Socialism: The Active Utopia

by Zygmunt Bauman

Rather than contributing to the long-standing discussion about the characteristics of the society that socialism proposes to establish, this Routledge Revival, initially published in 1976, aims to explore the impact of the ?living utopia? of socialism on the development of modern society. It begins with an analysis of the role of utopia in general, and of the socialist utopia in particular; Bauman considers the opposition between ?utopian? and ?scientific? social thought; He presents socialism as the ?counter-culture? of capitalist society; The book finally examines the reasons for the failure of socialism in its application to the peasant revolution in Russia. It then explores some possible forms that the socialist utopia might take in the industrial societies of the late twentieth century. Professor Bauman writes for those who want to understand the logic of the historical fate of socialism in the present century, who are concerned about the validity and vitality of socialist ideas on the development of modern society, and who are interested, and perhaps confused, by the cultural and ideological conflicts of the last few decades.

Genres: Politics, Philosophy, Utopia

150 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Zygmunt Bauman was a world-renowned Polish sociologist and philosopher, and Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Leeds. He was one of the world's most eminent social theorists, writing on issues as diverse as modernity and the Holocaust, postmodern consumerism and liquid modernity and one of the creators of the concept of “postmodernism”.

Reviews

[ehk2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is written in 1976, before the collapse of 'real socialism's in the East and the retreat of social democratic welfare-state policies in the West. Yet, it has not lost its critical edge and relevance -to the contrary, for people trying to find ways of opposing the oppressive 'realism' of current politics, Bauman's this relatively little read book is more of a necessity now.

[Wiktor · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is not a simple book. As an amateur of political philosophy dissertations, you can get lost in the nontrivial way in which Bauman presents his ideas. Having a general grasp of political views as such, it is not difficult to agree that socialism was (and still is) the only formed and verbalized alternative to capitalism.

Socialism cannot stop at simply criticizing the current system. It cannot only offer corrections to what currently is - it must be an evolution, but also a profound paradigm shift. It must break with the capital as the only option for the perspective of human life. One must mind history - socialism must not lead us astray, as the Soviets or other supposed emancipators of the society have done before.

The author's bitter message about the extinction of solidarity among people, about the privatization of our very being, resonates like never before. Until we start to think and act so that we accomplish ourselves through society and not in spite of it, we will have to participate in a race at the end of which there are only loneliness and misery. The freedom of the few, but not of all of us.

[Dosia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mnóstwo odniesień do tytułów, których jeszcze nie czytałam; monstrualna erudycja. Aż żałuję, że nie robiłam notatek. Będę musiała kiedyś wrócić do tego tekstu.