Conclusion: Why Read Laski Today?

This concluding chapter discusses the continuing significance of Laski's work today. To recognize this significance Laski may best be considered as a neo-Marxist. The chapter sets the scene for Laski scholars to investigate how his work fits into this category and considers ways in which his thought can contribute to debates of the left after his death. One such debate is that of structuralist neo-Marxism, to which Nicos Poulantzas, Ralph Miliband and Fred Block were key contributors. Another debate considered the possibilities of combining resources of Marxism and liberalism. C.B. Macpherson was an important thinker in this respect. In another debate, Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri introduced the notion of Empire, as that of imperialism was becoming obsolete in the twenty-first century. They retrieved the notion of multitude to represent opponents of empire and considered the significance of sovereignty. Discussion of Laski can contribute to such debates.