Critical Theories and the Budapest School brings together new perspectives on the Budapest School in the context of contemporary developments in critical theory. Engaging with the work of the prominent group of figures associated with Georg Lukacs, this book sheds new light on the unique and nuanced critiques of modernity offered by this school, informed as its members' insights have been by first-hand experiences of Nazism, Soviet-type societies, and the liberal-democratic West.

With studies of topics central to contemporary critical theory, such as the political and historical consciousness of modernity, the importance of bio-politics, the complexity of the human condition, and the relevance of comedy and friendship to developing critical perspectives, the authors draw on the works of Agnes Heller, Maria Markus, Gyoergy Markus, and Ferenc Feher, demonstrating their enduring relevance to critical theory today and the ways in which these philosophers can inform new perspectives on culture and politics.

An innovative reassessment of the Budapest School and the importance of its legacy, this book opens a much-needed and neglected dialogue with other schools and traditions of critical theorizing that will be of interest to scholars of sociology, philosophy, and social theory.

About the Author

Jonathan Pickle teaches in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at New Jersey City University, USA.

John Rundell is Principal Honorary and Associate Professor and Reader in Social Theory at The University of Melbourne, Australia.

Book Information
ISBN 9780367332969
Author John Rundell
Format Paperback
Page Count 294
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 566g