European "cultural" social democracy: questions of freedom

• Autores: Nick Stevenson
• Localización: Cuadernos europeos de Deusto, ISSN 1130-8354, Nº 48, 2013, págs. 73-93
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.18543/ced-48-2013pp73-93
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo
• Resumen
  • español

    Este artículo pretende replantear el tema de la libertad en relación a la democracia social del pasado, del presente y del futuro. Argumento que gran parte del debate contemporáneo sobre la izquierda social demócrata europea pone el énfasis en una agenda comunitaria. A pesar de algunos de sus puntos fuertes este debate es problemático porque deja de lado cuestiones relativas a la libertad y temáticas de orden global. Vuelvo al liberalismo social que emergió en Europa en un contexto de totalitarismo. Los temas de la libertad se pusieron en manifiesto en este contexto, y se pueden volver a retomar de forma productiva en relación con las nuevas dimensiones del presente. Me centro, en particular, en los escritos socialistas «culturales» de 1940 y argumento que pensadores como Fromm, Orwell y Roselli tienen algo que decirnos hoy día. En este punto me pregunto si el neoliberalismo del presente comparte ciertas características con las ideologías autoritarias del pasado. Además intento evaluar críticamente desarrollos más recientes en ideas relacionadas con el potencial emergente de una Europa cosmopolita. Finalmente, en el contexto de crisis social y ecológica de la Europa contemporánea, se aportan sugerencias que puedan contribuir a replantear cuestiones relativas a la libertad y por consiguiente al cambio social.

  • English

    This paper seeks to rethink the question of freedom in relation to the social democracy of the past, present and future. Here I argue that much contemporary debate on European social democratic Left emphasises a communitarian agenda. Despite some of its strengths it is problematic in terms of its neglect of questions of freedom and more global concerns. Here I return to the liberal socialism that emerged within Europe in the context of totalitarianism. Questions of freedom were emphasised in this context, and can be productively returned to in the new dimensions of the present. In particular I focus on the "cultural" socialist writing of the 1940s and argue that thinkers like Fromm, Orwell and Roselli have something to say to us today. At this point I consider whether the neoliberalism of the present shares certain features with the authoritarian ideologies of the past. Further I seek to critically assess more recent developments in ideas related to the potential emergence of a cosmopolitan Europe. Finally in the context of the social and ecological crisis of contemporary Europe I seek to highlight how we might begin to rethink questions of freedom in ways which might help socially.

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