ABSTRACT
Is the concept of socialism and, more generally, socialist theory, any longer relevant, given the current dominance of global corporations and markets, as well as increasing worldwide democratization, at least of a formal sort? Is there any point in attempting to rescue the old-fashioned idea of socialism from its ignominious association with various repressive and authoritarian regimes of the twentieth century? Certainly there are strands in socialist theory that are still of interest, and many of these have been explored and developed by numerous philosophers and political theorists in recent decades. Among these are the concept of positive freedom, the requirement for greater equality and mutuality in social and economic life, the importance of economic democracy, and of course the critiques of alienation, exploitation and imperialism. Increasingly, selfidentified socialists have also taken themselves to be feminists, multiculturalists, and anti-colonialists, and have integrated an emphasis on differences beyond those of class into their diverse approaches.
