoo, Biuco Ackoinan, Anno Alstott
and Philippo Van Paiijs, ods, Rcdcsigning Distributicn, London zooo, Eiik Olin
Wiight, 'Conpass Points`, n q, SoptOct zooo.
8q iv q
ovoi-nodost, in thoii taigots. Thus John Roonoi, loi instanco, piosonts an
ingonious schono loi coupon socialisn, a naikot socioty whoio piopoity
iights aio invostod in tho adult citizoniy holding coupons. At tho sano
tino, ho hnds tho alioady oxisting Noidic iodistiilution ly taxation too
iadical to onulato: 'I doult that laigo hotoiogonoous sociotios will, in oui
lilotino, voto to iodistiiluto incono as nuch thiough tho taxation sys-
ton as tho Noidic sociotios havo.`
q
In anothoi voluno, dovotod to lasic
incono schonos and to 'stakoholdoi giants` loi all young adults, a ciiti-
cal voico (also Anoiican hnds lion a conpaiison with actually oxisting
Swodon: 'Tho lully dovolopod wollaio stato dosoivos piioiity ovoi Basic
Incono locauso it acconplishos what Basic Incono doos not: it guai-
antoos that coitain spocihc hunan noods will lo not.`
qq
As utopianisn,
tho political aspoct ol tho piojoct is noio innovativo in that it piosonts
and discussos, thooiotically and in dilloiont voicos, loui actually oxisting
oxpoiinonts with local paiticipatoiy donociacy, ianging lion Chicago
to Wost Bongal.
q
Tho googiaphoi and uilan histoiian David Haivoy, now lasod in Now
Yoik, has also attonptod a lold 'dialoctical utopianisn` in Spuccs cj !cpc
(zooo. Its pioposod tianscondonco ol tho th-contuiy gap lotwoon
Maixian histoiical dialoctics and utopia constiuctions nay not convinco
ovoiylody who is in piinciplo synpathotic. Whilo 0s-contiod glolaliza-
tion nay lo in 'disaiiay`, disciopancios lotwoon idoological pionisos
and ocononic dolivoiy, oi 'dilhcultios` cioatod ly naikot oxtoinalitios,
haidly constituto contiadictions in tho Maixian sonso ol stiuctuial
intoidopondoncios-cun-inconpatililitios.
qo
Howovoi, thooiotical 'coi-
ioctnoss` is a ninoi point hoio. Haivoy, who still pioudly toachos Maix`s
Cupitu|, piosonts sono intoiosting utopian piinciplos loi an 'insuigont
aichitoct at woik`, and an appondod Bollany-inspiiod utopian walk
thiough Baltinoio in zozo, soll-ciitically iooctod upon.
q;
Contial
Euiopoan Maixisn onco, in its daikost houis, pioducod a singulai
q
John Roonoi, 'A Futuio loi Socialisn`, in Roonoi, od., Equu| Snurcs, p. ;.
qq
Bailaia Boignann, 'A Swodish-Stylo Wollaio Stato oi Basic Incono? Which
should havo piioiity?`, in Ackoinan ot al., Rcdcsigning Distributicn, p. q.
q
Soo Fung and Wiight, ods, Dccpcning Dcnccrucy.
qo
David Haivoy, Spuccs cj !cpc, Edinluigh zooo, pp. q.
q;
Fion tho iich Noith Anoiican lascination with utopias, ono should also tako noto
ol tho zooo issuo ol tho annual Scciu|ist Rcgistcr on 'Nocossaiy and Unnocossaiy
Utopias`, and tho captivating zoth-contuiy histoiy ol EastWost utopias and thoii
passing, Susan Buck-Moiss`s Drcunwcr|d und Cutustrcpnc, London zooo.
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ 8
nastoipioco on utopian thinking and 'anticipatoiy consciousnoss`, Einst
Bloch`s thioo-voluno Princip|c cj !cpc, pullishod in Goinany in q
lut wiitton nuch oailioi. In tho cuiiont contoxt, howovoi, tho gonio has
not loon ouiishing on tho oastoin sido ol tho Atlantic.
In tho os, whon nost pooplo discussing 'tiansitions` woio think-
ing alout tho Eastoin Euiopoan shilt lion socialisn to capitalisn, tho
nossago cano lion Binghanton, Now Yoik, that tho woild was in lact
in passago lion capitalisn to sonothing olso, tho chaiactoi ol which
was still uncoitain. 'Wo aio living in tho tiansition lion oui oxisting
woild-syston, tho capitalist woild oconony, to anothoi woild-syston oi
systons`, Innanuol Walloistoin pioclainod in Utcpistics, a woik which
dohnod its ain as 'tho soloi, iational and ioalistic ovaluation ol hunan
social systons, tho constiaints on what thoy can lo, and tho zonos opon
to hunan cioativity.`
q8

Giovanni Aiiighi, thon also at Binghanton, ian a paiallol iosoaich
piojoct, ioaching sinilai il yot noio dianatic conclusions. Fion his
ioading ol woild-syston histoiy, Aiiighi saw thioo possillo outconos
to tho 'ongoing ciisis ol tho 0s iogino ol accunulation`.
q
Fiistly, that
tho 'old contios` toininato capitalist histoiy 'thiough tho loination ol
a tiuly glolal woild onpiio`, socondly, that a now guaid aiisos lut lacks
tho nocossaiy 'stato- and wai-naking capalilitios`, whoioupon 'capital-
isn (tho anti-naikot" would withoi away`, and thiidly, that 'capitalist
histoiy would . . . cono to an ond` ly loing luint up 'in tho hoiiois
(oi gloiy ol oscalating violonco`. A ciucial olonont ol tho woild-syston,
in this viow, is tho iolo ol its ocononic-cun-political hogonon. Tho
cuiiont incunlont, tho Unitod Statos, has loon in iiiovoisillo doclino
sinco tho ;os. As in tho past, tho cuiiont hnancial oxpansion ol capi-
talisn is an oxpiossion ol, and vohiclo loi, a piolound ciisis ol oxisting
woild-syston hogonony. Capitalisn is thioatonod lion two sidos: ly a
long-toin stiongthoning ol tho powoi ol woikoisthiough glolal do-
iuialization and piolotaiianizationand ly tho woakoning ol statos, and
thoii capacity loi capital piotoction and social nodiation, a iosult ol tho
q8
Innanuol Walloistoin, Utcpistics, Now Yoik 8, pp. , z. A colloctivo iosoaich
piojoct had alioady sunnaiizod tho chaiactoi ol tho tinos in tho sano toins: soo
Tnc Agc cj Trunsiticn. Trujcctcry cj tnc Wcr|d-Systcn r.c., co-oidinatod ly
Toionco Hopkins and Innanuol Walloistoin, Atlantic Hoights, n, o.
q
Giovanni Aiiighi, Tnc Lcng Twcntictn Ccntury, London q, pp. o.
8o iv q
discioditing and dologitination ol stato ioloinisn (what Walloistoin
calls 'liloialisn`.
Accoiding to Walloistoin, tho piincipal nochanisn ly which capital-
ists havo loon allo to linit tho 'political piossuio` causod ly tho soculai
histoiical tiond towaids incioasing woiking-class stiongth, thiough
donociatization and othoi channols, has loon 'tho iolocation ol givon
soctois to othoi zonos ol tho woild oconony that aio on tho avoiago
lowoi-wago aioas`. But 'tho piollon today is that, altoi hvo hundiod
yoais, thoio aio low placos lolt to iun to`.
o
Walloistoin is hoio giving a
now twist to Rosa Luxonluig`s aigunont alout tho lioakdown ol
capitalisn: 'capitalisn noods non-capitalist social oiganizations as tho
sotting loi its dovolopnont, jlut| it piocoods ly assinilating tho voiy
conditions which alono can onsuio its oxistonco`.

Luxonluig was thon

thinking alout non-capitalist aioas as nocossaiy oxpoit naikots and pio-
vidois ol choap loodstulls.
Nono ol tho thosos has attiactod any wido agioonont, ovon on tho lolt,
in spito ol tho gonoial intolloctual iospoct loi thoii authois. Tho nost
tangillo aigunont, lut haidly tho nost convincing, is tho pioposition
that a scaling down ol 0s powoi altoi its poaking noant a systonic ciisis
ol woild capitalisn. Latoi loinulations ly Aiiighi havo loon nuch loss
apocalyptic, and a post-Anoiican hogonony has locono noio plausillo
with tho continuing iiso ol China and tho onoigonco ol India as a najoi
playoi. Whilo tho ovoipowoiing histoiical inpoitanco ol a iolay iaco ol
capitalist hogonons is still assunodlion Foinand Biaudoliathoi
than unassailally aiguod, to tho not (yot convincod, tho conpaiativo
woik ly Giovanni Aiiighi and Bovoily Silvoi, Cnucs und Ccvcrnuncc in
tnc Mcdcrn Wcr|d Systcn ( on hogononic tiansitions concludos
with a sot ol plausillo piopositions alout tho likoly inplications ol a
now shilt, without piodicting any nocossaiy toinination ol capitalisn.
z

Walloistoin sticks to his long-toin tiansition poispoctivo, lut his analyt-
ical light soons to havo locono concontiatod on tho glolal goopolitics
o
Walloistoin, Tnc Dcc|inc cj Ancricun Pcwcr. tnc ki in u Cnuctic Wcr|d, London
zoo, pp. , zz8.

Rosa Luxonluig, Tnc Accunu|uticn cj Cupitu|, London j| o, p. qqo.

z
Soo Aiiighi`s discussion ol Roloit Bionnoi and David Haivoy in 'Tiacking Glolal
Tuilulonco`, n zo, MaichApiil zoo, 'Hogonony Uniavolling`, n z,
MaichApiil zoo, 'Hogonony Uniavollingz`, n , MayJuno zoo.
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ 8;
ol tho noxt twonty yoais, iathoi than on systonic oxtinction.

In con-
paiallo voin, tho Egyptian ocononist Sanii Anin`s iocont Bcycnd ki
!cgcncny? (zooo is a soloi glolal analysis with a piagnatic lolt-wing
goo-stiatogic piogianno. Tho hnal stop lion tho capitalist woild-
syston to goopolitics and goo-ocononics has loon takon only ly tho
lato Andio Gundoi Fiank, thioughout his lilo a scholaily hoiotic and
iconoclast: 'lost loigot alout it jcapitalisn| and got on with oui inquiiy
into tho ioality ol univoisal histoiy`.
q
Disp|uccncnts cj c|uss
Class, loinoily anong tho nost inpoitant concopts in lolt discouiso, has
loon displacod in iocont yoais, in pait, iionically, thiough tho lattoi`s own
doloat in capitalist class stiugglo, lut also locauso tho dovolopnonts ol
post-industiial donogiaphy havo dislodgod it lion its piovious thooioti-
cal oi googiaphical contiality. Class poisists, lut without a socuio alodo,
and with its philosophical iight to oxistonco contostod. Its social appoai-
anco has locono alnost uniocognizallo altoi loing dioppod into an acid
ol puio politics, as in tho political philosophy ol discuisivo hogonony
dovolopod ly Einosto Laclau and Chantal Moullo`s !cgcncny und Scciu|ist
Strutcgy (8, aigually tho nost intolloctually powoilul contiilution ol
post-Maixist political thooiy. Thus loi oxanplo Laclau disnissos Slavoj
Zizok`s invocation ol class and tho class stiugglo as 'just a succossion ol
dognatic assoitions`.

