Marxist Criticism and Dissent in Socialist Yugoslavia

PRAXIS Marxist Criticism and Dissent in Socialist Yugoslavia Gerson S. Sher PRAXIS Marxist Criticism and Dissent in Socialist Yugoslavia By Gerson S. Sher From 1964 to 1975 a group of dissident Yugoslav Marxist intellectuals collaborated on, and identified themselves with, the philo sophical journalPraxis. In the early 1950s, inspired by the official Yugoslav critique of the Soviet Union and a relaxed cultural at mosphere, they began to develop a radical interpretation of Marxian theory. These writers maintained that concepts appearing in Marx’s early philosophical writings, espe cially praxis and alienation, formed the lifelong basis for his work of social criticism and remain applicable to all social forma tions. The author examines the philosophical assumptions of thePraxis writers and the manner in which they applied these theories to an outspoken, yet thoroughly Marxist, critique of contemporary socialist systems. The relatively progressive Yugoslav system of workers’ self-management, which has been viewed by orthodox Marxists of the Soviet bloc as a revisionist departure from Marxist-Leninist norms, is subjected to par ticularly close analysis by the Praxis Marxists; through their eyes, the achieve ments and failures of contemporary socialism are presented with clarity and force. The author also describes how the Praxis heresy within a heresy brought its advocates into often intense conflict with Yugoslav au thorities and how the group’s fate was influ enced by many of the major events of post war Yugoslav history. Most dramatically, the recent crackdown on dissident activity re- (continued on back flap) PRAXIS PRAXIS Marxist Criticism and Dissent in Socialist Yugoslavia Gerson S. Sher Indiana University Press • Bloomington & London »< 0.5 A ST* Copyright © 1977 by Gerson S. Sher All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any in formation storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The Association of American University Presses’ Resolution on Per missions constitutes the only exception to this prohibition. Published in Canada by Fitzhenry & Whiteside Limited, Don Mills, Ontario Manufactured in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Sher, Gerson S 1947- Praxis. Bibliography: p. Includes index. l. Philosophy, Yugoslav. 2. Dialectical materialism. 3. Praxis. Jugoslavensko izdanje. 4. Dissenters— Yugoslavia. 5. Communism—Yugoslavia. I. Title. B4844.D5S47 *99-497 77-72193 ISBN 0-253-34592-8 1 2 3 4 5 81 80 79 78 77 But if the designing of the future and the proclamation of ready-made solutions for all time is not our affair, then we realize all the more clearly what we have to accomplish in the present—I am speaking of a ruthless criticism of all existing conditions, ruthless in two senses: The criticism must not be afraid of its own conclusions, nor of conflict with the powers that be. —Karl Marx to Arnold Ruge, September 1843 A society without visible complaints should automatically be an object of the gravest suspicions. Either its population is obtuse or its rulers cruel tyrants, or both. —Barrington Moore, Jr., Reflections on the Causes of Human Misery and upon Certain Proposals to Eliminate Them Contents Preface IX Introduction xi I. THE GENEALOGY OF PRAXIS 3 Yugoslavia: The Arrested Revolution / The “Struggle of Opinions” / The Pogledi Experience / 1955-1960: Years of Reconsolidation / 1960-1964: The Birth of an Institution of Criticism / Praxis: A Profile II. THE CRITIQUE OF MARXISM AS IDEOLOGY 57 Philosophy and the Principle of Criticism / The Return to the Revolutionary Subject / Praxis and Alienation / From Marx to Stalin: The Reification of the Dialectic / The Transcendence of Philosophy: Philosophy as Praxis? III. THE CRISIS OF POLITICS: POLITICAL ALIENATION AND STALINISM 110 Political Alienation and the Crisis of Politics / Stalinism and Its Legacy IV. THE CRITIQUE OF YUGOSLAV SOCIALISM 151 The Idea of Self-Management / Self-Management Between Bureaucratism and Economism / The Economic Reforms and the Emergence of a Market Society / Nationalism and the Nationalist Mystification / Toward a Closed Society? V. THE PRAXIS OF PRAXIS 194 A Provocation /Praxis 1964-1974: A Narrative History Vll viii CONTENTS VI. CONCLUSION: THE INTELLECTUAL AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 242 The Concept of a Humanist Intelligentsia / Praxis as an Institution 273 Notes 329 Sources Consulted 353 Index PREFACE Much of this work was written at a time when the journal Praxis was a living reality and when it was still far from clear that, within a relatively brief time, what I was setting down could be read not only as a piece of contemporary history, but in a certain sense as a postmortem