August Nimtz and Andrew Arato, moderated by Chris Cutrone

In the 20th century, socialism and liberalism became opposed political categories, with liberalism associated with the defense of capitalism and socialism associated with increased state control all the way up to totalitarian states led by nominally “Marxist” Communist Parties. Previously, however, socialism sought to advance freedom beyond what was possible in capitalism, and accused liberalism of falling short of its own social and political ideals. The turning point seems to have come with the Russian Revolution led by the Bolsheviks under Lenin. The Soviet Union, while continuing to promise socialism, brought not greater but less political and social freedom. At the same time, anti-Communism often brought about political alliances between liberals and authoritarians and even fascists, compromising freedom in the name of freedom. In the Cold War era, millions died in the conflict between liberalism and socialism. More than 30 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union and allied Eastern European states, how do we now stand regarding the relation of liberalism to socialism? How do we make sense of their vexed history today? What is the current status of the struggle for freedom under capitalism, and how might the history of Marxism help — or not — to contribute to this struggle?