Blinken OSA Archivum
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Blinken OSA Archivum
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ENHU

Alexander Bala (Poland/US)

PhD candidate, University of Texas at Austin
Research topic: “Renascence” in East Central Europe during the period of de-Stalinization
Fellowship program: Visegrad Scholarship at OSA
Duration: February/2024 - April/2024

Research Description

This research traces the theme of praxis in the writings of humanist Marxist philosophers throughout East-Central Europe during the period of de-Stalinization in the 1950s and 1960s. These philosophers evolved Marx’s early writings into a critique of Stalinism, advocating for individuals’ active transformation of their objective social conditions through praxis, and thus for their active role in history. They fundamentally opposed the orthodox Marxist-Leninist view of the Communist Party as being the only legitimate agent of historical change.


Bio

Alexander Bala’s doctoral dissertation seeks to demonstrate how the so-called “Team 10 East” group of architects from East-Central Europe advanced the theme of praxis in physical and spatial terms. By mapping out the broader intellectual context of postwar humanism in East-Central Europe, the results of his research will uncover the points of connection between Team 10 East and humanist Marxist philosophers.


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Alexander Bala (Poland/US)