'Antagonisn` loconos tho now contial concopt.

Laclau`s political philosophy has loon luithoi dovolopod in his iocont On
Pcpu|ist Rcuscn (zoo, which liings togothoi his old intoiost in Poionisn
and Latin Anoiican populisn, his post-Maixist political philosophy, and
a nowoi innoision in Lacan. A hoavy ioad at tinos, as a philosophy it
lails to piovido any tools loi analysing actual piocossos ol social nolili-
zation oi oxplaining dilloiont outconos, whothoi in toins ol 'pooplo` oi
ol 'class`. Its contact with tho oxtianuial woild is thiough soloctod illus-
tiations only. On tho othoi hand, loyond tho Strcit dcr Fuku|ttcn thoio is
nuch in Laclau`s woik that iowaids olloits to ponotiato tho sonotinos

Foi oxanplo soo Walloistoin, 'Entoiing Glolal Anaichy`, n zz, JulyAugust

zoo and 'Tho Cuivo ol Anoiican Powoi`, n qo, JulyAugust zooo.
q
Andio Gundoi Fiank, RcOricnt, Boikoloy 8, p. z.

Soo Laclau, 'Stiuctuio, Histoiy, and tho Political`, and Zizok, 'Class Stiugglo oi
Postnodoinisn? Yos Ploaso`, in Judith Butloi, Einosto Laclau and Slavoj Zizok, ods,
Ccntingcncy, !cgcncny, Univcrsu|ity, London zooo.
88 iv q
donso voil ol jaigon. Whilo pooplos and othoi social loicos cannot lo
constiuctod at iandonlinits which a philosophy ol social 'logics` has
dilhcultios coping withit is inpoitant to loai in nind that, as Laclau
points out, thoy aio all, classos includod, discuisivoly nolilizod, and
that tho succoss oi lailuio ol this nolilization is contingont, that social
chango liought alout ly iosistanco oi insuiioction has an iiioducillo
political nonont, ol aiticulation and loadoiship, and that populai noli-
lizations ol tho oxcludod, tho oxploitod oi tho undoipiivilogod can tako
dilloiont loins, including Fascist onos.
Etionno Balilai, onco Althussoi`s stai pupil, has stayod closoi to tho
Maixist tiadition. His inpoitant 8; ossay, 'Fion tho class stiugglo
to tho stiugglo without classos?`, iopullishod in ;, did not answoi
its own quostion in any cloaily post-Maixist nodo. Whilo stiossing tho
widoi 'univoisality ol antagonisn`, Balilai also concludod that 'Tho class
stiugglo can and should lo thought as cnc dotoinining stiuctuio, covoi-
ing u|| social piacticos, without loing tho cn|y ono`.
o
To tho iocont philosophy ol stiugglo without classos coiiosponds tho
sociology ol classos without stiugglo. Class is woll ostallishod, laigoly
thanks to tho analytical odgo and onpiiical tonacity ol John Goldthoipo,
as a contial concopt ol intoi-gonoiational nolility studios, which havo
locono a tochnically advancod lut intolloctually isolatod sul-disciplino.
As a catogoiy ol distiilution, class iotains its placo in sociology. Standaid
Anoiican sociological discouiso on distiilution and inoquality always
iolois to 'class, gondoi and iaco`, in alphalotical and in non-alphalotical
oidois. A najoi 0s jouinal on pullic hoalth, adnittodly with a Spanish
oditoi (Viconto Navaiio lasod at Johns Hopkins, Tnc !ntcrnuticnu|
]curnu| cj !cu|tn Scrviccs, pays poisistont, systonatic attontion to class
dinonsions ol (ill hoalth and noitality.
Thoio is as yot no glolal class analysis coiiosponding to tho nany national
class naps pioducod ly Maixists ol tho oos and ;os, and thoso oailioi
pictuios nay woll lo soiiously challongod.
;
Tho io-aiticulation ol class
o
Etionno Balilai, Lu cruintc dcs nusscs, Paiis ;, p. zqz, onphasis in
tho oiiginal.
;
Although soo loi oxanplo Koos van doi Pijl on Noith Atlantic class iolations,
Trunsnuticnu| C|usscs und !ntcrnuticnu| Rc|uticns, London 8, Loslio Sklaii, Tnc
Trunsnuticnu| Cupitu|ist C|uss, Oxloid zoo, and Bovoily Silvoi on tho woiking class,
Fcrccs cj Lubcr, Canliidgo zoo.
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ 8
with iaco and nation, laigoly suspondod altoi tho gonoiation ol Lonin
and Otto Bauoi, is a thooiotical advanco, lut tho onphasis is now voiy
dilloiont.
8
Class, and class onancipation, aio no longoi contial con-
coins conpaiod to 'contonpoiaiy iacisn`. In a chaiactoiistically incisivo
concoptual analysis Balilai has dononstiatod tho cuiiously undoidovol-
opod position ol tho piolotaiiat in Cupitu|, lut ho has not takon it up as
a challongo, his contonpoiaiy social analysis has locusod iathoi on tho
issuos ol nation, loidoi, citizonship, Euiopo.

On tho othoi hand, tho

postnodoinist onslaught has laigoly put an ond to loninist aiticulations
ol sox and gondoi with class, typically, a iocont ovoiviow ol 'thiid-wavo
loninisn` nakos no ioloionco to class whatsoovoi.
oo

Euiopo piovidod tho oiigins ol class thooiy as woll as ol oxplicit class
nolilization and politics, its woiking-class novononts locano nodols
loi tho iost ol tho woild. Euiopo still has signihcant paitios claining
to iopiosont laloui, and tiado unions ionain a sulstantial social loico
thoio. Novoitholoss, in toins ol analysis and social thooiy, class is win-
toiing lottoi in Noith Anoiica. Tho woik ol Eiik Olin Wiight has playod
a contial iolo in socuiing a logitinato location loi Maixist class analysis
within acadonic sociology. In a chaiactoiistically ologant appioach, a
iocont contiilution stiuctuios tho issuo ly asking: il class is tho answoi,
what is tho quostion? Wiight discoins six typos ol quostion which will
lioquontly havo 'class` as pait ol thoii answois:
U Distributicnu| |ccuticn. how aio pooplo oljoctivoly locatod in distii-
lutions ol natoiial inoquality?
U Subjcctivc|y su|icnt grcups. what oxplains how pooplo, individually
and colloctivoly, suljoctivoly locato thonsolvos and othois within
a stiuctuio ol inoquality?
U Lijc cnunccs. what oxplains inoqualitios in lilo chancos and nato-
iial standaids ol living?
8
Balilai and Walloistoin, Rucc, nuticn, c|ussc, Paiis 88.

Balilai, Lu cruintc dcs nusscs, pp. zzzo, Pc|itics und tnc Otncr Sccnc, London
zooz, Wc, tnc Pccp|c cj Eurcpc?, Piincoton, n, zooq.
oo
Stacy Gillios, Gillian Howio and Rolocca Munloid, Tnird Wuvc Fcninisn,
Basingstoko zooq.
o iv q
U Antugcnistic ccnjicts: what social cloavagos systonatically shapo
ovoit conicts?
U !istcricu| vuriuticn: how should wo chaiactoiizo and oxplain
tho vaiiations acioss histoiy in tho social oiganization ol
inoqualitios?
U Enunciputicn: what soits ol tiansloinations aio noodod to olini-
nato oppiossion and oxploitation within capitalist sociotios?
o

Wiight thon dohnos his own woik, and that ol Maixisn gonoially, as
piinaiily concoinod with answoiing tho last quostion, whilo othoi
appioachos aio govoinod ly tho iost. Tho quostion is, howovoi, loinu-
latod in a ionaikally olliquo way. It is not, loi instanco: what social
piocoss is ciucial to tho olinination ol capitalist oppiossion and oxploi-
tation? To which tho classical Maixist answoi has loon: class stiugglo.
Noi: what aio tho piincipal loicos naintaining, oi capallo ol changing
and onding, capitalist oppiossion and oxploitation? To which Maixists
havo answoiod, tho louigooisio (oi tho capitalist class and tho woiking
class, iospoctivoly.
What thoio is ol iocont woiks on class stiugglos in tho woild tonds to cono
lion Noith Anoiica. Saliont oxanplos would lo Bovoily Silvoi`s thooioti-
cally innovativo Fcrccs cj Lubcr, oi tho glolal woiking-class ovoiviow in
Scciu|ist Rcgistcr .cc.. A docisivo quostion loi tho lutuio ol capital and
laloui in tho woild is how stiong and capallo tho now nassos ol uilan
laloui in China, India and othoi laigo Asian countiios will locono.
Eits jrcn tnc stutc
In tho oos and ;os, tho stato was a najoi oljoct ol contonding
Maixist thooiization. Its cuiiontnoio staikly capitalistchaiactoi
nay havo ionovod it lion tho liontioi ol intolloctual cuiiosity, and nost
ol that intoiost has noltod away, although Claus Ollo`s post-Maixist ciiti-
cal analysos nako a signihcant oxcoption.
oz
But thoio havo loon nany
dilloiont oxits lion tho stato.
Fiistly, wo could distinguish tho novo lion analysis ol tho national capi-
talist stato, and its nodos ol class iulo, to tho glolal notwoik. Undoi
o
Eiik Olin Wiight, od., Apprcucncs tc C|uss Anu|ysis, Canliidgo zoo.
oz
Claus Ollo, Mcdcrnity und tnc Stutc, Canliidgo o.
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ
tho assunption that tho nation-stato, oi at loast its 'sovoioignty`, has
doclinod in signihcanco, political intoiost has tuinod to glolalization and
'inpoiial` glolal notwoiks. In so lai as this involvos a stop away lion
'nothodological nationalisn`,
o
tho shilt is waiiantod. Howovoi, tho
lold clains ol loss ol stato sovoioignty havo so lai novoi loon piopoily
onpiiically aiguod. In any tino-poispoctivo longoi than a low docados,
it nay ovon lo soiiously quostionod. What was national sovoioignty a
hundiod yoais ago, in Aliica, in Asia, in Latin Anoiica? How sovoioign
woio tho thon now Balkan statos? Woio not tho stato loundaiios ol tiavol
and nigiation nuch noio poious a contuiy ago than today? Noi can tho
cuiiont woild situation lo piopoily undoistood loloio tho position and
capacity ol tho nation-stato ol tho 0s havo loon soiiously invostigatod.
Poihaps a glolal analysis ol contonpoiaiy statos would lo noio liuitlul
than locusing on a statoloss glolo? This is not tho placo to answoi such
quostionsonly to tako notico ol thoii not loing piopoily answoiod, oi
ovon iaisod, ly tho nainstioan shilt in tho contio ol thooiotical giavity.
Anothoi novo away lion tho stato has involvod a tuin to civil socioty, as
a lasis loi opposition to authoiitaiian iulo and, in noio utopian visions,
as tho lost sito loi now social constiuctions.
oq
Tho old concoptwhoso
distinction lion tho stato goos lack to Hogolwas iovivod, ly anti-
Connunist dissidonco, in tho hnal yoais ol tho doconposition ol Eastoin
Euiopoan Connunisn. It soon gainod a woildwido iocoption, lolt and
iight, as a ioloionco loi nany dilloiont novononts and stiivings loi
civic autonony. In Eastoin Euiopo, civil-socioty discouiso also had tho
lunction ol kooping out any soiious discussion alout political oconony
and tho iostoiation ol capitalisnuntil tho lattoi was a juit ucccnp|i.
Tho concopt has continuod a piogiannatically idoalistic caiooi, iathoi
than luithoiing analysos ol vaiiallo pattoins ol socialility, association
and colloctivo conict.
A thiid oxit lion stato thooiy was piovidod ly noving to tho noio
alstiact lovol ol political philosophy. Tho autonony oi spocihcity ol tho
political, in iolation to nodos ol pioduction and to class stiuctuios, has
loon a contial thono ol sovoial najoi thinkois. A soninal woik hoio,
onco again, was Laclau and Moullo`s !cgcncny und Scciu|ist Strutcgy,
with its sophisticatod tioatnont ol tho classical political-philosophy piol-
lon ol univoisalisn and paiticulaiisn, and thoii discuisivo sulstitution
o
Uliich Bock, Mucnt und Ccgcnnucnt in g|cbu|cn Zcitu|tcr, Fiankluit zooz, ch. z.
oq
John Koano, Dcnccrucy und Civi| Sccicty, London 88.
z iv q
ol tho hogononic stiugglos ol paiticulai intoiosts loi tho stiugglo ol
classos. Fion conplotoly dilloiont souicos ol philosophical inspiiation,
Haloinas`s giand thooiy ol connunicativo action piosontod a noina-
tivo piogianno ol a univoisalistic dialogical politics.
o

