Otwarty marksizm i odrodzenie socjologii: rola Juliana Hochfelda i Zygmunta Baumana
Open Marxism and the Revival of Sociology: the Role of Julian Hochfeld and Zygmunt Bauman

Summary/Abstract: In 1956, political liberalization in Poland resulted in the revival of sociology,previously banned from Polish universities. Julian Hochfeld (1911–1966), previouslya leading Socialist politician and currently professor of the University of Warsaw,played an important role in this process by (a) initiating the debate on the revision ofMarxist social theory in the spirit of „Open Marxism”, and (b) establishing the chairof political sociology at the University of Warsaw. His closest associate and successorwas Zygmunt Bauman (1925–2107) until his politically motivated dismissal fromthe University of Warsaw and emigration in 1968. Academic interests of Hochfeld’sschool focused on (a) reinterpretation of Marxist social theory and its confrontationwith main trends in contemporary sociology, (b) empirical research on political lifein Poland, and (c) comparative cross-national study of politics. This tradition is nowcontinued by the new generation of Polish political sociologists.

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