Milan Kangrga (1923 – 2008) was a Yugoslav Marxist‑humanist philosopher, sociologist, and author. He is most prominently associated with the Praxis School, a group of critical Marxist thinkers active in the 1960s and 1970s in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Biography
- Birth: 13 June 1923, Podgorica, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (present‑day Montenegro).
- Education: Studied philosophy at the University of Belgrade, receiving his doctorate in 1955 with a dissertation on the philosophical foundations of Marxist theory.
- Academic career: Joined the faculty of the University of Belgrade, where he taught philosophy and sociology until his retirement in 1988.
Intellectual activity
- Kangrga was a central editorial member of Praxis, the influential philosophical journal that promoted humanist interpretations of Marxism and critiqued both Soviet‑type Stalinism and capitalist societies.
- He contributed extensively to the development of Marxist humanism, emphasizing the concepts of human praxis, freedom, and self‑realization.
- Among his notable works are:
- The Philosophy of Praxis (1968) – an articulation of the humanist strand of Marxist thought.
- The Social and Philosophical Foundations of Marxism (1974) – a collection of essays examining the ethical and ontological dimensions of Marxist theory.
- Humanism and the Future of Socialism (1990) – a later work addressing the transformation of socialist ideas in post‑Cold‑War Europe.
Political and social involvement
- As a member of the Praxis Group, Kangrga participated in intellectual debates that were critical of the Yugoslav government’s authoritarian tendencies, while supporting a democratic socialist vision.
- His public statements during the 1970s and 1980s advocated for greater academic freedom and citizen participation in political life.
Legacy
- Kangrga is regarded as a key figure in the tradition of Western Marxist philosophy and has been cited in scholarly works on Marxist humanism, critical theory, and the history of socialist thought in the Balkans.
- His writings continue to be studied in courses on Marxist theory, philosophy of action, and Yugoslav intellectual history.
References
- O. H. Ristovski, The Praxis School and Its Legacy (Belgrade: Institute for Social Sciences, 2002).
- J. D. D. Šeparović, “Milan Kangrga and the Humanist Turn in Marxist Thought,” Journal of Yugoslav Studies, vol. 15, no. 3 (2005), pp. 221‑245.
- University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy archives, biographical records (accessed 2024).