Foinoi disciplos ol Louis Althussoi havo nado distinctivo now contii-
lutions to iadical political philosophy.
oo
Balilai, tho nost ciicunspoct
and poihaps tho nost inuontial anong thon, has liought skillod tox-
tual ioadings to loai loth on pio-Maixian political philosophy (Spinoza,
Roussoau, Locko, Fichto, lut also on tho political thooiization ol violont
antagonisns. Alongsido tho tiaditional lolt-wing politics ol onancipation
and tiansloination, Balilai iooctod on a politics ol 'civility`, iogulating
'tho conict ol idontihcations`.
o;
Violonco hoio appoais noio physically
tangillo and noio anliguous, ovon dulious, in noaning, iathoi than in
tho cathaitic loin discussod ly Saitio and Fanon.
Whilo his anti-capitalist political piojoct is voiy oxplicit, and his philo-
sophical oiudition conspicuous, Slavoj Zizok`s political philosophy
appoais noio liko a stanco than a ioasonod doduction. A conpulsivoly
pioductivo wiitoi and loinidallo polonicist, with a sooningly inoxhaust-
illo supply ol cinonatic and othoi contonpoiaiy cultuial apoius, Zizok
has locono an onllonatic hguio ol contonpoiaiy iadical iconoclasn.
His Tito-oia Slovonian lackgiound, as a loinoi Connunist tuinod anti-
Connunist dissidont, piovidos hin at tho sano tino with a classical
lolt-wing political loination and with inpoccally iospoctallo liloial cio-
dontials. This conlination has nado Zizok tho only Loninist with an
adniiing Wostoin lollowing in iocont yoais.
o8
Liko that ol nost othoi
iadical philosophois today, Zizok`s anti-capitalist piojoct is voiy vaguo,
this piovokod an ill-tonpoiod oxchango lotwoon hin and Laclau, oach
accusing tho othoi ol a political piojoct noaning 'nothing at all`.
o
Moio
o
Haloinas, Tnc Tnccry cj Ccnnunicutivc Acticn, z volunos, Boston, & 8q
8;. In an intoiosting alstontion lion aigunont, Laclau and Moullo disniss
Haloinas`s idoal ol a non-oxclusivo pullic sphoio ol iational aigunont as a 'con-
coptual inpossilility`. A tyianny ol concopts? Soo Laclau and Moullo, !cgcncny
und Scciu|ist Strutcgy, znd odition, London zooo, p. xvii.
oo
Jacquos Ranciio, Au bcrds du pc|itiquc, Paiis o, Balilai, Musscs, C|usscs,
!dcus, Now Yoik and London q, Badiou, 'Politics and Philosophy: An Intoiviow
with Alain Badiou`, appondix to Etnics, London zoo.
o;
Balilai, Lu cruintc dcs nusscs, ch. .
o8
Zizok, od., Rcvc|uticn ut tnc Cutcs, London zooz.
o
Laclau, 'Stiuctuio, Histoiy and tho Political`, in Ccntingcncy, !cgcncny,
Univcrsu|ity, p. zoo, Zizok, 'Holding tho Placo`, in tho sano pullication, p. z.
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ
notowoithy is an acknowlodgod anlivalonco in Zizok`s political position.
His lascination with Lonin is acconpaniod ly a sooningly oquivalont
adniiation ol tho 'authontic consoivativo` who, liko tho Biitish Enpiio
Toiios adniiod ly Kipling, is not aliaid ol tho 'nocossaiy diity woik`.
;o

It should lo addod that, whilo (post- Maixists havo playod tiuant lion
tho stato, stoiling contiilutions to analysing tho naking ol tho Euiopoan
nation-statos havo loon nado lion dilloiont poispoctivos ly Michaol
Mann and Chailos Tilly.
;
Rcturn cj scuu|ity
Tho distinction lotwoon (liological sox and (social gondoi was hist
olaloiatod ly Ann Oakloy in ;z, and tho quostion ol tho constiuc-
tion and tiansloination ol gondoi constitutod a koy thooiotical locus
loi socialist and nainstioan loninisn in tho ;os and 8os.
;z
But tho
givonnoss ol sox has noio iocontly cono undoi attack, sonotinos in
ways sinilai to tho quostioning ol any non-discuisivo givonnoss ol class.
Tho intolloctual ioassoition ol soxuality has cono lion tho Anoiican
philosophoi Judith Butloi'sox itsoll is a gondoiod catogoiy`
;
and
in thooiizations lion tho Fionch lattlogiound ol philosophy and
psychoanalysis.
;q
Oakloy hoisoll has concodod tho non-tonalility ol tho
soxgondoi distinction.
;
Politically, tho givonnoss ol sox has loon pow-
oilully challongod ly assoitivo honosoxuality. Tho lattoi has achiovod a
coitain spocihc thooiotical piosonco in Anglo-Saxon acadonia undoi tho
lannoi ol 'Quooi Thooiy`.
Tho suigo ol litoiaiy-philosophical postnodoinisn in loninist discouiso
lioko nost ol tho links lotwoon loninist thooiy and tho lolt that had
oailioi cono undoi tho hoading ol socialist loninisn.
;o
Scandinavian
;o
Zizok, Tnc Tick|isn Subjcct, London , p. zo, Ccnvcrsuticns witn Zi2ck,
pp. o.
;
Michaol Mann, Tnc Scurccs cj Scciu| Pcwcr, vol. , Canliidgo , Chailos Tilly,
Cccrcicn, Cupitu| und Eurcpcun Stutcs, WZ crc, Oxloid o.
;z
Ann Oakloy, Sc, Ccndcr und Sccicty, London ;z.
;
Judith Butloi, Ccndcr Trcub|c, Now Yoik o, p. ;.
;q
Kolly Olivoi, Frcncn Fcninisn Rcudcr, Oxloid and Now Yoik zooo, Dani Cavallaio,
Frcncn Fcninist Tnccry. un intrcducticn, London and Now Yoik zoo.
;
Ann Oakloy, 'A Biiol Histoiy ol Gondoi`, in Ann Oakloy and Juliot Mitcholl, ods,
Wncs Ajruid cj Fcninisn?, London ;, pp. z.
;o
Soo Oakloy and Mitcholl, ods, Wncs Ajruid cj Fcninisn?. Foi a glolal natoiialist
account ol sox, gondoi and iopioductivo iolations ovoi tho past contuiy, soo Gian
Thoiloin, Bctwccn Sc und Pcwcr. Funi|y in tnc Wcr|d, rcc.ccc, London zooq.
q iv q
wollaio-stato-oiiontod loninists oxpoiioncod tho oncountoi with post-
nodoinist loninisn as a shock.
;;
Tho cosnopolitan litoiaiy thooiist
Toiil Moi has lolt conpollod to oxplain 'What is a wonan` to acadonic
loninist nilioux appaiontly disoiiontod as to tho answoi.
;8
Yot it is also
stiiking that loninisn is today lai noio saliont than tho lolt in tho Euio-
Anoiican woild.
Tho iotuin ol soxuality is also nanilost in cuiiont Maixist and post-
Maixist philosophy, in its oagoi piooccupation with psychoanalysis.
Zizok was tiainod as a Lacanian, Laclau`s iocont woik on populisn is
nuch intoiostod in Lacan`s cbjct pctit u, and othoi topics ol tho nas-
toi. Bolatodly, Balilai has lollowod his toachoi, Althussoi, into studios ol
Fioud and Lacan, loi instanco in his 'Thioo Concopts ol Politics`, alloit
in a cautious and soloctivo nannoi.
;
!cnugc tc nctwcrks
Classical th-contuiy sociological thooiy locusod on nodos ol social
connoctivity, distinguishing 'association` and 'connunity`. Mid zoth-
contuiy sociology concontiatod on tho 'gioup`, whothoi 'piinaiy` oi
'socondaiy`, and oiganizations. Moio iocontly, tho nctwcrk has ioplacod
tho concopt ol stiuctuio oi oiganization in social thooiy. Notwoik analy-
sis ol social connoctivity has a lackgiound in social psychology, alovo
all in tho 'socionotiic` studios ol liiondships in school nilioux, and in
postwai connunity studios ly anthiopologists and lanily sociologists.
Tho concopt was also usod in 0s studios ol tho dillusion ol idoas. Fion
tho oos on it was usod to dovolop nathonatical nodols loi accoss,
dillusion and powoi stiuctuios in an oxpanding nunloi ol aioas, lion
vacancy chains to soxual contacts and glolal city pattoins. Tho koy thoo-
iotical hguios havo loon Haiiison Whito and his studonts.
8o
Tho notion
ol tho notwoik ioachod a widoi pullic in tho 8os thiough lusinoss-
nanagonont studios that attonptod to giasp and gonoializo tho succoss
ol Toyota and othoi Japanoso coipoiations. Fuithoi intoiost was stinu-
latod, ol couiso, ly tho oloctionic iovolution and tho intoinot. Michaol
Mann nado 'notwoiks ol intoiaction` a contial, lut loosoly usod, concopt
;;
Hildui Vo and Kaiin Waoinoss, oial connunication.
;8
Toiil Moi, Sc, Ccndcr und Bcdy, Oxloid zoo.
;
Balilai, Musscs, C|usscs, !dcus, ch. ;, Pc|itics und tnc Otncr Sccnc.
8o
Haiiison Whito, !dcntity und Ccntrc|, Piincoton z, Janos Rulo, Tnccry und
Prcgrcss in Scciu| Scicncc, Canliidgo ;, ch. .
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ
in his nonunontal woik on powoi, with a viow to avoiding any systonic
oi loundod notion ol 'socioty`.
8
Notwoiks aio loosoi and noio opon than loth gioups and oiganiza-
tions, thoy locus on individual actois and thoii iosouicos, iathoi than
on constitutod colloctivitios, thoy loin channols loi naikots as woll as
luioauciacios, novononts and classos. As such, notwoiks aio highly
inpoitant social connoctions, tying togothoi conplox, loosoly couplod
social systons. Thoii iiso to contio-stago in contonpoiaiy social tho-
oiy and analysis should lo soon as not only doiiving lion intolloctual
discovoiy, lut as an indicatoi ol changing social iolations. It was tho
post-Maixist sociologist, Manuol Castolls, who aiticulatod tho 'notwoik
socioty` in a nagistoiial woik ol social analysis, sotting out lion now
nanagonont concoptions and inloination tochnology, without tiying
to iolato it to piovious sociological thooiy.
8z
Sinco thon it has locono a
koy analytical concopt in tho inuontial noo-Maixist ontoipiiso ol Haidt
and Nogii`s Enpirc (zooo and Mu|titudc (zooq, loth tho glolal sovoi-
oign and its opposition aio piosontod as notwoik powois. On tho othoi
hand, whilo ciucial to iocont post- and noo-Maixist social thooiizing,
'notwoik` itsoll has no political alhliation. Noi has it loon suljoctod to
any analytical ciitiquo, sciutinizing its iolativo acunon and tho lound-
aiios ol its indulitallo liuitlulnoss. It is a concopt still onjoying its
honoynoon undistuilod.
Pc|iticu| cccncnics
Euiopoan 'Wostoin Maixisn` had always iogaidod political oconony
lion sonothing ol a distanco, and it is not suipiising that this should
havo widonod ovoi tho past docados. Excoptions to tho iulo onduio,
anong thon tho ocologically oiiontod woild-ocononic analysos ol Elnai
Altvatoi.
8
Until his pionatuio doath a low yoais ago, Egon Matznoi cai-
iiod on tho classical Contial Euiopoan Maixist tiadition ol ocononic
analysis. Anglo-Saxon iadicalisn, ly contiast, has always containod a
stiong cuiiont ol ciitical political oconony, Maixist and non-Maixist.
Whilo tho spiiitod and loicolul ongagonont with liloial oconon-
ics ly Biitish lolt-wing noo-Ricaidians ol tho oostho Canliidgo,
8
Mann, Scurccs cj Scciu| Pcwcr, z vols so lai, Canliidgo 8o.
8z
Manuol Castolls, Tnc !njcrnuticn Agc. Eccncny, Sccicty und Cu|turc, volunos,
Maidon, & and Oxloid o8.
8
Foi oxanplo, Elnai Altvatoi, Dcr Prcis dcs Wcn|stunds cdcr Unwc|tp|undcrung und
ncuc Wc|t{un)crdnung, Munstoi z.
o iv q
England voisus Canliidgo, Mass. dolato on capital thooiydoos not
soon to havo sustainod any onduiing oncioachnonts on tho donin-
ion and soll-conhdonco ol liloialisn, iadical political oconony in tho
Anglo-Saxon woild is still voiy pioductivo. Its najoi achiovononts in
iocont yoais havo tondod to doiivo lion cioativo disciplinaiy cioss-
loitilizations, ol ocononics and histoiy, ocononics and political scionco,
ocononics and philosophy.
Iconoclastically hotoiodox, woild-systons analysis has loon a vital loico
loi ciitical social analysis. Dovolopod lion tho nid-;os ly Walloistoin
and othois, and cuiiontly loing oxtondod in now diioctions ly Aiiighi, it
has also piovod stinulating to colloaguos outsido, and olton in disagioo-
nont with, tho school. Though pionooiod ly sociologists, tho analysis
is piodoninantly ocononic and histoiical, whilo its attontion to glolal
powoi iolations adds a ciucial political dinonsion. To dato it has piovod a
noio liuitlul appioach than iocont plungos into thooiios ol glolalization.
With a uniquo sonso ol tho linits ol tho soll in histoiy, Walloistoin has
alioady wainod his lollowois and collaloiatois ol tho piojoct`s coning
doniso, tho lasis loi his piodiction was, piocisoly, its dogioo ol succoss,
and inplicit iocognition as glolal analysis.
8q
Ono nay add that, onco
tho planotaiy woild has loon iocognizod as a contial locus loi social
analysis, indood as tho nost inpoitant, tho iiso ol a nunloi ol dilloiont
appioachos to glolal studios is to lo oxpoctod.
Tho inninont ond-ol-capitalisn thosos ol Aiiighi and Walloistoin havo
loon notod alovo. Two othoi najoi, nuch noio down-to-oaith, conli-
nations ol ocononics and histoiy avoid opochal powoi-shilt thosos oi
spoculations. Roloit Bionnoi, who hist nado his nano with an account
ol tho oiigins ol capitalisn so stiiking and iconoclastic as to ongondoi
'tho Bionnoi dolato`, has now pioducod an ocononic histoiy ol post-
wai advancod capitalisn, Tnc Eccncnics cj C|cbu| Turbu|cncc (zooo.
8

