Towards a Radical Democracy: The Political Economy of the Budapest School

Description

Originally published in 1988, this is the first systematic account of the writings of Hungarian dissidents and former students of George Lukacs, collectively known as the 'Budapest School'. Dr. Brown demonstrates the importance of their work in contributing to a logically consistent yet realistic theory of socialist mixed economies, and genuine radical democracies. The Budapest Schoool's model of radical democracy represents a critique of both industrial capitalism and existing socialist systems, with immediate political as well as philosophical importance. Dr. Brown is particularly concerned to draw out its significance for the practical realities of political economy, and the logical implications for desirable reform of Western mixed economies. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Original Title Page Original Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Acknowledgements Introduction A Note of Clarification on Neo-Marxism A Note of Clarification on Mixed Economies 1. The Philosophical Foundation of the Budapest School Biographical Sketch of the Budapest School The Critical Theory Paradigm of the Budapest School The Value Premises: Freedom and Equal Self-Determination Human Essence and Alienation The Budapest School's Relation to Lukacs 2. A Neo-Marxian Conception of Industrial Capitalism Budapest School Opposition to Economism The Polanyi Thesis and Neo-Marxism The State as the Vehicle of the Protective Response The Relation of the Protective Response to Formal Democracy Form and Content in Formal Democracy The Protective Response and the Absence of a Proletariat From Class Structure to Stratification and the Mixed Economy 3. Implications of the Budapest School's View of Capitalism Fascism in the Context of the Budapest School's Approach Bourgeois Society Cannot Be Transcended Capitalism and Equal Self-Determination Summary 4. A Neo-Marxian Conception of Existing Socialism The Need for a New View of Existing Socialism The Marxian Heritage of Existing Socialism Existing Socialism as the Dictatorship over Needs Distribution of Power in the Dictatorship over Needs Existing Socialism and Equal Self-Determination Summary 5. Radical Democracy: The Alternative The Need for a Radical Democracy Four Aspects of Radical Democracy Ethics in a Radical Democracy Radical Democracy and Democratic Socialism Radical Democracy and Equal Self-Determination 6. Defence of the Mixed Economy The Necessity of Civil Society The Necessity of Markets Lessons from Soviet Experience Democratizing the Western Mixed Economies The Mixed Economy and Equal Self-Determination Conclusion Some Concerns and Connections Bibliography Index