THE STATE IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT POST-CAPITALIST SOCIETY: FOCUS ON "DYING OFF"?

Abstract

The article disputes the thesis of the majority of modern left-wing theorists, according to which the state must "die off" sooner or later. The author believes that in the proposed post-capitalist society the social antagonisms generating the need for the state will not necessarily disappear. The class struggle may be replaced by the struggle of individuals for creative self-realization, in which the overwhelming majority are destined to become losers. Accordingly, it is quite likely that the state, from the machine of oppression of one class by another, will turn into a "tool" (moral, cultural, political, etc.) of prominent creative personalities domination. However, according to the author, in this dynamic, the state could perform a number of socially significant functions. It could: a) resolve social conflicts that arise between competing creative individuals; b) to oversee creative activity, potentially carrying a threat to the humanity; c) to ensure registration and merit control system operation, which would make it possible to identify the most worthy representatives of the society, forming political (cultural, social, aesthetic, etc.) agenda. The state of the future could also protect the results of creative activity from theft and defamatory use; protect an individual's honor and dignity. According to the author, an "antagonistic" post-capitalist society, in which there is a struggle for creative self-realization and the need for a "personalitysafeguarding" state, is much more preferable than an anarchic society that cultivates "personal equality", which inevitably leads to the predominance of anonymity and impersonality.