Eszmélet (, Consciousness) is a Hungarian quarterly magazine for social critique and culture. Each issue contains essays on current theory, history, an exchange of topics, as well as one or two book reviews.

History

The magazine was founded in the summer of 1956 Aurél Bernáth, Tibor Déry, Gyula Illyés, Zoltán Kodály, and Georg Lukacs, and István Mészáros – a disciple of Lukács - was asked to be acting editor. However, because of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, only two "emigrant" editions were published in London, in 1958. "Eszmélet" is the title of a poem by Attila József, the famous Hungarian poet. The journal reappeared in 1989, this time in Hungary. Since 1993 editor in chief was László Andor, since 2009 also European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. The journal's articles show a radical and consistent criticism of capitalism. It aims to represent social solidarity, individual freedom and human dignity. In the past two decades, various organizations were formed around the journal (Friends of Eszmélet, Open University of Eszmélet). Their events are open to anyone. The twentieth anniversary of the journal's foundation was celebrated in Moscow with an issue in Russian.

Editorial Board

Eszter Bartha, Péter Bózsó, Ádám Fülöp, Gábor Kállai R., Matthias I. Köhler, Tamás Krausz (chairperson), Győző Lugosi (executive director), Zoltán Matheika, Éva Nagy, Klára Szarka, Péter Szigeti

Eszmélet Publishing House