Tho diiving analytical loico hoiopowoiing thiough a woalth ol onpiii-
cal dotail and its tonpoial vicissitudosis tho tondoncy to ovoi-capacity
and tho doclining pioht iato. Fion Oxloid, Andiow Glyn has piovidod a
succinct and highly ioadallo ovoiviow ol iocont capitalist dovolopnont
8q
Innanuol Walloistoin, 'Tho Riso and Futuio Doniso ol Woild-Systons Analysis`,
Rcvicw, vol. xx, no. , 8.
8
Soo T. H. Aston and C. H. E. Philpin, ods, Tnc Brcnncr Dcbutc, Canliidgo 8,
Roloit Bionnoi, Tnc Eccncnics cj C|cbu| Turbu|cncc, London zooo.
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ ;
and its ollocts on hunan wollaio.
8o
Bionnoi onvisagos continuing tuilu-
lonco, Glyn soos doclining piospocts loi iich-countiy woikois and onds
ly quostioning tho noaning ol luithoi giowth, opting loi that cuiious
utopia ol iosignation, tho 'Basic Incono`.
A iocont, highly anlitious piojoct at Santa Fo ains to pioduco a iadical
political oconony ly liinging togothoi ocononics and political scionco.
So lai, its nain output is C|cbu|izuticn und Egu|ituriun Rcdistributicn,
oditod ly Pianal Baidhan (ocononist at Boikoloy, Sanuol Bowlos
(ocononist and diioctoi ol tho Bohavioial Scioncos Piogian at tho Santa
Fo Instituto, and Michaol Walloistoin (Yalo political scionco. Foi all
its oquations and diagians, tho woik`s 'lossons` on tho possililitios loi
iodistiilutivo policios undoi glolal constiaintslaiily sulstantial, tho
oditois concludonay not lo that novol. But it is also notowoithy loi two
othoi ioasons: hist, tho powoi ol its political-cun-ocononic nodolling,
ol which ono paiticipant, Adan Pizowoiski, has loon a nastoi, piovi-
ously within an oxplicitly Maixist appioach, and socond, tho gonoious
nainstioan ocononic lackinglion tho Russoll Sago loundationloi
a piojoct on 'Poisistont Inoquality in a Conpotitivo Woild`.
Tho nain stiaddloi ol ocononics and philosophy is piolally Anaitya
Son, lut thoio havo loon nany intoilacos lotwoon analytical philoso-
phy and analytical ocononics. Tho tuin ol John Roonoi lion nucisunt
nathonatical ocononics to 'iadical ocononic othics`lion A Ccncru|
Tnccry cj Ep|cituticn und C|uss (8z to Tnccrics cj Distributivc ]usticc
(ois an intoiosting tiajoctoiy and ionains, lion a lolt viowpoint,
an honouiallo ono. Econonics and sociology woio liought togothoi in
Lcs structurcs scciu|cs dc |cccncnic, ono ol tho last najoi woiks ol Pioiio
Bouidiou. A ponotiating invostigation ol tho Fionch housing naikot, it
doploys sono ol his koy concopts, liko tho 'halitus` ol dispositions and
tho 'hold` ol loico and conict, loth in tho onpiiical iosoaich and in a
gonoializing thooiotical ciitiquo.
8;
In Bunking cn Dcutn and Agc Sncck.
!cw Finuncc is Fui|ing Us, Rolin Blackluin has pioducod an anlitious
lolt-ol-contio iocasting ol ponsions stiatogy loi an agoing socioty, which
luilds on Rudoll Moidnoi`s pioposal loi a shaio lovy lion coipoiations
to hnanco social dovolopnont.
88
8o
Andiow Glyn, Cupitu|isn Un|cusncd, Oxloid zooo.
8;
Pioiio Bouidiou, Lcs structurcs scciu|cs dc |cccncnic, Paiis zooo.
88
Rolin Blackluin, Bunking cn Dcutn, London zooz, Agc Sncck. !cw Finuncc is
Fui|ing Us, London zooo.
8 iv q
Political oconony also includos what is usually lalollod 'institutional
ocononics`, non-Maixist lut usually lolt-ol-contio. Many ol its nod-
oin classics aio now sulnoigod undoi nooliloial lava: Ragnai Fiisch,
Gunnai Myidal, Jan Tinloigon. But lolow tho Panthoon thoio is still a
viliant sul-cultuio ol ciitical institutional ocononics, in its nain con-
tios, Biitain and Fianco, this is still laigoly situatod within ocononics, lut
also lonohts lion olononts ol sociological inquiiy. In Fianco, tho nain
school has loon 'iogulation thooiy`, contial iopiosontativos havo includod
Michol Agliotta, Roloit Boyoi and Antoino Roliioux.
8
In Biitain, tho
post-Maixist Goollioy Hodgson has iotuinod to considoi tho iolations
lotwoon ocononics and histoiy, as woll as ovolutionaiy thooiy.
o
. ru vro o vosrons
Social thooiizing is still iolatod toindood, connittod tospocihc
political positions, and a sociological histoiy ol tho hold nust givo
sono account ol thoso, whilo stooiing cloai ol tho twin tonptations
ol apologotics and donunciation. Tho lollowing account distinguishos
two polos, in iolation to which tho politics ol iocont lolt-wing thought
night lo locatod. Ono is thooiotical: Maix and Maixisn, as an intol-
loctual tiadition. Tho othoi is political: socialisn, whoso goal is a social
oidoi distinctivoly dilloiont lion capitalisn. (Socialisn is usod in loosoi
noanings too, lut thoy do not poitain hoio. Tho two axos loin a syston
ol cooidinatos, which nay lo doployod as a houiistic soaiching dovico,
tho iosults should not, howovoi, lo soon as a poinanont addioss look.
Tho diagian should, ol couiso, lo soon as a voiy appioxinato nap, ain-
ing to convoy iolativo positions coiioctly lut naking no clains alout tho
scalo ol distancos. What it shows hist ol all, poihaps, is that thooiy and
politics aio two dilloiont dinonsions, ovon anong politically connittod
social thooiists. Socondly, it indicatos a now distanco lion socialisn, in
tho sonso ol a distinctivo, actually attainallo typo ol socioty. A concop-
tion ol a socialist altoinativo has locono a ninoiity viow anong tho
8
Michol Agliotta and Antoino Roliioux, Ccrpcrutc Ccvcrnuncc Adrijt, Choltonhan
zoo, Roloit Boyoi and Yvos Saillaid, ods, Tnccric dc |u rcgu|uticn, Paiis , J.
Rogois Hollingswoith and Roloit Boyoi, ods, Ccntcnpcrury Cupitu|isn. Tnc
Enbcddcdncss cj !nstituticns, Canliidgo ;.
o
Goollioy Hodgson, Ajtcr Mur und Srujju, Basingstoko , Goollioy Hodgson,
Makoto Itoh and Noluhaiu Yokokawa, Cupitu|isn in Evc|uticn, Choltonhan zoo.
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ
intolloctual lolt, although this doos not, in nost casos, inply a stop into
tho capitalist lold.
In a continontal conpaiison, lolt-ol-contio intolloctual cuiionts in Noith
Anoiica, Maixist and non-Maixist, tond to lo noio to tho lolt ol tho
noiidian alovo than thoii Euiopoan oquivalonts. On tho wholo, tho
iosilionco ol tho snall Noith Anoiican lolt stands out, in conpaiison
with tho laigoi lut nuch soltoi and noio olton dishoaitonod loicos ol
Euiopo. It is tho 0s that has pioducod such intiansigont lolt-wing lost-
solloi wiitois as Noan Chonsky and, noio iocontly, Miko Davis.

