ABSTRACT
Georg Lukács has been claimed as a founder of Western Marxism, the basis of an antiStalinist New Left. This was due politically to his participation in the reform communist government in Hungary overthrown by Soviet armed forces in 1956. Intellectually it was due to growing awareness of Lukács through the publication of his work in English. History and Class Consciousness (1971) with its sophisticated exposition of an Hegelian Marxism, provided sustenance to an intellectually famished socialist movement, which was returning to ideological sources. Lukács, became an intellectual inspiration to this New Left. His focus on culture was attractive, with its emphasis on humanist ethical values. However, the enthusiasm for Lukács’ Hegelian Marxism meant that few Western intellectuals considered the implications of Lukács’ life-long membership of the Communist Party or those of his relationship with Stalinism. Yet both had an effect on how he perceived the responsibilities of intellectuals and the purposes of cultural policy. This is illustrated during the Communist International’s Popular Front period. This article examines these issues through an analysis of Lukács’ career in the Communist Party and concludes with a brief assessment of his continuing relevance for those interested in cultural policy today.
