The article is based on the hypothesis that the right and left wings always organize themselves around the contradiction of property and freedom. The author expounds the idea that neither of these two extremes is suitable for becoming a principle of organising society, thus he argues in support of the validity of guidance by the centre. He joins the "pendulum" theory followed by many, which says that if politics swings in one direction for a long time, then social balance (which in the author's view is the balance of property and freedom) can only be restored if it then swings back in the other direction. The article is followed by some remarks of the Editor.

Lefebvre too, argues for self-management and the self-rule of the "civil society" against the limited democracy of parliamentarism.

A reflection on the kind of analysis in vogue which mixes up left wing with extreme left as well as criticism of the left wing on capitalism with the one coming from the extreme right.

Löwy characterises Lefebvre as a romantic. He proves the correctness of this idea through his opposition to modernisation and his romantic approach to revolution.

Zimmermann's basic approach is that the welfare state was not born out of charity but because its emergence was advantageous for capital. As soon as the benefits for capital ceased to exist, the elimination of the welfare state also began. She gives a detailed analysis of the trends that have led to the crisis of the factors serving prosperity.