The young Lukács: a cry against alienation

Abstract

This article aims to discuss, albeit in an embryonic form, what guided the life praxis of
the Hungarian philosopher György Lukács – the critique of alienation. The refusal of
bourgeois values in their initial rebellion is far beyond a simple “little box” labeled
idealist, the young Lukács was able to identify a cultural, social and ethical crisis in
bourgeois society, which beyond labeling, criticism and self-criticism carries a
continuity-discontinuity “conducting thread” that must be recovered. Our objective,
based on an immanent reading of Lukács's youthful production and bibliographical
review, is to demonstrate that between 1904-1912 Lukács already presents in genesis
what he will develop in his later works on the phenomenon of reification and alienation.