ABSTRACT
A theoretical discussion about socialism encounters problems similar to those of talking scientifically about the future: by definition, this future does not constitute a 'present reality' and is therefore but an imaginary object of reflection. The powerlessness of state power as a means of transformation appears to render any statist solution, whether a traditional social democratic or a communist. The constraints that the capitalist economy imposes upon the state, thereby disorganizing its capacity to maintain 'order' by responding effectively to political demands and requirements, are based upon capital's power to obstruct. One major change that occurred in the politics of most European countries is the appearance of movements which are activated neither by specific interests and status-related demands nor by ideological orientations, but by moral, political and cultural values. The chapter finds the theory that capitalist relations of production create a large, unified, self-conscious and mature working class capable of organizing and living in a society of 'freely associated producers'.
