Contemporary East Central European social theory

This chapter attempts to present the most important ideas of contemporary East Central European social theorists. It will have three particularities. While most of the best-known thinkers from the region were originally Marxists, little space will be devoted to them, as their prominence was due not so much to their ideas, rather to matters of political and ideological supply and demand. For much the same reasons, more than usual space will be devoted to historical and biographical background, or existential-experiential concerns. In compensation, the ideas presented hopefully still sound fresh, even anticipating recent developments in social theory – illustrating the thesis of Hadot and Foucault that philosophy, or theorising, is not just a matter of doctrine but also a way of life.