Abstract

In Western intellectual circles the Prague Spring, to the extent that it is remembered at all, has become an item of nostalgia. Despite the appearance of a number of important historical studies, there is little evidence that the Czechoslovakian experiment has had an impact on Western social or political thought, even among the radical intelligensia. While “socialism with a human face” may be remembered with affection, theoretical insights come from Frankfurt and Paris.

On an immediate level this neglect is understandable. An attempt to democratize one of the most Stalinist regimes in Eastern Europe can hardly be of relevance to the investigation of the more complex forms of domination prevalent in advanced industrial societies.