A CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE THEORETICAL DIRECTIONS OF KARL MANNHEIM’S IDEOLOGY RESEARCH THROUGH LUKÁC’S NOTION OF TOTALITY

Abstract

The paper presents a critical examination of the theoretical underpinnings of ideology research of Karl Mannheim. The paper examines the concepts of totality, existence and free-floating intelligentsia and points to the consequences and limits inherent to Mannheims’ approach. Through the analysis of Lukacs’ definition of the concept of totality, as well as his thoughts on the relation between theory and praxis, we put forward a different approach to ideology research, freed from problems observed in Mannheims’ theory.