The capitalist state and the possibility of socialism

Abstract

[The capitalist state and the possibility of socialism] As part of The Real Utopias Project, Erik Olin Wright has since 1991 explored various models of radical social change through a variety of anthologies and monographs, including Envisioning real utopias (from 2010). In this article, Wright examines how Goran Therborn’s book What does the ruling class do when it rules? from 1978 can be used to draft a possible socialist alternative to capitalism that is relevant to the anti-capitalist struggle today. Therborn’s book deals with how we are to understand the state and its role in reproducing prevailing class relations. This was a key issue for the labour movement of the 20th century when it – through democratic elections or revolutions – tried to transform society through the capturing of state power. Wright shows how Therborn’s analysis is still relevant to those who, in the light of the failures and acts of cruelty of “real socialism” and the global expansion of capitalism with rampant environmental destruction and inequality in tow, try to formulate a concept of true democratic socialism and develop possible strategies to challenge and transcend the predominant economic system. Publication history: Translation of the chapter “The capitalist state and the possibility of socialism” from Gunnar Olofsson & Sven Hort (eds.), Class, sex and revolutions. Goran Therborn – a critical appraisal , Arkiv forlag/Arkiv Academic Press 2016. (Published 23 May 2017) Citation: Wright, Erik Olin (2017) “Den kapitalistiska staten och mojligheten till socialism”, in Arkiv. Tidskrift for samhallsanalys , issue 8, pp. 47–76. DOI: https://doi.org/10.13068/2000-6217.8.2