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The Post- Industrial Utopians
Frankel, Boris
Publisher: Universiy of Wisconsin PressYear Published: 1987 Pages: 303pp Resource Type: Book Cx Number: CX8168 Abstract: Boris Frenkel focuses on the writings of Alvin Toffler, Barry Jones, Andre Gorz and Rudolph Barro to examine what he describes as the post-industrial utopians. Post-industrial because they believe that the world is moving passed the industrial phase into a new realm of ideas. The systematic concepts within social science developed during the industrial phase such as socialism and capitalism have lost their relevance. Utopians because Barro a former committed Marxist sees the disappearance of industrialized nations into small communities. Toffler, Gorz and Jones foresee a continued existence of giant corporations and a vast technology that will allow the population to "do their own thing." Frenkel asks both how desirable are their proposals and how feasible are they. The authors he profiles have all critiqued traditional society and social theory including socialism and communism. Frenkel believes that socialists should allow themselves to be questioned by Green values such as eco-pacifism, gender equality, decentralization, debeaucratization , participation and spirituality. Frenkel makes his on proposals at the end of the book asking what will it take to develop a Green oriented socialist society. Subject Headings |