This authoritative survey traces the development of Lukács' thought from his conversion to Marxism to his renunciation of , from his remarkably fertile 'essay period' to the Ontology. The essays explore the evolution of his work in relation to that of his contemporaries, among them Brecht, Bloch, and Husserl. They reflect at every turn the contributors' broad commitment to Lukács' philosophy, but they are always critical in their approach. Lukács' ambiguities are noted without compromise and his inconsistencies deftly exposed.