From Marx to Kant: Social Domination and Emancipatory Praxis in Ágnes Heller

<jats:p>Drawing on Heller’s sustained dialogue with Kant and Marx, the paper argues for the continuing relevance of her social philosophy while also foregrounding unexpected affinities between these two classic figures in their respective conceptions of social and political community. I first examine Heller’s interpretation of the Marxian ethical-political legacy, paying particular attention to social experiments such as the Paris Commune and their significance for a radical Enlightenment project that rethinks the relationship between state and society. I then inspect Heller’s engagement with Kant and Marx on the historical continuity of republicanism, highlighting the rejection of instrumental domination and the demand for symmetric reciprocity among social agents. Finally, I analyze Heller’s theory of needs, particularly the concept of “radical needs,” and argue for its relevance to contemporary debates on democracy, social reproduction and non-paternalistic forms of political organization.</jats:p>