The Contradictions of "Real Socialism": The Conductor and the Conducted

What was "real socialism"--the term which originated in twentieth-century socialist societies for the purpose of distinguishing them from abstract, theoretical socialism? In this volume, Michael A. Lebowitz considers the nature, tendencies, and contradictions of those societies. Beginning with the constant presence of shortages within "real socialism," Lebowitz searches for the inner relations which generate these patterns. He finds these, in particular, in what he calls "vanguard relations of production," a relation which takes the apparent form of a social contract where workers obtain benefits not available to their counterparts in capitalism but lack the power to decide within the workplace and society. While these societies were able to claim major achievements in areas from health care to education to popular culture, the separation of thinking and doing prevented workers from developing their capacities as fully developed human beings. The relationship within "real socialism" between the vanguard as conductor and a conducted working class, however, did not only lead to the deformation of workers and those elements necessary for the building of socialism; it also created the conditions in which enterprise managers emerged as an incipient capitalist class, which was an immediate source of the crises of "real socialism." As he argued in __The Socialist Alternative: Real Human Development__, Lebowitz stresses the necessity to go beyond the hierarchy inherent in the relation of conductor and conducted (and beyond the "vanguard Marxism" which supports this) to create the conditions in which people can transform themselves through their conscious cooperation and practice--i.e., a society of free and associated producers. **Michael Lebowitz** is professor emeritus of economics at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada, and the author of several books including __The Socialist Imperative__, __The Contradictions of “Real Socialism,”__ and __The Socialist Alternative__. He was Director, Program in Transformative Practice and Human Development, Centro Internacional Miranda, in Caracas, Venezuela, from 2006-11. Cover Praise for The Contradictions of ‘Real Socialism’ Title Page Copyright Contents Dedication Preface Introduction: New Wings for Socialism In the Absence of an Alternative A New Vision: Socialism for the Twenty-First Century Things That Only Look Like Wings Overture: The Conductor and the Conducted A Directing Authority The “Key Link”: Human Development and Practice Serve the Music 1. The Shortage Economy The System Paradigm The Reproduction of Economic Systems The Method of Political Economy Chronic Shortage The Principled Manager Enterprise Managers as Agents 2. The Social Contract Enterprise Managers as Principals Constraints Upon the Planners Job Rights The Nature of the Social Contract 3. The Nature and Reproduction of Vanguard Relations of Production The Vanguard Party The Working Class Under Vanguard Rule The State and State Ownership Growth and Bureaucratic Coordination The Specifically Vanguard Mode of Production The Organic System of Vanguard Relations Tendencies Withinthe Vanguard Mode of Regulation Unexplained Variations 4. Contested Reproduction within “Real Socialism” The Interaction of the Two Logics The Law of Value and the Law of Command Dysfunction in Real Socialism Deformation in Real Socialism Property, Plan, and Market 5. The Conductor and the Battle of Ideas in the Soviet Union The Context What Is to Be Done? Arming the Vanguard Technically The Class Perspective of the Economists The Vanguard Party in the Context of Contested Reproduction 6. From Moral Economy to Political Economy The Norms of the Working Class in Real Socialism The Moral Economy of the Working Class Beyond Moral Economy The Political Economy of the Working Class Beyond the Moral Economy of Real Socialism 7. Toward a Society of Associated Conductors The Fundamental Contradiction of Real Socialism The Germs of Socialism Subordinating Vanguard Relations The Birthmarks of the Old Society Questions Rather Than Answers 8. Good-bye to Vanguard Marxism Vanguard Marxism as One-Sided Vanguard Marxism as a Rejection of a Dialectical Worldview Vanguard Marxism as a Class Perspective Beyond Vanguard Marxism Bibliography Notes Introduction: New Wings for Socialism Overture: The Conductor and the Conducted 1. The Shortage Economy 2. The Social Contract 3. The Nature and Reproduction of Vanguard Relations of Production 4. Contested Reproduction in Real Socialism 5. The Conductor and the Battle of Ideas in the Soviet Union 6. From Moral Economy to Political Economy 7. Toward a Socieity of Associated Conductors 8. Good-bye to Vanguard Marxism Index While these societies were able to claim major achievements in areas from health care to education to popular culture, the separation of thinking and doing prevented workers from developing their capacities as fully developed human beings. The relationship within “real socialism” between the vanguard as conductor and a conducted working class, however, did not only lead to the deformation of workers and those elements necessary for the building of socialism; it also created the conditions in which enterprise managers emerged as an incipient capitalist class, which was an immediate source of the crises of “real socialism.” As he argued in The Socialist Alternative: Real Human Development, Lebowitz stresses the necessity to go beyond the hierarchy inherent in the relation of conductor and conducted (and beyond the “vanguard Marxism” which supports this) to create the conditions in which people can transform themselves through their conscious cooperation and practice - i.e., a society of free and associated producers."--pub. desc "What was “real socialism” - the term which originated in twentieth-century socialist societies for the purpose of distinguishing them from abstract, theoretical socialism? In this volume, Michael A. Lebowitz considers the nature, tendencies, and contradictions of those societies. Beginning with the constant presence of shortages within “real socialism,” Lebowitz searches for the inner relations which generate these patterns. He finds these, in particular, in what he calls “vanguard relations of production,” a relation which takes the apparent form of a social contract where workers obtain benefits not available to their counterparts in capitalism but lack the power to decide within the workplace and society In this concise volume, noted scholar and economist Michael A. Lebowitz considers the legacy of twentieth century socialist societies, or what some have termed?real socialism.? While these societies were able to claim major achievements in areas from health care to education to popular culture, they nonetheless met limited success in eroding what Marx called the?opposition of the worker as direct producer and the proprietor of the means of production.? That this opposition between workers and managers continued to exist in one form or another under?real socialism? means that, according to L By Michael A. Lebowitz. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [189]-216) And Index.