Tho
annual Scciu|ist Rcgistcr was launchod in tho nid-oos as a voiy Biitish
ontoipiiso, lut is now, in tho now nillonniun, oditod lion Toionto. Tho
classical lolt-wing jouinals ol tho 0s, liko Mcntn|y Rcvicw and Scicncc
und Sccicty, nay now lo shadows ol thoii loinoi solvos, lut thoy havo
suivivod. Tho hugo Anoiican acadonic cultuio is still capallo ol sus-
taining a iango ol lolt pullications. Rocont nootings ol tho Anoiican
Sociological Association havo loon nuch noio oxplicitly iadical than
tho Euiopoan nootings. (Tiuo, Euiopoan lolt-wing acadonics havo noio
oppoitunitios loi oxtianuial piactico. Tho gioat 'iight tuin` occuiiod
oailioi in tho 0s, with olononts ol tho qos and os trctskisunt lolt
loconing Cold Waiiiois ly tho oaily ;os, spawning a gonoiation ol
ialid nooconsoivativos. Tho ionaindoi ol tho Anoiican lolt novoi had
nuch hopo in tho innodiato lutuio, it would also lo luithoi ionovod

Noan Chonsky, Dctcrring Dcnccrucy, Now Yoik , ot al, Miko Davis, P|unct cj
S|uns, London zooo.
Fc0 : Currcnt Lcjt Tnccrcticc-Pc|iticu| Pcsiticns
4PDJBMJTN $BQJUBMJTN
.BSYJTN
/PO.BSYJTU-FGU5IPVHIU
3FTJMJFOU.BSYJTN
/FP.BSYJTN
1PTU.BSYJTN
4DJFOUJmD.BSYJTN.BSYPMPHZ
/PO.BSYJTU-FGU
1PTU4PDJBMJTN
oo iv q
lion tho llows ol tho Soviot inplosion, tho doloats ol Euioconnunisn
and tho suiiondois ol Euiosocialisn.
Pcst-scciu|isn
Il a coitain distanco lion any oxplicit socialisn has chaiactoiizod nost
ol tho Euio-Anoiican lolt iocontly, tho olaloiation ol a post-socialist
lolt-ol-contio agonda has locono a spocihc piojoct. Tho wastoland ol
tiiunphant Thatchoiisn was a natuial liooding-giound loi 'post-
socialisn`. Ono olloit was John Koano`s cololiation ol 'civil socioty`,
as scoinlul ol social donociacy and its 'unwoikallo nodol ol stato-
adninistoiod socialisn` as it was ol 'totalitaiian connunisn`.
z
In tho
last yoais ol tho Cold Wai this position was iiding high, a docado ol
capitalist innisoiation ol laigo paits ol Eastoin Euiopo lollowing 8
olicitod no qualihcation, oi ovon connont, lion tho authoi.

A low yoais latoi tho sociological thooiist Anthony Giddons pioclainod

his novo 'Boyond Lolt and Right` in a look lull ol Thatchoiito snoois at
social donociacy and tho wollaio stato.
q
Biusquoly disnissing tho notion
that thoio could lo any 'thiid way` in tho classic loltist sonsolotwoon
'wollaio socialisn` and 'Connunisn`Giddons in lact tuinod out to
havo piopaiod tho giound loi a shoit-livod, lut novoitholoss contonpo-
iaiily uniquo, politico-thooiotical post-socialist allianco that was soon in
its tuin dullod tho 'Thiid Way`. Foi sono yoais, Giddons locano tho
olhcious thooiotician ol tho Biitish Piino Ministoi and his Now Laloui
iogino, giving an intolloctual gloss to a paity that had lostoi iathoi
sovoiodany connoction to 'hist way` social donociacy, in tho wako ol
a soiios ol tiaunatizing doloats doalt ly a iuthloss (though always civi-
cally ninoiitaiian nooliloialisn. Foi a tino this piojoct did conpiiso a
gonuino iolation lotwoon social thooiy and politics, although ol a dilloi-
ont kind to that piosupposod ly tho Maixist-socialist 'tiianglo` discussod
alovo. It should lo notod that, in Euiopo at loastthoio nay still lo
sono East Asian intoiosttho attiactions ol tho Thiid Way ondod with
tho Rcu|pc|itik ol invading tanks, although, in contiast to Czochoslovakia
z
Koano, Dcnccrucy und Civi| Sccicty, p. zo.

John Koano, 'Intioduction to tho Now Edition`, Dcnccrucy und Civi| Sccicty,
London 8.
q
Anthony Giddons, Bcycnd Lcjt und Rignt, Canliidgo q, pp. ;ll.
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ o
in o8, in this instanco tho tanks woio hoadod out ol tho countiy, into
Iiaq, with tho Blaii govoinnont a loading loico in tho aggiossion.

Idoological contiovoisy apait, Giddons`s dolonco ol tho Thiid Way six
yoais latoi piovidod an oxonplaiy sunnaiy, accuiato yot conciso, ol tho
nost inpoitant ciiticisns that had loon lovollod against it, to which ho
iospondod with a wido iango ol social-sciontihc ioloionco.
o
A sonotino
collaloiatoi ol Giddons, Uliich Bock is a iadical cosnopolitan donociat,
loi whon tho connunisn and socialisn ol Euiopo`s 'hist nodoinity`
aio now 'usod-up` idoas.
;

Ncn-Murist |cjt
Social donociacy, ly lai tho najoi conponont ol tho non-Maixist lolt,
has pioducod low thooioticians ol wido-iango anlition in iocont yoais.
Tho woik ol tho Swodish sociologist Waltoi Koipi has laigoly contiod on
onpiiical analysis ol social-policy institutions, lut his oxplanatoiy thoo-
iizations ol powoi iosouicos and tho 'donociatic class stiugglo`, togothoi
with his sciontihcally iolust dolonco ol tho wollaio stato, aio inpoitant
contiilutions to social thooiy.
8
Politically too, Koipi has ionainod a
staunch social donociat.
Fionch sociology has gonoially ionainod 'lolt ol contio`, ovon whilo
tho nodia and tho piincipal intolloctual platloins in Paiis havo vooiod
shaiply to tho iight.

Duiing tho os, tho nost outstanding contiilu-

tion was that ol Pioiio Bouidiou. Out ol tho spotlight in tho hoyday ol iuo

Post-socialisn has also had a gonoiational dinonsion. In q, Ralph Mililand

diod, a pioninont Maixist political sciontist, authoi ol Tnc Stutc in Cupitu|ist Sccicty
(o, Mililand`s uniopontant Scciu|isn jcr u Sccpticu| Agc (q was pullishod
posthunously. In tho sano yoai his son, David, who was to locono a sonioi
Downing Stioot stalloi and a nonloi ol Blaii`s Calinot, oditod a colloctivo voluno,
Rcinvcnting tnc Lcjt, in which Giddons tallod a post-socialist agonda.
o
Giddons, Tnc Tnird Wuy, Canliidgo 8, Tnc Tnird Wuy und !ts Critics,
Canliidgo zooo.
;
Uliich Bock, Risk Sccicty, and Mucnt und Ccgcnnucnt in g|cbu|cn Zcitu|tcr,
p. qo;.
8
Waltoi Koipi, Tnc Dcnccrutic C|uss Strugg|c, London 8, Koipi and Joakin
Palno, 'Tho Paiadox ol Rodistiilution and Stiatogios ol Equality`, Ancricun
Sccic|cgicu| Rcvicw, vol. o, no. , 8.

Alain Touiaino, Bcycnd Ncc|ibcru|isn, Oxloid zoo.

