HUMAN DIGNITY: SOCIAL AUTONOMY AND THE CRITIQUE OF CAPITALISM; ED. BY WERNER BONEFELD

Human Dignity: Social Autonomy and the Critique of Capitalism was published in 2005 as part of an ongoing scholarly engagement with critical theory and the Frankfurt School tradition. Edited by Werner Bonefeld, the collection serves as a tribute to the work and intellectual influence of Kosmas Psychopedis, a prominent Greek social theorist whose research bridged the gap between political philosophy, sociology, and political economy. The volume was intended to consolidate various perspectives on the social conditions required for individual and collective autonomy within the structural constraints of capitalist society.

The book functions as an academic exploration of the concept of human dignity, shifting away from legalistic interpretations toward an analysis grounded in the materialist critique of political economy. Contributors to the volume examine how the commodification of social relations impedes human agency, drawing heavily on Marxist theory and the legacy of critical sociology. As a niche scholarly text published by Ashgate, the work was designed for students and researchers of political theory, receiving recognition primarily within university curricula and specialized academic discourse regarding the intersection of ethics and capitalism.