Critical Social Theory

Short Title

CSTh

Full Title

Critical Social Theory

Brief Description

The aim of the research is to define the place of the Critical Social Theory (CST) amongst the social sciences, its own research object, methodology, and its standard of evaluation. (The research will build on the researcher's earlier three decade long engagement with the CST.) Furthermore, it aspires to study the foundation of CST's jurisprudence as well as its basic conception of democracy. Ultimately the research should give birth to a monograph detailing the findings of the research.

Research Period

2012-2016

Research Type

Individual

Project Supervisor

Szigeti Péter, DSc

Research Manager

Szigeti Péter, DSc

Contact

szigeti.peter@tk.mta.hu

Institutional Partner

The Institute of Political History (Budapest)

Support

The Institute of Political History (Budapest), György Lukács Foundation (Budapest)

Research Summary

The aim of the research is to define the place of the Critical Social Theory (CSTh) amongst the social sciences, its own research object, its methodology and its standard of evaluation. Furthermore, it aspires to study the foundation of Critical Social Theory's jurisprudence as well as its basic conceptions of democracy.
So far the following three parts of the project have been concluded:

  1. The basic nature of social sciences

  2. The essential properties of science as social science - the specificities of social sciences

  3. Historical Social Sciences and the conception of history in the Critical Social Theory

 The Breaking Down of the Project
The starting point of the research is the definition of the specific place of the CSTh amongst the social sciences.
Its object is the conditions and possibilities of human emancipation under the condition of historical capitalism.
Concerning its methodology the research combines the study of the study of empirical and historical materials with the theory-creation. Hence, the research is based on a unified view on theoretical questions.
The following important features, notions and problems define the political theory background of the research: the conception of the polity in the light of power and domination (it is the double dynamic of political phenomenon); the traditional notion of politics stemming from Max Weber, induced by the notions of public policy and 'specific public policy'; the question of whether politics is about the rule of institutions or human groups; the interconnectedness of pluralism, legitimacy, authority and the rule of government; the relation of the state and the law. The research will observe the concurring notions of political democracy and popular democracy with regard to the selection of rulers, to accountability and finally to the distribution of material and immaterial goods.
The research tries to provide answer to the compelling question of the value of CSTh in capitalism. This question is of utmost importance in the world where two phenomenon coexist. The unfettered homogenisation process of world economy ('Money driven economy.') exists side by side with the unalterable heterogeneity of the world society.
The research will study the tension between the diverse functional forms of capital and the potential powers of labour; the relation of financial and credit markets to the general, normal rules of profit. Finally, the research is set against a multi layered world nation states, regional structures and global structure dominate – though the global politics is run without global governance.