Party and Labour. Aspects of a Systematic Historical Research of György Lukács’ Philosophy Cover Image

A Párt és a Munka. Szempontok Lukács György filozófiájának szisztematikus-történeti kutatásához
Party and Labour. Aspects of a Systematic Historical Research of György Lukács’ Philosophy

Author(s): Ákos Forczek
Subject(s): Philosophy
Published by: Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem
Keywords: Georg Lukács; Lenin; Hegel; metaphysics of the Party; metaphysics of labour

Summary/Abstract: In my paper, I focus on the “metaphysics of the Party” in History and Class Consciousness. I read its closing essay, “Towards a Methodology of the Problem of Organisation”, as a philosophical text in the strict sense of the word – which is not an empty statement, since the essay is typically regarded as no more than a commentary on the organisational theses of the Communist International. First, I shed light on the distant traditions (Lenin’s party theory on the one hand, and the Hegelian concept of institutionalized freedom on the other) that Lukács draws on; then I show how these elements are further developed by the philosopher and how he interweaves them. Finally, I clarify the function of this construction in Lukács’ systemic thinking and trace the path leading towards his late work: I show how a certain “metaphysics of labour” replaces “metaphysics of the Party” in Ontology.

  • Issue Year: 16/2023
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 89-107
  • Page Count: 19
  • Language: Hungarian
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