Artikel

Realisme, utopisme en moderne arbeidstheorie

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Abstract

Realism, utopianism and modern labour theory - Today, an important discussion centres on the (im)possibility and the (un)desirability of a radical transformation of contemporary work society. In this article we try to put this debate in a positive, but altogether critical perspective. The main argument is that we desperately need a new comprehensive framework to analyse the current crisis and its encompassing problems in all their complexity. More particularly, we believe that the meaningful aspects of modern work are not adequately dealt with in the traditional, overall technical approaches of contemporary labour theory. The article tries to elucidate this argument by connecting social and political philosophy with modern epistemology. It focuses on the contradictory positions of two current bodies of thought : realism and utopianism. In this paper we argue that they are to a large extent complementary and, by appreciating each other’s strengths and weaknesses, even mutually beneficial. In our opinion, the cooperation of realists and Utopians constitutes a critical basis of thought, capable of fighting the orthodox discourse of labour; a discourse which treats modern labour as the primary source of value and structure in modern society.

How to Cite:

De Wispelaere, J., (1997) “Realisme, utopisme en moderne arbeidstheorie”, Tijdschrift voor Sociale Wetenschappen 42(4), 408–431. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/tvsw.95284