From the New Left to the New Populism

In: Telos, Heft 101, S. 173-208

Abstract

Part of a special section, "Is There a 'Telos' Left in Telos? Reflections after 100 Issues," examining the nature of Telos, which continues to lack consensus. A review of Marxist ideology provides an understanding of the initial basis of Telos, which was not, in fact, a study of Western Marxism. While various Marxisms were frequent topics, the journal was a New Left project to strengthen a social movement through theoretical studies. Telos investigated the contradictions of a capitalist system within a democracy, & in this regard, sought to provide declining Marxism with a theoretical foundation. When such efforts failed, due to societal changes, the journal focused it efforts on developing a critical theory through which to establish organic communities & federal populism. Also discussed are the role that conservatism has played in Telos's development, & its potential role in objectively interpreting the present. M. Piciocchi