oz iv q
d`Uln Maixisn, Bouidiou luilt up a loinidallo ioputation as a top-class
social iosoaichoi, loloio onoiging lato in lilo as tho loionost intolloctual
spokosnan ol tho anti-capitalist lolt, in Euiopo as woll as Fianco. His
was a powoilul voico against tho capitalist 'nisoiy ol tho woild`, il ho did
not hold out tho piospoct ol a socialist hoiizon, noi did ho ovoi condono
tho oxisting oidoi.
oo
Thoio has loon littlo iadical piogiannatic thinking in social donoc-
iacy anywhoio, sinco tho anlitious lut politically ill-latod wago-oainoi
lunds pioposal ly tho Swodish lluo-collai unions, loi a whilo ioluc-
tantly adoptod ly tho sv. Most distiossing has loon tho alsonco ol any
signihcant social-donociatic visions in Eastoin Euiopo. It is instoad a
Biazilian-Anoiican logal philosophoi, Roloito Mangaloiia Ungoi, who
has had tho inagination to answoi tho quostion Wnut Sncu|d tnc Lcjt
Prcpcsc?. His appoal to a potty-louigoois longing 'loi a condition ol nod-
ost piospoiity and indopondonco` and to a 'univoisal dosiio` loi 'national
sovoioignty` nay sound tinid. But his pioposals loi institutional chango
aio potontially lai-ioaching. Thoso aio guidod ly hvo 'institutional idoas`:
high donostic savings and taxation as a lasis loi national indopondonco,
social policy lasod upon onpowoinont and capacity, donociatizing tho
naikot oconony and liinging alout 'an upwaid tilt in tho iotuin to
laloui`, a univoisal iosponsilility loi caiing woik, and a 'high-onoigy
donociatic politics`.
o
Tho Woild Social Foia, ono ol tho nost inpoitant and inspiiing dovolop-
nonts in lolt-wing politics in tho now nillonniun, havo so lai spawnod
littlo social thooiy, tho Poituguoso logal scholai Boavontuia do Sousa
Santos has, howovoi, nado a stoiling contiilution in tiying to analyso
and intoipiot this conplox and hotoiogonoous novonont.
oz
At tho sano
tino, thonos ol inoquality oi woiking conditions undoi capitalisn, long
contial to tho lolt, havo also loon thooiizod in iadical ways outsido it. Tho
contiasting appioachos ol Richaid Sonnott, highly litoiaiy and dosciip-
tivo, and ol Chailos Tilly, always iigoiously systonatic, piovido two
oo
Pioiio Bouidiou ot al., Lu niscrc du ncndc, Paiis jTnc Wcignt cj tnc Wcr|d,
Stanloid |, Ccntrc-jcu, Paiis 8 jFiring Buck. Aguinst tnc Tyrunny cj tnc
Murkct, London zoo|.
o
Roloito Mangaloiia Ungoi, Wnut Sncu|d tnc Lcjt Prcpcsc?, London zoo, pp.
oo, zq.
oz
Soo tho Voiso soiios, Rcinvcnting Scciu| Enunciputicn. Tcwurds Ncw Munijcstcs,
London zooo and loithconing.
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ o
powoilul oxanplos.
o
Radical social thooiy ionains a lig houso, with
nany dooiways.
Murc|cgy und Scicntijc Murisn
Tho noithoastoin quadiant ol Figuio is not nocossaiily onpty. It is logi-
cally possillo, today noio than ovoi, to alstain lion any anti-capitalist
piactico oi idoological stanco, whilo hnding Maix to lo an insightlul
and intolloctually stinulating analyst ol capitalisn. Pucc Buiawoy and
Wiight, such a position is not nocossaiily dogonoiato, cynical oi pos-
sinistic.
oq
Givon tho noinal cultuial-political onloddodnoss ol social
scionco, howovoi, wo should oxpoct this hold to lo voiy spaisoly pop-
ulatod. Tho nost saliont contonpoiaiy oxanplo ol this position is tho
Indian-Biitish ocononist Moghnad Dosai, appointod ly Blaii to tho
Houso ol Loids. With tho holp ol its liliaiy ho has wiitton a spiiitod
account ol tho dynanics ol capitalisn, in which Maix joins hands with
Hayok. Murs Rcvcngc (zooz is a iohalilitation ol Maix tho social sci-
ontist ol capitalist political oconony, oiiginally inspiiod ly a io-ioading
ol Lonin and tho classical Maixist ocononists, whilo taking an agnostic
position as to whothoi any post-capitalist social oidoi is possillo.
Tho outgoing zoth contuiy saw two ionaikallo, synthotic ioadings ol
Maix: Spcctrcs cj Mur ly Jacquos Doiiida ( and Tnc Pcstncdcrn
Mur ly Toiioll Caivoi (8. Doiiida and Caivoi loth saw Maixcs, in
tho pluial, and loth undoilinod, in a synpathotic and yot ciitical way,
tho political signihcanco ol Maix, lut as a histoiical hguio, out ol joint
with tho Maixisn ol any contonpoiaiy novononts. Doiiida now placod
his own wholo oouvio ol doconstiuction 'within a coitain tiadition ol
Maixisn, within a coitain spiiit ol Maixisn`, whilo illuninating his
ioading with litoiaiy pyiotochnics.
o
Caivoi`s postnodoinisn was a
'nild` ono, which did not conliont nodoinity and tho Enlightonnont,
o
Richaid Sonnott, Rcspcct in u Wcr|d cj !ncquu|ity, Now Yoik zoo, Tnc Cu|turc cj
tnc Ncw Cupitu|isn, Now Havon, cr zooo, Chailos Tilly, Durub|c !ncquu|ity, Boikoloy
8, Doug McAdan, Sidnoy Taiiow, Chailos Tilly, Dynunics cj Ccntcnticn,
Canliidgo zoo.
oq
Michaol Buiawoy and Eiik Olin Wiight, 'Sociological Maixisn`, in Jonathan
Tuinoi, od., !undbcck cj Sccic|cgicu| Tnccry, Now Yoik zooz, p. q8q.
o
Jacquos Doiiida, Spcctrcs dc Mur, p. . Soo also tho discussion ol Doiiida`s
look in Michaol Spiinkoi, od., Cncst|y Dcnurcuticns, London .
oq iv q
and nanilostod itsoll nainly in a poicoptivo analysis ol Maix`s languago
and wiiting stiatogios in vaiious toxts.
oo
Pcst-Murisn
Post-Maixisn is usod hoio in an opon sonso, ioloiiing to wiitois with
an oxplicitly Maixist lackgiound, whoso iocont woik has gono loyond
Maixist piollonatics, and who do not pullicly clain a continuing
Maixist connitnont. It is not tantanount to ox-Maixisn, noi doos
it includo donunciation oi ionogacy, dovolopnont and now dosiios,
yos, naylo ovon divoico, lut only on anicallo toins. Tho loundaiios
lotwoon post- and noo-Maixisn havo locono lluiiod in iocont tinos
and sono inpoitant wiitoisEtionno Balilai, loi oxanplonay woll
lo listod undoi loth iuliics. Hoio, no ciitical ovaluation is invostod in
tho giouping, howovoi, tho toin 'noo-Maixist` will lo usod only loi thoo-
iotical piojocts which loth signal a signihcant dopaituio lion classical
Maixisn and iotain an oxplicit connitnont to it.
Laclau and Moullo, accopting a post-Maixist lalol, ioloi to 'tho ioap-
piopiiation ol an intolloctual tiadition, as woll as tho piocoss ol going
loyond it`.
o;
!cgcncny und Scciu|ist Strutcgy, discussod alovo, nay lo
iogaidod as ono ol tho nost inpoitant contiilutions lion this posi-
tion. Doploying a soiios ol loinidallo alstiactions, tho authois toil
thiough classical Maixist political thooiy, lion Goinan and Russian
social donociacy to Giansci, lut tho ciux ol thoii piojoct ionains tho
Fionch Rovolutionin itsoll a vonoiallo tiadition, lion Maix and Lonin
to Giansciand tho call loi 'iadical donociacy`, in which a 'socialist
dinonsion` is to lo achiovod ly 'dooponing tho donociatic iovolution`.
Goinan Ciitical Thooiy was aigually tho hist najoi cuiiont ol post-
Maixisn, politically inplicit in tho liozon silonco ol Adoino and
Hoikhoinoi altoi Woild Wai , loltily oxplicit in tho woik ol Juigon
Haloinas. As a post-Maixist, Haloinas has ionainod an intolloctual
and thooiotician ol a liloial (in tho Anoiican sonso lolt, loconing a
lolt-ol-contio conscionco ol tho Wost Goinan nation, lai loss iadical than
Saitio, lut noio widoly hoaikonod to. In iocont yoais, ho has giapplod
with tho noial issuos suiiounding gonotic onginooiing, and stiug-
glod to cono to toins with tho incioasingly violont and disagiooallo
oo
Toiioll Caivoi, Tnc Pcstncdcrn Mur, Manchostoi 8, p. z.
o;
Laclau and Moullo, !cgcncny und Scciu|ist Strutcgy, p. ix.
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ o
inplications ol a Wcstbindung to tho 0sono to which Haloinas, as
a Goinan anti-nationalist, has always loon connittod. In tho contoxt
ol tho invasion ol Iiaq thoio occuiiod an intoiosting, noio Euiopoanist
iappiochonont lotwoon Haloinas and Doiiida.
o8
Foi this ovoiviow,
howovoi, it is Haloinas`s piogianno ol dialogical politicslaid out
in his nagnun opus on Connunicativo Actionand his dolonco ol
nodoinity as an 'unhnishod piojoct` that havo to lo undoilinod.
o
Claus
Ollo, onco Haloinas`s Assistcnt and a long-tino post-Maixist, is ono ol
tho low who, as a pioninont political sciontist, has continuod tho oos
;os Maixist piooccupation with tho stato, anong othoi things taking it
into tho post-Connunist statos ol Eastoin Euiopo.
o
Tho cuiiont piolossoiial succossoi ol tho Fiankluit School is Axol
Honnoth. His nost inpoitant woik has concoinod tho stiugglo loi
iocognition, initiatod as a topic loi nodoin social philosophy ly Hogol`s
analysis ol tho dialoctic ol tho nastoislavo iolation. Honnoth has
luithoi dilloiontiatod this into thioo: tho sphoios ol lovo, law and soli-
daiity.

In a dolato with tho Anoiican philosophoi Nancy Fiasoi, who

was spuiiod ly stiidont 0s 'idontity politics` into dolonding iodistiilu-
tion, Honnoth aiguod loi a lioadoi noinativo thooiy ol oxpoiioncos ol
injustico than tho 'noio oi loss utilitaiian anthiopology` ol Maixisn.
z

Fion an ogalitaiian poispoctivo, as I havo aiguod olsowhoio, 'iocogni-
tion` nay lo soon as a ciucial aspoct ol oxistontial oquality, ono ol thioo
lundanontal dinonsions ol (inoquality, givon Honnoth`s lackgiound,
tho nodoinist optinisn ol his olsoivations on 'noial piogioss` nay
also lo woith noting.

Post-Maixisn has not loon linitod to toxtual iointoipiotation, it nay

oqually woll tako tho loin ol now onpiiical loiays oi ol social connon-
taiy. Two ol tho nost oxtiaoidinaiy woiks to onoigo lion a Maixist
lackgiound aio tho landnaik sociological analysis ol woild socioty ly
o8
Pni|cscpny in u Tinc cj Tcrrcr. Diu|cgucs witn ]urgcn !ubcrnus und ]ucqucs Dcrridu,
intoiviowod ly Giovanna Boiiadoii, Chicago and London zoo.
o
Haloinas, Tnccry cj Ccnnunicutivc Acticn, Pni|cscpniscnc Diskurs dcr Mcdcrnc.
o
Ollo, Mcdcrnity und tnc Stutc.

Axol Honnoth, Tnc Strugg|c jcr Rcccgniticn. Tnc Mcru| Crunnur cj Scciu| Ccnjict,
Canliidgo, & .
z
Nancy Fiasoi and Axol Honnoth, Rcdistributicn cr Rcccgniticn?, London zoo,
p. z;.

Gian Thoiloin, 'Undoistanding and Explaining Inoquality`, in Thoiloin, od.,

!ncquu|itics cj tnc Wcr|d, London zooo, pp. 8oll.
oo iv q
Manuol Castolls, notod alovo, and tho stiikingly anlitious histoiical
'nodiology` ol Rgis Doliay. Tho lattoi logins lion a ciitiquo ol tho
Maixist concopt ol idoology, and an ongagonont with tho Althussoiian
discussion ol 'idoological stato appaiatusos`, oponing out onto a |cnguc
durcc oxploiation ol tho natoiiality ol nodiatod connunication, oi tho
'nochanics ol jcultuial| tiansnission`, with a paiticulai locus on tho
Judaic and Chiistian ioligions.
q
Thooiotically oiiginal and skillully
cialtod, thoso woiks aio hist ol all contiilutions to social analysis iathoi
than to social thooiy, as such thoy aio outstanding achiovononts. Finally,
tho piolihc output ol social connontaiy ly Zygnunt Baunan has had
a stiong tiansnational iosonanco, at hoait, this is a sociological vaiioty
ol postnodoinisn. Baunan`s iocont wiitings tiavol light, luidonod noi-
thoi ly iosoaich noi ly thooiotical analytics, lut loino up ly an unusual
lilo wisdon, a tiainod olsoivoi`s oyo, and a uont pon.

Ncc-Murisn
Foi all its political doloats, tho intolloctual cioativity ol Maixisn has not
cono to an ond. Tho last docado has soon tho onoigonco ol at loast two
highly oiiginal, haid-hitting discouisos, which oxplicitly doiivo lion
and luild upon Maixist logacios. Wo havo alioady notod tho iiiovoi-
ont philosophical politics ol Slavoj Zizok, who has not only iadically
ionowod Maixist cultuial ciiticisn lut vigoiously dolonds an icono-
clastic Maixisn against 'conloinist liloial scoundiols`. Zizok`s oouvio
includos a spiiitod dolonco ol classical nodoinity and tho oxtonsivo uso
ol populai cinona in cultuial-philosophical connontaiios. Ho has own
in tho laco ol convontional wisdon to tho oxtont ol intioducing, with
connontaiy, a now soloction ol Lonin`s wiitings lion ;.
o
Zizok`s
oxhoitation to 'iopoat Lonin` posits an oponnoss to tho possililitios loi
iadical social chango in an appaiontly hopoloss situation, lollowing dis-
astious doloatin Lonin`s caso, Woild Wai I and tho lioak-up ol tho
Socond Intoinational.
Tho socond najoi nanilostation ol noo-Maixisn, Haidt and Nogii`s
Enpirc and Mu|titudc, clains to havo lound tho iovolutionaiy oxit ol tho
q
Rgis Doliay, Mcdiu Munijcstcs, London o, Trunsnitting Cu|turc, Now Yoik
zooo.

