The idea of socialism

"Social freedom is the very idea of socialism." The idea of socialism, which gave normative support and historical orientation to the indignation about capitalist living conditions for more than 150 years, seems to have lost all attraction today. In spite of growing unease, hardly anyone at present is willing to be carried away by the idea of a way of life beyond capitalism in its name. How can the rapid obsolescence of this once so fascinating idea be explained? And what do we have to do if we want to save it for our time?the idea of socialism has lost its lustre, says Axel Honneth in his lucid political-philosophical essay, because theoretical background assumptions are at work in it, which originate from the time of industrialism, but now, in the 21st century, there are no convincing arguments at all.