Personal Development

As a young man I was part of the Generation 68 (see my book 'Generation 68'; in German). I did read some Frankfurt School texts as well as some classic French Surrealism and crazy US Beatnik stuff.
When - as a student - I started part-time work I got more interested in the classic debate between Anarchism (Bakunin) and Communism (Marx).
It became more and more evident that effective political practice needs good theory, a lot of good theory.
To overcome the bad existing theory, which only justified the social circumstances I wanted to change, I had to study existing economic theory (political theory and sociology seemed to be of minor scientific standing).
Following my interpretation of Hegel, one could only negate a theory if one knows it perfectly - there is no cheap 'alternative way' to avoid knowledge accumulation. So I took the burden of an academic career.
Nevertheless I always tried not to loose the focus of political relevance, as well as some free-wheeling affection for 'useless' artistic activity. Creativity was always the child of two parents, need and muse.
After my retirement from TU Vienna I started to write also more belletristic-political books in German (all my books).

Cornerstones and Initiatives

Three theoretical pillars for my political work have to be mentioned: Hegel, Marx, and to a lesser extent Schumpeter. Parallel to my efforts to understand, I also took part in all kinds of progressive student activity,
e.g. organizing the successful resistance against nukes in Austria.

Political Theory as a component of Political Economy


The political position I tried to develop since the 70-ties probably is best characterized as 'thinking in Hegel-Marx tradition', i.e. dialectical, and supporting politics, which make room for progress of all individuals.
Being a scientist, the actions I can contribute most concern scientific progress. To do so, it is necessary to study existing knowledge (including existing ideology) as seriously as needed to be able to improve, to overcome it.
Of course, existing knowledge is so enormous that one easily gets lost - also lost for progressive political movements. So it sometimes needs courageous shortcuts, one has to follow intuition and take (scientific) risks.
To promote European unification has been such a risk, also to take a closer look at evolutionary economic theory (Darwin, Schumpeter) was at first sight a risk. It proved to be 'good medicine' for the task of implementing
a better society. Designs for a finally emerging global democracy badly need such ingedients.
As it turned out in the last decade, the immediate danger for everyday political life is the surge of a new extreme right, of neo-fascism. Conservative parties are split between more hesitant, 'liberal' parts and colaborative right-wing parts.
To a lesser extent the same is true for socialdemocrats, whose traditional bourgeois goal (fighting Stalinism) has vanished. In the meantime the new form of authoritarian 'Disintegration Capitalism' dominates world politics.
In this situation not only a common fight against Fascism in Europe is high on the agenda, but it also is mandatory to fight against the upcoming of global military conflict (WW 3).
These are not political positions that figure prominently in the programs of existing political parties, thus I do engage in forming a global class of organic intellectuals ....