Georg Lukacs: From Romanticism to Bolshevism

Georg Lukács, a Central European aesthetic vitalist, transformed into a significant Marxist theorist and Communist militant. Michael Löwy's study traced and explained this mutation, reconstructing Lukács's thinking and exploring his encounters with Bolshevism. The book also examined the philosophical problematic of Lebensphilosophie in Germany and Hungary, discussing Lukács's famous works and his ambiguous settlement with Stalinism.

Format: Unspecified
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 21 November 2023
Publisher: Verso Books

The transformation of Georg Lukács, a prominent figure in Central European aesthetic vitalism, into a significant Marxist theorist and Communist militant has remained a mystery for many years. In this groundbreaking study, Michael Löwy has for the first time traced and explained the remarkable shift in Lukács' thought between 1909 and 1929. Löwy meticulously reconstructed the intricate trajectory of Lukács' thinking as he gradually approached his decisive encounter with Bolshevism, utilizing numerous unpublished sources. The book delves into various aspects of Lukács' life, including his early religious convictions, the influence of Dostoyevsky's images of pre-revolutionary Russia on him and Max Weber, his friendships with Ernst Bloch and Thomas Mann, and the philosophical problem of Lebensphilosophie that dominated the intelligentsias of both Germany and Hungary in the pre-war period.

Löwy also presents a fascinating case study in the sociology of ideas, demonstrating how the same philosophical issue of Lebensphilosophie shaped the intellectual discourse of both Germany and Hungary before World War I. However, the different configurations of social forces in each country led to opposite political outcomes. The book analyzes and assesses Lukács' famous works, including Tactics and Ethics, History and Class Consciousness, and Lenin, providing valuable insights into his thought.

In the concluding chapter, Löwy discusses Lukács' eventual ambiguous settlement with Stalinism in the 1930s and its coda of renewed radicalism in the final years of his life. The new edition of the book includes a substantial new introduction that reassesses Lukács' thought in the light of newly published texts and debates. This revised edition of Michael Löwy's groundbreaking study is a valuable contribution to the understanding of Lukács' intellectual journey and his significant role in the history of twentieth-century philosophy and politics.

Weight: 210g
Dimension: 128 x 198 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781804295496
Edition number: New ed