The philosophical biography of Georg Lukács by G.H.R. Parkinson, first published in 1977, offers a detailed exposition of the intellectual evolution and cultural contexts of one of the most significant Marxist philosophers of the 20th century. The book serves as both an intellectual biography and a comprehensive guide to Lukács’s extensive body of work, tracing the trajectory of his thought from his early literary criticism through to his late, systematic philosophical writings, culminating in the posthumously published The Ontology of Social Being.
Parkinson’s study is particularly invaluable in its ability to elucidate the complexities and obscurities of Lukács’s earlier works, which are often heavily influenced by the dense and intricate dialectical language of Hegelian philosophy. For those unfamiliar with Lukács or struggling with the abstruseness of his early writings, Parkinson’s book provides an indispensable guide, systematically unravelling the layers of Lukács’s thought and placing them within the broader cultural and philosophical traditions of his time.
At the heart of Parkinson’s exploration is a detailed analysis of Lukács’s seminal work, History and Class Consciousness (1923), a text that has had a lasting influence on Marxist theory and philosophy. In this book, Lukács argues for a return to the Hegelian roots of Marxism, emphasizing the centrality of dialectics in understanding both history and class consciousness. Parkinson adeptly navigates the dense philosophical terrain of this work, highlighting Lukács’s attempt to revive what he perceived as the true, orthodox Marxist tradition in the face of the neo-Kantianism that was dominant in the intellectual circles of his time. This revival was not without controversy, as Lukács’s insistence on the Hegelian dimension of Marxism was met with resistance from more orthodox Marxists who viewed his ideas as a revisionist departure from classical Marxism.
Parkinson’s exposition does not stop at the technical details of Lukács’s arguments but also situates them within the broader socio-political and cultural context of early 20th-century Europe. He outlines the impact that the socio-political environment of Hungary, particularly its unique position within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, had on Lukács’s intellectual development. This context is crucial for understanding the trajectory of Lukács’s thought, from his initial engagement with aesthetic and literary criticism, seen in works like The Soul and the Forms (1911) and The Theory of the Novel (1916), to his later, more explicitly Marxist writings.
The early phase of Lukács’s work, particularly in The Soul and the Forms, is characterized by a deep engagement with the existential and aesthetic concerns of the time, heavily influenced by the currents of Lebensphilosophie, or the philosophy of life, which sought to emphasize the primacy of lived experience over abstract rationality. Parkinson carefully dissects these early essays, drawing out their intricate philosophical underpinnings and showing how they prefigure Lukács’s later turn towards Marxism. In these early works, Lukács grapples with the relationship between form and life, a theme that would persist throughout his career, evolving from a focus on aesthetic forms to the broader socio-historical forms that shape human existence under capitalism.
The shift in Lukács’s focus is most evident in History and Class Consciousness, where he introduces the concept of reification as central to his analysis of capitalist society. Reification, according to Lukács, is the process by which social relations are perceived as things, thus obscuring the underlying human activity that produces them. Parkinson provides a thorough exposition of this concept, showing how it is rooted in Lukács’s earlier philosophical concerns with form and how it represents a synthesis of Marxist and Hegelian thought. This synthesis is what makes History and Class Consciousness both a challenging and a revolutionary text, as it attempts to bridge the gap between the abstract, philosophical concerns of Hegelian dialectics and the concrete, materialist analysis of Marxism.
As Parkinson moves through Lukács’s later works, such as The Young Hegel (1948) and The Destruction of Reason (1954), he traces the development of Lukács’s thought in response to the changing political and intellectual climate of the mid-20th century. These works represent Lukács’s sustained engagement with the history of philosophy, particularly his attempt to reclaim Hegel from the distortions of later idealist and irrationalist interpretations. Parkinson’s analysis here is particularly valuable in its careful reconstruction of Lukács’s arguments, which are often dense and polemical, aimed as they are at countering the intellectual trends of his time that he saw as reactionary.
Parkinson’s study also delves into Lukács’s contributions to Marxist aesthetics, particularly in his 1963 work Aesthetic Theory. Here, Lukács attempts to develop a Marxist theory of art that avoids both the crude reductionism of some Marxist critics and the abstract formalism of bourgeois aesthetics. Parkinson skilfully navigates the complexities of Lukács’s aesthetic theory, showing how it is rooted in his broader philosophical concerns with form and totality. For Lukács, art is a form of praxis, a way of engaging with and transforming reality, and his aesthetic theory is deeply intertwined with his political and philosophical commitments.
The final chapter of Parkinson’s book is devoted to Lukács’s last major work, the Ontology of Social Being, which represents the culmination of his lifelong engagement with the problem of form. In this work, Lukács seeks to develop a systematic ontology of social being, drawing on both Marxist and Hegelian categories to provide a comprehensive account of the structures of social life. Parkinson’s exposition of this complex and unfinished work is particularly valuable for those seeking to understand the final stage of Lukács’s thought, as it brings together many of the themes that had preoccupied him throughout his career.
G.H.R. Parkinson’s Georg Lukács is an essential text for anyone seeking to understand the intellectual development and enduring significance of one of the most influential Marxist philosophers of the 20th century. It offers a clear and comprehensive introduction to Lukács’s work, situating it within its historical and cultural context while also providing a detailed and nuanced analysis of his key ideas. Through his careful exposition, Parkinson succeeds in making Lukács’s often difficult and obscure writings accessible to a wider audience, while also providing the necessary scholarly apparatus for those wishing to engage in a more detailed study of Lukács’s thought. This book remains a vital resource for scholars and students of Marxism, philosophy, and literary theory alike.
Simon Gros 
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