The End of "Isms"? Reflections on the Fate of Ideological Politics after Communism's Collapse

In: Political studies, Band 41, S. 4-20

Abstract

Three essays discuss the role of ideology & politics in the postcommunist world. In Ideology after the Collapse of Communism, Kenneth Minogue (London School of Economics, WC2A 2AE England) argues that the demise of communism has resulted not in the end of ideologies but in the splintering of ideology into fragments that exhibit an "identity monism." This monism can reveal much about the character of ideology, & is the necessary condition for transforming a modern state into a managed project for the fulfillment of human needs -- an enterprise adumbrated in normative political philosophy. Characteristics & processes specific to the managed civil state are discussed, & it is concluded that ideology constitutes a direct attack on the modern liberal democratic state. In Political Integration, the Limited State, and the Philosophy of Postmodernism, Noel O'Sullivan (U of Hull, HU6 7RX England) discusses postmodernism's politics of inclusion in relation to the state, arguing that postmodernism represents a more modest conception of politics than has characterized the past two centuries. In After Socialism, David Marquand (U of Sheffield, 310 2TN England) suggests that the world has not seen the last of socialism, arguing that it will eventually be resurrected, albeit in a different conceptual scheme &, perhaps, under a new name. Critics who claim that socialism is dead as a political force are challenged, contending that socialism has an eternal dimension that speaks to the basic human need for collective cooperation. In Premature Obituaries: A Comment on O'Sullivan, Minogue, & Marquand, Alex Callinocos (U of York, Heslington Y01 5DD England) challenges the claim that socialism is dead or even in crisis, arguing that as long as capitalism continues to oppress people, socialism will remain a viable model of political organization. W. Howard