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This dissertation aims to evaluate the philosophy of Jürgen Habermas with reference to the arguments it provides for a theory of radical social democratic politics. Habermas is a German philosopher and social theorist whose broad concern is the defence and elaboration of the 'project of modernity'. This means that he wishes to justify modern, developed societies as viable and worthwhile forms of civilization. He attempts to specify and redeem the claim that these societies represent, potentially, the most advanced and rational way of organizing human life. Habermas is committed, among the various political programs which raise this kind of claim and seek to realize it in practice, to a form of radical social democracy. This tradition of theory and practice pursues the task of human emancipation by means of fundamental reforms to the social, cultural, economic and political institutions of contemporary modern societies. Habermas' work can be understood as one of the most systematic contributions to this tradition. The central question guiding the dissertation concerns the theoretical and political adequacy of this contribution. The dissertation establishes two general criteria for evaluating Habermas' work. The first criterion requires identifying the normative foundations of social democratic politics. It is argued that a 'theory of the rational' is needed to satisfy this. Such a theory must demonstrate that the social structures and political institutions of the modern epoch represent an hitherto unprecedented opportunity for the expression of the human capacity for rationality. The exposition of normative grounds for social democratic politics determines the basis for social criticism and political struggle. A theory of the rational, in other words, informs us of why we are struggling. Nonetheless, such a theory, on its own, cannot provide guidance about how to struggle. The second criterion of evaluation relates to this question of 'how', of what theoretical direction can be given to political practice. The dissertation contends, in this regard, that a 'theory of the irrational' is necessary. It is argued that a theory of the irrational offers a framework for orienting social movements in struggles against those obstacles which stand in the way of a further expansion of rationality. Such a theory seeks to understand the irrationality of human life in an effort to recommend political strategies that can intervene prudently in the current state of affairs. It is maintained that a satisfactory construction of both theories is essential for an adequate comprehension of radical social democratic politics. The dissertation pursues this argument by clarifying the nature of three dimensions of 'critique' within Habermas' oeuvre. Conceptions of critique represent methodological frameworks for formulating theories of the rational and the irrational. Habermas deploys these methods of critique throughout his work. It is argued, however, that his application of critique focuses primarily on providing a theory of the rational. The central thesis is that while he offers the rudiments of a theory of the irrational, this theory is underdeveloped. Since this theory addresses the question of how social movements are to struggle, it is argued that Habermas' approach lacks a practical dimension. The dissertation concludes that his contribution in this regard needs to be elaborated more consistently and in more detail. The dissertation represents an internal analysis of Habermas' work. It seeks to ascertain whether his theory achieves the philosophical and political goals required by the tradition of thought to which it belongs. The dissertation contributes to the critical literature on Habermas' writings in three substantial ways. First, it establishes a framework for understanding how the separate elements of his theory fit together. The identification of general criteria with respect to which a theory of social democracy is to be evaluated means that the political purposes of these various elements can be understood more clearly. The tensions between them can also be illustrated. Second, with the help of this framework, the dissertation expands upon and sharpens longstanding criticisms of Habermas' thinking which have pointed to a missing practical dimension. Third, the dissertation identifies theoretical resources, elaborated by Habermas himself, which it is argued can be used to overcome these problems of impracticality. With this, the dissertation also contributes, in a more indirect way, to the current debate about the meaning of and possibilities for social democratic politics.

