Les Johnston

This book, first published in 1986, presents a radical challenge to socialist orthodoxy, subjecting a key component of that orthodoxy – Marxism – to sustained criticism. Les Johnston argues that Marxism cannot provide the foundations for a rigorous socialist theory or an effective socialist politics. A fundamental element of this criticism is the suggestion that the problem of ‘reductionism’ which has preoccupied Marxists is a red herring. Marxism’s problem is not its reductionism but its theoretical incoherence. Marxism is not ‘deterministic’, for there is invariably an indeterminate relationship between the materialism it invokes and the forms of politics it adopts. However, materialism is an obstacle to socialist theory. The contradictions and failures of Marxist class analysis suggest that the class concept is inadequate to the demands that socialists continue to place on it. It is not merely class which is problematic, however, but the conception of political interests which is associated with it. Even recent Marxist ‘revisionists’ who dispense with class primacy are unwilling to come to terms with the question of how socialist political interests are constituted. Socialist theory has to recognise the varied forces and interests on ‘the left’, and an effective socialism will have to be a pluralistic one. This means there can be no general theory of socialism, since a pluralistic socialism has to be able to adjust to varying social conditions.

This book, first published in 1986, presents a radical challenge to socialist orthodoxy, subjecting a key component of that orthodoxy – Marxism – to sustained criticism. Les Johnston argues that Marxism cannot provide the foundations for a rigorous socialist theory or an effective socialist politics. A fundamental element of this criticism is the suggestion that the problem of ‘reductionism’ which has preoccupied Marxists is a red herring. Marxism’s problem is not its reductionism but its theoretical incoherence. Marxism is not ‘deterministic’, for there is invariably an indeterminate relationship between the materialism it invokes and the forms of politics it adopts. However, materialism is an obstacle to socialist theory. The contradictions and failures of Marxist class analysis suggest that the class concept is inadequate to the demands that socialists continue to place on it. It is not merely class which is problematic, however, but the conception of political interests which is associated with it. Even recent Marxist ‘revisionists’ who dispense with class primacy are unwilling to come to terms with the question of how socialist political interests are constituted. Socialist theory has to recognise the varied forces and interests on ‘the left’, and an effective socialism will have to be a pluralistic one. This means there can be no general theory of socialism, since a pluralistic socialism has to be able to adjust to varying social conditions.

Government has been radically transformed over the past few decades. These transformations have been mirrored in, and often prefigured by, changes in the governance of security - mentalities, institutions, technologies and practices used to promote secure environments. This book traces the nature of these governmental changes by looking at security. It examines a variety of related questions, including: * What significant changes have occurred in the governance of security? * What implications do these changes have for collective life? * What new imaginings may be needed to reshape security? * What ethical factors need to be considered in formulating such new imaginings? The authors conclude bringing together descriptive, explanatory and normative considerations to access how justice can be conceived within the governance of security.

Government has been radically transformed over the past few decades. These transformations have been mirrored in, and often prefigured by, changes in the governance of security - mentalities, institutions, technologies and practices used to promote secure environments. This book traces the nature of these governmental changes by looking at security. It examines a variety of related questions, including: * What significant changes have occurred in the governance of security? * What implications do these changes have for collective life? * What new imaginings may be needed to reshape security? * What ethical factors need to be considered in formulating such new imaginings? The authors conclude bringing together descriptive, explanatory and normative considerations to access how justice can be conceived within the governance of security.

these are just two of the issues addressed by Les Johnston, who argues that policing, far from being the exclusive preserve of public personnel, is an activity undertaken by a mixture of public, private, and quasi-public agents. His book reviews the history of private policing, examines developments of current concern, and finally considers the implications of these developments both for the sociology of policing and for a more general understanding of public-private relations in the late 20th century.

these are just two of the issues addressed by Les Johnston, who argues that policing, far from being the exclusive preserve of public personnel, is an activity undertaken by a mixture of public, private, and quasi-public agents. His book reviews the history of private policing, examines developments of current concern, and finally considers the implications of these developments both for the sociology of policing and for a more general understanding of public-private relations in the late 20th century.