In this paper I am discussing Axel Honneth’s book The Idea of Socialism: Towards a Renewal by distinguishing two key moments: (1) first, the critique of Marxian and Marxist conceptions of socialism; (2) second, the reconstruction of socialism in which the concept of “social freedom” is identified as a normative reference. I then (3) address a topic that is particularly important for Honneth; namely, the question of whether there is a structurally built-in “democratic deficit” in earlier versions of socialism that could explain the antidemocratic developments that have occurred in “real existing socialism”. It is especially interesting that Honneth links this discussion to socio-theoretical problems. After a brief summary (4), in which the most important points in Honneth’s argumentation are outlined and prepared for a critical review, (5) I contrast his ideas to those of the Mexican philosopher Adolfo Sánchez Vázquez. The aim is to show that the major problems that Honneth finds in Marxian or Marxist concepts of socialism have already been perceived and discussed within a non-dogmatic tradition of Marxism. In line with Honneth’s interest, (6) I elucidate what Sánchez Vázquez says about the problems of the philosophy of history and (7) economism, and (8) the question of which social actors could take on the role of the proletariat today. In the conclusions, (9) I examine the horizon that emerges from these discussions, which epitomizes an emphatic, normative concept of “society”.