Orientador: Antonio Carlos Mazzeo / Banca: Marcos Tadeu Del Roio / Banca: Virgínia Maria Gomes de Mattos Fontes / Banca: Paulo Douglas Barsotti / Banca: Jason Tadeu Borba / Resumo: O presente trabalho analisa a consolidação da social democracia no Brasil. O período discutido diz respeito aos dois mandatos de Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995-2002) e ao primeiro mandato de Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (2003- 2006). Observamos que a social democracia, tal como esta forma de organização sociometabólica do capital se concretizou no país, absorve e reproduz os elementos condicionantes da particularidade histórica brasileira, conformadas em torno da via prussiano-colonial de objetivação do capitalismo. Ao absorver, ampliar, aprofundar e reproduzir, sobre novas bases e condicionantes históricos, os contornos característicos dessa particularidade, o projeto social-democrata apresenta um caráter anômalo e tardio, sendo o responsável pelo resgate da ortodoxia liberal como fundamento de sociabilidade. Assim, o bloco histórico capitaneado pela social democracia representa a hegemonia da burguesia, cuja fração financeira determina a lógica da reprodução capitalista em sua atual fase de internacionalização. A social democracia não rompe, pelo contrário, reproduz aperfeiçoando a autocracia burguesa no país. Esta autocracia se expressa através de um conteúdo político-institucional legalizado, que lhe é atribuído pelo parlamento brasileiro. A autocracia burguesa é, portanto, autocracia do parlamento, que se desenvolve a partir da consolidação do colonial-bonartismo, fenômeno político próprio da organização de governos burgueses em períodos abertamente conservadores e/ou reacionários. Dessa forma, o Sentido da Colonização se reproduz no Brasil através do projeto social-democrata que, ao promover uma modernização de caráter conservador, resgata e reafirma os elementos essenciais da particularidade brasileira, transmutadas e metamorfoseadas em Sentido da Modernização. / Abstract: This work analizes the consolidation of the social democracy in Brazil. The period we discuss is related to both mandates of Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995-2002) and to the first mandate of Luiz Inácio Lula da Siva (2003-2006). We observed that the social democracy, as this way of socialmetabolic organization has been consolidated in Brazil, absorbs and reproduces the conditioning elements of the Brazilian historical particularity, conformed around the Prussian-colonial way of capitalism objectification. As it absorbs, amplify, deepens and reproduces, on the new historical basis and conditioning, the characteristic outlines of this particularity, the social democrat project presents an anomalous and late character, which is the responsible for the redemption of the liberal orthodoxy as a sociability substance. This way, the historical bloc, capitained by the social democracy represents the bourgeoisie hegemony, whose financial fraction determines the logic of the capitalist reproduction in its current step of internationalization. The social democracy doesn't break, on the contrary, it reproduces, improves the bourgeoisie autocracy in the country. This autocracy is expressed through a legalized political and institutional content which is attributed to it by the Brazilian parliament. The bourgeois autocracy is, therefore, parliament autocracy which is developed from the consolidation of the colonial bonapartism, a political phenomenon that belongs to the bourgeoisie governments in periods openly conservative and/or reactionary. This way, the Sense of the Colonization is reproduced in Brazil through the social democrat project that, when promotes a modernization of the conservative character, redeem and reaffirm the essential elements of the Brazilian particularity, transmuted and metamorphosed in Sense of the Modernization. / Doutor

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:31:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-04-15Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T21:02:08Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 deo_a_dr_mar.pdf: 1143880 bytes, checksum: e0478ec72e74983d73668e86e487db4b (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O presente trabalho analisa a consolidação da social democracia no Brasil. O período discutido diz respeito aos dois mandatos de Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995-2002) e ao primeiro mandato de Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (2003- 2006). Observamos que a social democracia, tal como esta forma de organização sociometabólica do capital se concretizou no país, absorve e reproduz os elementos condicionantes da particularidade histórica brasileira, conformadas em torno da via prussiano-colonial de objetivação do capitalismo. Ao absorver, ampliar, aprofundar e reproduzir, sobre novas bases e condicionantes históricos, os contornos característicos dessa particularidade, o projeto social-democrata apresenta um caráter anômalo e tardio, sendo o responsável pelo resgate da ortodoxia liberal como fundamento de sociabilidade. Assim, o bloco histórico capitaneado pela social democracia representa a hegemonia da burguesia, cuja fração financeira determina a lógica da reprodução capitalista em sua atual fase de internacionalização. A social democracia não rompe, pelo contrário, reproduz aperfeiçoando a autocracia burguesa no país. Esta autocracia se expressa através de um conteúdo político-institucional legalizado, que lhe é atribuído pelo parlamento brasileiro. A autocracia burguesa é, portanto, autocracia do parlamento, que se desenvolve a partir da consolidação do colonial-bonartismo, fenômeno político próprio da organização de governos burgueses em períodos abertamente conservadores e/ou reacionários. Dessa forma, o Sentido da Colonização se reproduz no Brasil através do projeto social-democrata que, ao promover uma modernização de caráter conservador, resgata e reafirma os elementos essenciais da particularidade brasileira, transmutadas e metamorfoseadas em Sentido da Modernização. / This work analizes the consolidation of the social democracy in Brazil. The period we discuss is related to both mandates of Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995-2002) and to the first mandate of Luiz Inácio Lula da Siva (2003-2006). We observed that the social democracy, as this way of socialmetabolic organization has been consolidated in Brazil, absorbs and reproduces the conditioning elements of the Brazilian historical particularity, conformed around the Prussian-colonial way of capitalism objectification. As it absorbs, amplify, deepens and reproduces, on the new historical basis and conditioning, the characteristic outlines of this particularity, the social democrat project presents an anomalous and late character, which is the responsible for the redemption of the liberal orthodoxy as a sociability substance. This way, the historical bloc, capitained by the social democracy represents the bourgeoisie hegemony, whose financial fraction determines the logic of the capitalist reproduction in its current step of internationalization. The social democracy doesn’t break, on the contrary, it reproduces, improves the bourgeoisie autocracy in the country. This autocracy is expressed through a legalized political and institutional content which is attributed to it by the Brazilian parliament. The bourgeois autocracy is, therefore, parliament autocracy which is developed from the consolidation of the colonial bonapartism, a political phenomenon that belongs to the bourgeoisie governments in periods openly conservative and/or reactionary. This way, the Sense of the Colonization is reproduced in Brazil through the social democrat project that, when promotes a modernization of the conservative character, redeem and reaffirm the essential elements of the Brazilian particularity, transmuted and metamorphosed in Sense of the Modernization.