as well. Although I initially approached my study of the Praxis group with the intent of describing and analyzing an important, and in some respects unique, contribu tion to modern Marxian theory, it gradually became clear that at issue was a vital component of what now appears to be a closed chapter in Yugoslav political history, a ten-year period charac terized by a degree of intense, open debate without precedent in postwar Eastern Europe. Two events better than any other marked the end of this era: the expulsion of the so-called Bel grade Eight from the University of Belgrade at the end of January 1975, followed soon after by the closing down of Praxis in mid-February 1975. These circumstances imposed on me the very sad duty of having to make certain changes in the manu script for the sake of accuracy, such as altering verbal tenses in several instances from the present to the past. If parts of the text are still cast in the present tense, this is less a consequence of oversight than it is of my conviction that the history of the Praxis Marxists is even now still far from complete. I would like to take this brief opportunity to express my deep gratitude to the many members of the Praxis collective who have given to me most generously of their time, patience, and friend ship over the past several years. I shall always be in their debt for their help in acquainting me with important historical material of which I would otherwise have been unaware, for discussing with me many of the theoretical issues raised in this study, and IX X PREFACE for invaluable assistance in correcting some of my most serious misimpressions. In the case of a work such as this it is of course especially important to add the usual disclaimers that any factual inaccuracies are purely my own responsibility and that all in terpretive or evaluative statements, as well as the general con ceptual framework of the study itself and of individual sections, represent solely and exclusively the views of the author. It is my sincere hope, however, that by offering what I have sought to make a careful and objective analysis I will be able to contribute toward clarifying an exceedingly complex and tragic state of affairs. I also wish to acknowledge other teachers, colleagues, and friends who have given me guidance, advice, and other kinds of intangible assistance in preparing this book. Professor Wolfgang Leonhard of Yale University pointed me in the direction of Praxis nearly ten years ago, an action which I can only hope he does not now regret. Professors Robert C. Tucker, Stephen F. Cohen, and Lynn T. White III of Princeton University suffered through early drafts of the manuscript and offered many sensi ble suggestions in terms of content, style, and organization; without their encouragement, moreover, it is doubtful whether I would have found the determination to see this work through to publication. Suzanne M. Lavender cheerfully and indomitably typed through two drafts of the manuscript without a single audible word of protest about deadlines, afterthoughts, and my own impatience. Finally, my companion and wife, Margery Le- veen Sher, gave me obsdnate encouragement, comfort, and for bearance during a time which was as trying for her as it was for me. It is to her that I lovingly dedicate this work. Introduction This work is devoted to an examination of the theory and practice of a group of contemporary Yugoslav intellectuals whose public life, between 1964 and 1975, centered around the Marxist philosophical journal Praxis. While some of these theorists have attracted international attention as a result of the repressive actions of the Yugoslav government at Belgrade Uni versity culminating in early 1975, there is still no thorough treatment of the philosophical and sociological significance of this group as a phenomenon of postrevolutionary socialist soci ety. The few existing studies which have devoted only partial attention to the Praxis Marxists1 have as a rule neglected to con sider the significance of their appearance as a distinct intellec tual grouping, their history, the factors dividing them from other more officially “acceptable” currents of Yugoslav Marxist theory, and the problems arising from the peculiar mode of “philosophical” criticism which they have embraced. The pre sent study has essentially two major purposes. It is based, first, on the premise that a clear understanding of these issues can contribute to a broader appreciation of important political and cultural trends in modern Yugoslavia. Moreover, it is offered in the hope that an analysis of this vital school of thought may represent a positive contribution to the widespread reevaluation

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