Against Orthodoxy: Social Theory and Its Discontents (Political Philosophy and Public Purpose)

Essays on major figures in 20th century social theory from a radical, critical perspective";In Against Orthodoxy, the author engages some of the most provocative thinkers of the 20th century, including Georg Lukacs, Antonio Gramsci, Herbert Marcuse, Karl Marx, Harry Braverman and Paulo Freire. All of these social and political theorists were dedicated to fundamental social change, but many were forced to recognize the difficulty of achieving change in the modern world. This book demonstrates that all of them reject conventional interpretations of how radical change might be possible. What marks their unity is an effort to address capitalism's ability to incorporate widespread popular alienation. Consequently they urge serious attention by radicals to issues of culture, subjectivity, and education" Against Orthodoxy: Social Theory and Its Discontents 4 Contents 6 Preface 8 1 The Unknown Herbert Marcuse 10 Marcuse鈥檚 Collected Essays 14 From Scholarship to Critical Theory 15 Technology as Social Domination 21 Fascism and the Individual 24 2 Between Criticism and Ethnography: Raymond Williams and the Invention of Cultural Studies 30 3 Stanley Aronowitz and Robert Ausch: A Critique of Methodological Reason 44 Method and the Problem of Knowledge 45 Critique of Qualitative Method 48 The Hermeneutic Response 49 The Phenomenological Response 55 Social Knowledge Without Method 59 Conclusion 61 References 65 4 Georg Luk谩cs鈥檚 Destruction of Reason 68 Luk谩cs鈥檚 Retreat from Critical Marxism? 69 5 Henri Lefebvre: The Ignored Philosopher and Social Theorist 82 Historical Continuities 88 Volume Three: Discontinuities and the Technological Revolution 91 Recuperation 94 Space and Time . . . and Information Technology 96 The Information Revolution 97 Works Cited 99 6 Gramsci鈥檚 Theory of Political Organization 102 Introduction 102 The Modern Prince as a Metaphor for the Revolutionary Organization 103 7 Max Horkheimer鈥檚 Critical Theory 114 8 Paulo Freire鈥檚 Radical Democratic Humanism 122 The Fetish of Method 122 Freire鈥檚 Humanism 126 From Revolution to Radical Democracy 131 Sharing Power 132 References 135 9 Herbert Marcuse鈥檚 Concept of Eros 138 Capitalism between the World Wars 138 Critical Theory and Psychoanalysis 142 Marcuse鈥檚 Concept of Eros 147 10 Marx, Braverman, and the Logic of Capital 152 Introduction 152 Capital鈥檚 Domination of the Labor Process 158 The Omitted Part Seven of Marx鈥檚 Capital 160 Ideology and Commodification 165 Social Movements and Revolution (Self-Activity) 171 Conclusion: Toward a Counter-Logic 180 Notes 190 Chapter 1 190 Chapter 2 191 Chapter 4 191 Chapter 5 191 Chapter 6 192 Chapter 7 192 Chapter 8 192 Chapter 9 193 Chapter 10 193 In Against Orthodoxy, The Author Engages Some Of The Most Provocative Thinkers Of The 20th Century, Including Georg Lukacs, Antonio Gramsci, Herbert Marcuse, Karl Marx, Harry Braverman And Paulo Freire. All Of These Social And Political Theorists Were Dedicated To Fundamental Social Change, But Many Were Forced To Recognize The Difficulty Of Achieving Change In The Modern World. This Book Demonstrates That All Of Them Reject Conventional Interpretations Of How Radical Change Might Be Possible. What Marks Their Unity Is An Effort To Address Capitalism's Ability To Incorporate Widespread Popular Alienation. Consequently They Urge Serious Attention By Radicals To Issues Of Culture, Subjectivity, And Education-- Essays On Major Figures In 20th Century Social Theory From A Radical, Critical Perspective-- Machine Generated Contents Note: -- 1. The Unknown Herbert Marcuse -- 2. Between Criticism And Ethnography: Raymond Williams And The Invention Of Cultural Studies -- 3. A Critique Of Methodological Reason -- 4. George Lukacs's Destruction Of Reason -- 5. Henri Lefebvre: The Ignored Philosopher And Social Theorist -- 6. Gramsci's Theory Of Political Organization -- 7. Max Horkheimer's Critical Theory -- 8. Paulo Freire's Radical Democratic Humanism -- 9. Herbert Marcuse's Concept Of Eros -- 10. Marx, Braverman And The Logic Of Capital. Stanley Aronowitz. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. The book contains groundbreaking and immersive essays on crucial 20th Century scholars on social theory, discussed and analyzed from a radical, critical theory perspective. Aronowitz provides his unique and lauded critical eye toward the leading thinkers of our age, crafting an immersive set of essays on radical thought. In Against Orthodoxy, the author engages some of the most provocative thinkers of the 20th century, including Georg Lukacs, Antonio Gramsci, Herbert Marcuse, Karl Marx, Harry Braverman and Paulo Freire. All of these social and political theorists were dedicated to fundamental social change, but many were forced to recognize the difficulty of achieving change in the modern world. This book demonstrates that all of them reject conventional interpretations of how radical change might be possible. What marks their unity is an effort to address capitalism's ability to incorporate widespread popular alienation. Consequently they urge serious attention to issues of culture, subjectivity, and education Review: "Stanley Aronowitz is a national treasure and he proves it once again with Against Orthodoxy. Every page bristles with brilliance as he weaves his way through the work of some of the intellectual giants of social theory. Not only does this book provide a witness to public memory, it also ties together different strands of social theory while providing a historical and relational context for understanding the writers and theories under discussion. This book is invaluable for both academics and the wider public; a gift to theory and why it matters-a gift to all of us struggling for a better and more just world." - Henry Giroux, McMaster University, Canada, Author of The Violence of Organized Forgetting In Against Orthodoxy, the author engages some of the most provocative thinkers of the twentieth century, including Georg Lukacs, Antonio Gramsci, Herbert Marcuse, Karl Marx, Harry Braverman and Paulo Freire. All of these social and political theorists were dedicated to fundamental social change, but many were forced to recognize the difficulty of achieving change in the modern world. This book demonstrates that all of them reject conventional interpretations of how radical change might be possible. What marks their unity is an effort to address capitalism's ability to incorporate widespread popular alienation. Consequently they urge serious attention to issues of culture, subjectivity, and education.