The article tries to analyse the essence of the past decades of societies that claim to be socialist and to what extent they have managed to go beyond capitalism? Elements of the new social set up, like new method of production or new mentality have not been created. In the second part of the article the authors discuss social trends which in the current highly advanced western societies point in the direction of a post capitalist alternative.

The authors make an attempt to explain the current processes from he point of view of formation theory. Examining the possibilities of a post-capitalist society (and in this regard with optimism) they try to explain at least in connection with certain issues why was it necessary – and in contrast to the general public notion how and why did it come organically from East Europe's social conditions – that the foundations of a society denying capitalism were laid down.

The article wishes to contribute to the rehabilitation of Marxism from the charges that it is the ideology of state domination through the presentation of the history of Lassalle's state socialism ideas (and some of his followers') and through the sharp criticism of that notion by Marxism.