Continuity and Discontinuity in the Development of Laski’s Thought

In this second chapter, the development of Laski's political thought from his early socialist pluralism to the Marx-inspired work in the 1930s and 1940s is discussed. Continuities and discontinuities are discussed, as the arguments he made in later work cannot be fully appreciated without understanding the continuing significance of his pluralism and modified pluralism. Particular attention is paid to events in the late 1920s and early 1930s which contributed to his gradual reassessment of Marxism and his adoption of key aspects of Marx's thought as he sought to understand the role of the state in capitalist society. Significant in this process were the rise of communism in Russia and the development of the Soviet Union; the rise of fascism; the British general strike; the 1931 crisis in the United Kingdom; the emergence of Nazism; political developments in Spain, France and the United States; and the significance of Italian and Japanese Imperialism.