Diss. Örebro : Univ., 2004.

This thesis deals with the working class of two advanced capitalist countries and focuses upon ideological conflict within working class organizations such as trade unions and political parties., The outcome of such conflicts within working class organizations is considered to be an expression of the state of working class consciousness at a given time. Within this broad context particular attention is paid to the ideology of social democracy which has been dominant in working class organizations in both countries during the modern period albeit to different degrees. The thesis uses a comparative approach and pays considerable attention to the interaction between the working class and its societal environment- the political economies of the two countries, the activities of the capitalist class and the impact of its ideology upon the working class. Using this approach the thesis deals with the emergence of social democracy as the hegemonic working class ideology, its main features particularly as they were developed in the post-war period, the emergence of possible contradictions between social democratic parties and ideology, and their working class supporters, and, utilizing an historical analysis of previous ideological shifts in working class organisations, the possibility of social democracy being superceded in its hegemonic role is considered. In dealing with such matters the issues of nationalization and incomes policies were· judged to be especially salient and are discussed in some detail. In the course of this study theories which posited an end to ideological conflict in the advanced capitalist societies are considered' and rejected. The past, present and future of social democracy, of ideological conflict, and of the working class itself, was found to be considerably more dynamic, complex and open to change than such theories had imagined. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The Social Democrats’ have had an incomparable influence over Swedish politics during the 20th century. This study looks at how this working-class party descriptively represents the working-class on its ballot lists for the Swedish parliament, Riksdagen. Using a mixed methods approach this study builds on an original data set including all of the Social Democratic ballot lists for Riksdagen from 1970 to 2014. The data is combined with qualitative interviews with party representatives in two constituencies. The combined results of the studies show that the Social Democrats are not descriptively representing the Swedish working-class. The party representatives seem to want to represent the working-class and they think that they are descriptively representing this social class. The results indicate that it might be more important for the party to find candidates that are loyal, than candidates who want to represent working-class interests. Furthermore, there are indications that the party might define the working-class in outdated terms; rather than focusing on the level of education, the party defines the working-class largely in terms of those employed in manual labor and heavy industry.

ANOTATION The thesis focused on František Soukup (1871-1940) and political party Czechoslavic Social Democratic Party, because he was the member of this party since 1896. Text describes his life before World War I. The work combines biography of František Soukup and development of the workers and social democratic movement in the context of political modernization - first at the example of party's newspaper, in which Soukup works. In the centre, there is a main theme of the party before World War I - the universal suffrage. Conclusion presents Soukup's activities after the legalization of this requirement, i.e. his work and speeches in House of Deputies, which are placed in contrast with his activities in the Socialist International. The aim of the thesis is write the biography of an important representative of the party and on this basis - analyze political discourse of social democracy at the end of the century. KEY WORDS: political parties, social democracy, František Soukup

Drawing on interviews and archival material, this thesis examines how the crisis of the 1970s and the rising power of business under the neoliberal settlement that followed impacted on the BBC’s organisational structure, policies and journalistic practices. Part I focuses on the breakdown of social democracy. Orientated towards and legitimised by the social order that seemed under strain, the politically appointed BBC leadership took a conscious conservative turn and, under pressure from the government, sought to curtail the influence of union militancy and sixties radicalism and to stem its own ‘fiscal crisis’ through wage repression. Meanwhile, despite facing criticism over its economic reporting, which routinely blamed trades unions for the perceived economic decline and crisis, the BBC leadership refused to even seriously question long standing editorial conventions. This, it is argued, left an explanatory vacuum that the New Right were able to skilfully exploit. Part II describes the process of change that the BBC then underwent in the wake of Thatcherism. It argues that the highly unpopular organisational reforms introduced under the leadership of John Birt represented an institutionalisation of the new neoliberal order at the BBC. It describes how business journalism came to displace social democratic patterns of reporting as a result of both top down initiatives and a range of external factors including privatisation and financialisation, the changing political economy of the private media and the power of advertising and public relations. By analysing archival and interview material in the light of scholarly work on neoliberalism, broadcasting and power, the thesis offers an empirically rich account of the subtle ways in which journalistic norms are shaped by wider social forces and a more satisfactory account of the BBC and its role in British society than existing studies.