Czech Marxist philosopher who coined the phrase "socialism with a human face"
In his final years Richta tried to form a prognostic team that, in his own words, "would rid us of the political curse and allow us to officially examine society."
A Czech Marxist philosopher and sociologist who developed the concept of the 'scientific-technological revolution' and led a 60-author collective to produce Civilization at the Crossroads (1966). The work argued that centralized planning was obsolete in the age of science and technology, providing the theoretical foundation for the Prague Spring's Action Programme; Richta coined its defining slogan, 'socialism with a human face.' After the Warsaw Pact invasion of August 1968, he accommodated himself to Gustáv Husák's normalization regime, directing the Institute for Philosophy and Sociology while purging former colleagues and, in 1977, joining the press campaign against Charter 77 and Jan Patočka.
Career Timeline
- 1944Arrested by Gestapo; imprisoned at Pankrác and Terezín
- 1945–1953Studied at Charles University; PhDr. in philosophy
- 1949–1954Deputy editor-in-chief, Tvorba; editorial board, Rudé právo
- 1954–1966Researcher, Philosophical Institute, ČSAV
- 1966–1968Head of interdisciplinary STR research team; published Civilization at the Crossroads
- 1967Elected corresponding member, ČSAV
- 1969–1982Director, Institute for Philosophy and Sociology, ČSAV
- 1972Elected full academician, ČSAV