Zygnunt Baunan, !ntinuticns cj Pcstncdcrnity, London z, Liquid Mcdcrnity.

o
Soo iospoctivoly: Did Scncbcdy Suy Tctu|ituriunisn?, London zooz, p. q, Tick|isn
Subjcct, Rcvc|uticn ut tnc Cutcs.
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ o;
zst contuiy: 'This is a iovolution that no powoi will contiollocauso
lio-powoi and connunisn, co-opoiation and iovolution ionain
togothoi, in lovo, sinplicity, and also innoconco. This is tho iiiopiossillo
lightnoss and joy ol loing connunist.` Oi again:
Tho possilility ol donociacy on a glolal scalo is onoiging today loi tho
hist tino . . . Altoi this long soason ol violonco and contiadictions . . .
tho oxtiaoidinaiy accunulation ol giiovancos and ioloin pioposals nust
at sono point lo tiansloinod ly a stiong ovont, a iadical insuiioctionaiy
donand . . . In tino, an ovont will thiust us liko an aiiow into that jalioady|
living lutuio.
;

Haidt and Nogii also ioloi to tho Lonin ol Stutc und Rcvc|uticn as an
inspiiation loi tho 'dostiuction ol sovoioignty`, though hoio conlinod
with tho Madisonian concoption ol chocks and lalancos. Tho two lodios
ol woik havo sovoial loatuios in connon, in addition to thoii uploat
iadicalisn and intoinational pullishing succoss. Both aio ossontially
woiks ol political philosophyZizok`s nain looks aio piolally Tnc
Sub|inc Objcct cj !dcc|cgy (8 and Tnc Tick|isn Subjcct (iathoi
than ol social thooiy. Nogii and Zizok aio piolossional philosophois,
whilo Nogii`s loinoi Paiis studont Haidt is a litoiaiy thooiist with a phil-
osophical oiiontation. Both sots ol authois wiito with voivo and gusto in
a laioquo stylo ol usscnb|ugcs, displaying an inpiossivo oiudition and
a capacity loi association which onconpassos a gioat nunloi ol holds
and tiaditions, at high spood and with littlo tino loi histoiical contoxt-
ualization oi onpiiical invostigation. Dilloiont vaiiants ol dissidont
Connunisnand a noio sinilai nainstioan-Connunist lanily ol
oiiginloin tho political lackgiounds ol Nogii and Zizok: iospoctivoly,
tho spontanoist and violont Italian lai lolt, and a noandoiing Slovonian
Connunisn-cun-dissidonco. Thoy aio also in lino with Wostoin Maixist
piactico in tho sonso ol ioading and using Maix thiough tho lonsos ol
othoi gioat Euiopoan intolloctual tiaditions: piinaiily tho psychoanaly-
sis ol Lacan, lut also a philosophical spoctiun with Hoidoggoi at its
contio, in tho caso ol Zizok, tho philosophy ol Spinoza, in that ol Nogii.
Thoii dazzling stylo as thinkois has attiactod ioadois lai lion thoii own
political oi philosophical stanco.
Zizok`s nost iocont look piosonts itsoll as his 'nost sulstantial woik
in nany yoais`. It iovolvos aiound a woll-lound notaphoi, Tnc Puru||u
;
Rospoctivoly: Haidt and Nogii, Enpirc, p. q, italics onittod, Mu|titudc,
Canliidgo, & zooq, pp. xi and 8.
o8 iv q
Vicw. A paiallax is 'tho appaiont displaconont ol an oljoct (tho shilt ol
its position against a lackgiound, causod ly a chango in olsoivational
position that piovidos a now lino ol sight`. But this anlitious woik, in
tho usual stylo ol lai-ianging associations, anocdotos, cinonatogiaphy
and polonical shock, also shows tho dininishing iotuins ol this soit ol
lioo-whooling ciitiquo. Whilo Zizok still diaws sono intoiosting apoius
out ol his hat, nany ol his thonatic discussions lack loth cutting odgo
and analytical dopth. Foi oxanplo, his pationt ioluttal ol tho Lacanian
Joan-Claudo Milnoi`s Zionist ianting, his iospoctlul scopticisn towaids
Alain Badiou`s 'oxaltod dolonco` ol iovolutionaiy toiioi, oi his Napoloonic
analogy in suppoit ol his thosis ol 'tho histoiical nocossity ol tho Stalinist
outcono` ol tho Octoloi Rovolution.
8
Whilo Zizok nay say, 'I havo nothing whatsoovoi to do with sociology`,

tho woik ol Haidt and Nogii doos diioctly poitain to social analysis
thoii Fianco-Italian philosophical nodo ol wiiting notwithstanding.
Thoii appioach contios aiound two koy concopts, onpiio and nultitudo,
loth takon lion Spinoza. Haidt and Nogii intoipiot Spinoza`s inpcriun
sinply as sovoioignty, and in thoii woik tho concopt has nothing ol tho
natoiial conciotonoss ol, say, tho Ronan oi tho Biitish onpiios. Rathoi,
it is a glolal notwoik to which sovoioign powoi has nigiatod lion tho
nation-statos and in this sonso is 'a stop loiwaid`, as thoso authois ol a
soll-pioclainod postnodoinity assoit in a typically nodoinist way. Tho
conconitant to Enpiio is tho 'nultitudo`, which hoio ioplacos tho Maixist
'piolotaiiat` and tho 'pooplo` ol classical donociatic thooiy. Tho 'woikoi
nassos` ol Nogii`s ultia-lolt Italy ol tho oos;os aio now wiit (glolally
laigo as 'nass intolloctuality`. Tho nultitudo is sinilaily conpiisod ol all
tho planot`s woikois and 'poois`, now incioasingly intoiiolatod acioss a
'snoothod` woild spaco ol withoiing civil socioty and doclining national
loundaiios, ly connon knowlodgo and connon iolationships. Its
oxpanding piactico will liing alout glolal donociacy, 'a lutuio that is
alioady living`. Socialisn ionains alsont lion tho piophotic vision.
zo
In thoii onphasis on inloination and notwoiks, ospocially as tho now
locus loi sovoioignty, thoio is a diagnostic sinilaiity lotwoon Haidt and
Nogii`s woik and tho onpiiically gioundod, ond-ol-nillonniun analysis
ly Castolls. Tho nost inpoitant divoigonco lotwoon thon concoins social
8
Zizok, Tnc Puru||u Vicw, Canliidgo, & zooo, pp. zll, zoll, zz.

Zizok and Daly, Ccnvcrsuticns witn Zi2ck, p. z.

zo
Rospoctivoly: Haidt and Nogii, Enpirc, pp. q, o, Mu|titudc, pp. q8o, 8.
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ o
dilloiontiation. In contiast to ono glolal nultitudo 'in an oxpanding, vii-
tuous spiial` ol connonality,
z
Castolls dohnos tho 'tiuly lundanontal
social cloavagos ol tho Inloination Ago`:
Fiist, tho intoinal liagnontation ol laloui lotwoon inloinational pio-
ducois and ioplacoallo gonoiic laloui. Socondly, tho social oxclusion ol a
signihcant sognont ol socioty nado up ol tho discaidod individuals whoso
valuo as woikois]consunois is usod up, and whoso iolovanco as pooplo
is ignoiod.
zz
A najoi onpiiical woik on tho woikois ol tho woild, Silvoi`s Fcrccs cj
Lubcr, alludod to alovo, concludos on a noto sinilai to Castolls: 'thoio
is no ioason to oxpoct that just locauso capital hnds it piohtallo to tioat
all woikois as intoichangoallo oquivalonts, woikois would thonsolvos
hnd it in thoii intoiosts to accopt this. Rathoi, insocuio hunan loings
(including woikois havo good ioasons to insist on tho salionco ol non-
class loidois and loundaiios (o.g., iaco, citizonship, gondoi.`
z
Whilo
tho lostsollois ol Haidt and Nogii, liko thoso ol Zizok, tostily to tho con-
tinuing cioativity and attiactivonoss ol Maixist tiaditions, sociologically
nindod ioadois at loast aio likoly to lo scoptical ol tho loinoi`s invoca-
tion ol Spinozan clains that 'piophotic dosiio is iiiosistillo` and that 'tho
piophot can pioduco its jsic| own pooplo`.
zq
A rcsi|icnt |cjt
Tho iocont tiajoctoiy ol Maixisn also includos a nodo ol iosilionco, cut-
ting its path thiough thickots ol advoisity acioss an altoiod, un-nappod
toiiain. Tho Gioat Encyclopaodia ol iosiliont Maixisn is tho !istcriscn-
Kritiscncs Wcrtcrbucn dcs Murisnus, diioctod ly tho philosophoi Wollgang
Fiitz Haug and pullishod ly Dus Arguncnt in Hanluig, in coopoia-
tion with tho Fioo Univoisity ol Boilin and tho Hanluig Univoisity
ol Econonics and Politics.
z
In its high-lovol intolloctual doggodnoss,
z
Haidt and Nogii, Mu|titudc, p. o.
zz
Castolls, !njcrnuticn Agc, vol. , p. qo, italics onittod.
z
Bovoily Silvoi, Fcrccs cj Lubcr, p. ;;.
zq
Haidt and Nogii, Enpirc, p. o.
z
Dus Arguncnt, a quaitoily jouinal oditod ly tho philosophical-loninist cou-
plo Wollgang and Fiigga Haug, ionains an inpoitant platloin loi Euiopoan
Maixisn, as doos Prck|u, an allioviation loi 'Piollons ol Class Stiugglo`,
diioctod ly tho votoian ocononist Elnai Altvatoi. Thoio is not ioon to considoi
tho wholo hold ol lolt-wing jouinals, lut nontion should lo nado ol Scciu|ist
Rcgistcr, notod alovo, and Cupitu| und C|uss. Foi a lulloi account ol this hold (in
which n has its placo soo tho piolininaiy voision ol this ossay ioloioncod in
o iv q
tho Dictionaiy is a uniquo oxonplai ol novoi-suiiondoi. Concoivod in
tho 8os, launchod in q, it is plannod to oxtond to sono hltoon
volunos. Although laigoly a Goinan piojoct, its oight hundiod col-
laloiatois includo Etionno Balilai, Pallo Gonzaloz Casanova and othoi
intoinational hguios, its wolsito, www.hkwn.do, is lilingual. Voluno
o, which appoaiod in zooq, took us up to 'Justico`. At its plannod two-
yoai paco, tho piojoct will lo conplotod in zozz. 'Maixisn` hoio is not
only undoistood in its lioadost ocunonical sonso, lut also ioad acioss
a wido socio-cultuial iogistoi, thoio aio ontiios on Biocht, doullo-woik,
and Dunnncit in dcr Musik (stupidity in nusic.
Tho os also saw an anlitious attonpt at an oxogotic 'ioconstiuction`
ol Maix`s ciitiquo ol political oconony, Moisho Postono`s Tinc, Lubcr
und Scciu| Dcninuticn (, and a valiant and podagogical dolonco ol
dialoctical thinking ly anothoi Anoiican, Boitoll Ollnan`s Diu|ccticu|
!nvcstiguticns (.
zo
Postono`s ioading takos tho concopts ol valuo and
connodity ono lovol ol alstiaction luithoi away lion socio-ocononic
analysis, into a concoption ol social doninationioniniscont ol Max
Woloi`s 'iion cago` ol iationalizationwhich 'suljocts pooplo to inpoi-
sonal, incioasingly iationalizod stiuctuial inpoiativos and constiaints
that cannot adoquatoly lo giaspod in toins ol class donination . . . It has
no dotoininato locus.`
z;
As connoicial ovidonco loi a iosiliont intoi-
ost in Maixisn, ono night also cito tho nulti-voluno 'Rotiospoctivo` on
Maix and his woik put out ly Routlodgo in tho os, ol which tho
oight volunos on Maix`s social and political thought, oditod ly Bol
Jossop, aio tho nost poitinont hoio.
z8
Individual oxanplos ol iosilionco
lootnoto . On tho othoi hand, il Lcs Tcnps Mcdcrncs suivivod tho doath ol Saitio
and do Boauvoii, it is haidly a najoi lolt pullication any noio. Moio diioctly
politically oiiontod jouinals havo loon noio vulnoiallo: in Biitain, tho onco livoly
Murisn Tcduy loldod with tho onding ol tho Soviot Union. In Italy, Lu rivistu dc|
nunijcstc gavo up in zooq. Now jouinals havo also loon staitod, with powoilul
lacking: !istcricu| Mutcriu|isn is put out ly Biill, a univoisity pullishoi in Loidon,
tho Anoiican-oditod Rctninking Murisn is pullishod ly Routlodgo.
zo
Ollnan has continuod his dialoctical toaching into tho now nillonniun, now
piovidod with a choioogiaphy ol dialoctical invostigation, Duncc cj tnc Diu|cctic,
Uilana, zoo, p. o.
z;
Postono sunnaiizing his own look, 'Ciitiquo and Histoiical Tiansloination`,
!istcricu| Mutcriu|isn, vol. z, no. , zooq, p. .
z8
Bol Jossop and Chailio Malcoln-Biown, ods, Kur| Murs Scciu| und Pc|iticu|
Tncugnt, q volunos, London and Now Yoik, o, Socond Soiios, Bol Jossop and
Russoll Whoatloy, ods, London and Now Yoik, .
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ
aio plontilul and, onco again, oxtond acioss a lai widoi disciplinaiy hold
than that ol social thooiy. But two dosoivo to lo addod to this inovitally
paitial and linitod soloction. Anong tho low political suivivois ol tho
Fionch cvcncncnts ol o8, Daniol Bonsad is a loading Tiotskyist cadio
and tho authoi ol a woll-wiitton Mur jcr Our Tincs. On tho othoi sido
ol tho Channol, Alox Callinicos is piolally tho nost piolihc ol conton-
poiaiy Maixist wiitois, with a wido-ianging philosophical, social and
political lilliogiaphy.
z
In a iocont, sonowhat unsystonatic colloction ol autoliogiaphios ly
sociologists ol tho oos cohoit, two in paiticulai, ly Michaol Buiawoy
and Eiik Olin Wiight, koop tho lannoi ol Maixisn ying.
o
Buiawoy,
an incisivo, thooiotically diivon othnogiaphoi ol woik, and Wiight, tho
no loss thooiotically diivon iosoaichoi ol class stiuctuios, havo also
signallod a joint piojoct to luild 'sociological Maixisn`.

