From Ideology to Eidos: Recovering from State Socialism in Hungary

The author argues for an enhanced focus on promoting critically reflective thinking in the academic systems of countries emerging from the effects of previous dictatorships. She explores the discursive patterns characteristic of state socialism that were in effect in Hungary between 1948 and 1989. The author asserts that the cultural legacy of the era may still be a barrier to democratization and have an impact on scientific research and academic life. Universities, as the institutions shaping common epistemologies, can play a constructive role in the democratic development of these societies (Watkins, 2010).