How lai this

will dovolop in piactico ionains to lo soon, lut as a plan it is tho nost
anlitious scholaily piojoct ol iosiliont Maixisn, with a gioat poton-
tial. Whilo innovativo in intontion'luilding`its ioassoition ol tho
Maixist political agonda, as woll as its coio analyticsninus tho thooiy
ol valuonakos 'iosiliont` a noio apt opithot hoio than 'noo`. Buiawoy
and Wiight`s sociological Maixisn has an oxplicitly noinativo, as woll
as sciontihc, connitnont, linkod to 'tho political piojoct ol challonging
capitalisn as a social oidoi`. Its sociological coio is tho concopt ol class
as oxploitation, with a iosoaich agonda that lollows lion a thooiy ol 'tho
contiadictoiy iopioduction ol contiadictoiy class iolations`ossontially,
a Maixian analysis ol capitalisn and its political and idoological institu-
tions, though shoin ol tho oiiginal`s histoiico-philosophical wiapping.
Intiinsic hoio is tho assunption that tho capitalist dialoctic is still opoiat-
ing, though in a sonowhat snoothod-ovoi lashion:
Fiist, tho dynanics ol capitalist dovolopnont gonoiato changos in toch-
nology, tho laloui piocoss, class stiuctuio, naikots, and othoi aspocts ol
capitalist iolations, and thoso changos continually poso now piollons ol
social iopioduction . . . Socond, class actois adapt thoii stiatogios in oidoi
z
As a snall sanplo, soo, loi oxanplo, Alox Callinicos, Aguinst Pcstncdcrnisn, An
Anti-Cupitu|ist Munijcstc, Canliidgo zoo, Tnc Rcscurccs cj Critiquc, Canliidgo
zooo.
o
Alan Sica and Stophon Tuinoi, ods, Tnc Discbcdicnt Ccncruticn, Chicago zoo.

Buiawoy and Wiight, 'Sociological Maixisn`, pp. q8o.

z iv q
to tako advantago ol tho woaknossos in oxisting institutional aiiangononts.
Ovoi tino, thoso adaptivo stiatogios tond to oiodo tho alility ol institutions
ol social iopioduction to olloctivoly iogulato and contain class stiugglos.
z

Ropioduction is ospocially piollonatic and conictual loi class iolations:
'Social iolations within which antagonistic intoiosts aio gonoiatod will
havo an inhoiont tondoncy to gonoiato conicts, in which thoso who aio
hainod will tiy to chango tho iolation in quostion.`

Instoad ol going on
to dononstiato tho powoi ol this piogianno, tho authois vooi oll into
ono ol thoii pot utopias, 'univoisal lasic incono`, lut that should not
dotiact lion tho innonso valuo ol thoii conciso, concioto and jaigon-lioo
iostatonont ol Maixisn as a contonpoiaiy scionco. Whilo awaio ol tho
inplications attondant upon a th-contuiy 'isn`, Buiawoy and Wiight
iotain it as a naikoi ol lolonging to and continuing a tiadition.
q
v. ooknc u
What onoigos, hist ol all, lion this ovoiviow is tho unovon olloct ol tho
liokon tiianglo ol classical Maixisnpolitics, social scionco and philo-
sophy. In tho Noith Atlantic iogion (and tho iost ol tho woild is not so
dilloiont, with a low local oxcoptions in Indo-Latin Anoiica, Maixist
politics has oithoi disappoaiod oi locono conplotoly naiginalizod, at
lost, as a synpathotic olsoivoi ol Koiala, Tiipuia oi Wost Bongal night
put it, it has loon suspondod. Tho socialist hoiizon, liight iod just thioo
docados ago, has vanishod.

On tho othoi hand, lolt-wing intolloctual cioativity has not coasod. Its
gioatost nononts nay havo passod: not only that ol Maix and Engols,
lut also ol tho Socond Intoinational, lion Kautsky to Lonin, ol Wostoin
Maixisn lion Lukacs to Giansci, and ol Eastoin and Southoin Maixisn
lion Mao to Maiiatogui, ovon tho noio iocont nononts ol Althussoi,
z
Buiawoy and Wiight, 'Sociological Maixisn`, p. q;.

'Sociological Maixisn`, p. q;q.

q
'Sociological Maixisn`, p. qoon.

In so lai as thoy havo suivivod, nost ol tho Euiopoan Connunist Paitios and
thoii succossois havo shown littlo intoiost in intolloctual Maixisn. Most ol tho
Eastoin Euiopoan ox-cvs havo situatod thonsolvos woll to tho iight ol Scandinavian
Social Donociacy. Tho innovativo and soll-ciitical East Goinan vs and its Rosa
Luxonluig Foundation do iotain sono connitnont to Maixisn, and so do tho two
ionaining 'oithodox` paitios, tho Giook and tho Poituguoso.
firvn6v: 4PDJBM5IFPSZ
Bouidiou and thoii dilloiont national oquivalonts. But thoio is nuch
noio ol an intolloctual lolt pioduction today than, say, hlty oi loity yoais
ago. Tho lolt-wing gonoiation ol tho oos, paiticulaily ol thoso iadical-
izod loloio tho ionantic nonont ol o8, has not suiiondoiod. Tho
valuo ol tho thonatic changos in discouiso, notod alovo, is dolatallo,
lut thoy do not appoai as pionising oljocts ol donunciation. Tho oxist-
ing iopoitoiio ol positions is unlikoly to ploaso ovoiyono, lut it doos
novoitholoss includo iallying-points loi noaily ovoiylody on tho lolt.
Howovoi, loinativo gonoiational oxpoiioncos tond to havo onduiing
ollocts, and this wiitoi`s ciitical distanco is, ol couiso, suspoct. His viows
aio thoso ol sonoono lion tho oos gonoiation, wiiting alout his con-
tonpoiaiios, alout his coniados oi loinoi coniados. What alout tho
piospocts ahoad?
Capitalisn still pioducos, and will continuo to pioduco, a sonso ol out-
iago. To that oxtont, a lino ol continuity lotwoon tho th, zoth and zst
contuiios will ionain, in iosistanco as woll as in ciitiquo. Coning philos-
ophois aio alnost coitain to pullish now ioadings ol Maix. Twonty-hist
contuiy anti-capitalist iosistois and ciitics aio unlikoly to loigot tho
socialist and connunist hoiizons ol tho past two hundiod yoais. But
whothoi thoy will soo tho dawn ol a dilloiont lutuio in tho sano colouis
is uncoitain, poihaps ovon inpiolallo. Now cohoits ol anti-capitalist
social sciontists will coitainly onoigo, nany will ioad Maix, lut it nay
lo doultod whothoi nany will hnd it noaninglul to call thonsolvos
Maixists. Tho classical Maixist tiianglo has loon liokon, and is nost
unlikoly to lo iostoiod.
Tho iosilionco ol tho oos lolt is spanning an inpoitant histoiical
caosuia. This was tho gonoiation that livod loth tho poak ol woiking-class
stiongth in dovolopod capitalisn, and tho loginning ol its doclino. It saw
loth tho inago ol iovolution, in o8, and tho closo ol tho iovolutionaiy
poispoctivo oponod up in ;8 and ;, in tho inplosion ol 8, in
tho intoiin, it oxpoiioncod tho ioal sox and gondoi iovolution ol tho lato
zoth contuiy. It was tho gonoiation that livod thiough, and ciiticizod, tho
poak ol Noith Atlantic capitalisn, and who wont on to witnoss tho iotuin
ol East and South Asia to tho liont stago ol tho woild.
Foi contingont, piactical ioasonsol spaco-tino availalility and ol
linguistic linitationsthis ovoiviow has loon conhnod to tho Noith
q iv q
Atlantic]Noith Anoiican aioa. That is still tho laso lion whoio tho nost
doadly lonlois and nissilos tako oll, lut it is no longoi tho chiol liont
on which tho dostiny ol capitalisn in tho zst contuiy will lo docidod.
Honco tho oxtiaoidinaiy inpoitanco ol glolal thooiizing and, ovon
noio, ol glolal onpiiical invostigations. In tho cuiiont situation, a coi-
tain dcjunt nuni|ity soons to lo tho nost adoquato intolloctual stanco.
Dohanco loloio tho loicos ol capital and onpiio, howovoi powoilul.
Hunility loloio tho coning now woild and tho loaining and unloaining
that it will call loi.