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Culture, Secularization, and Democracy: Lessons from Alexis de Tocqueville (ISSN)
by Sophie van Bijsterveld and Hans-Martien ten NapelFollowing the approach developed by Alexis de Tocqueville, this volume views democracy as a cultural phenomenon. It starts from the assumption that if we are to adequately address concerns about the current state and future of modern Western democracies, we need first to tackle the cultural preconditions necessary for the functioning of a democracy.Since Tocqueville’s time, the book takes the most crucial change in the West to be ‘double secularisation’. Here, this concerns, first, the diminished influence of organised Christianity. Even though secularity was partly a product of Christianity, secularisation is highly significant in terms of the cultural underpinnings of Western democracy. Second, it involves a decreased interest in and knowledge of classical philosophy.Chapters on secularity, family life, civic life, and public spirit focus on central elements of the changed cultural foundation of democracy, exploring issues such as identity politics, the public space, and the role of human rights and natural law in a pluralistic and resilient democracy. The volume concludes with a closer look at the implications of current presentism, that is, the view that only the present counts for the legitimacy and effectiveness of democratic systems. Finally, it asks if double secularisation can also offer fresh opportunities for promoting the conditions of a viable democracy.The book will be of interest to academics and researchers working in the areas of law and religion, constitutional law, political science, history, and philosophy.
Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey
by Florence WilliamsWinner of the 2023 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award A Five Books "Best Literary Science Writing" Book of 2023 • A Smithsonian Best Science Book of 2022 • A Prospect Magazine Top Memoir of 2022 • A KCRW Life Examined Best Book of 2022 "Keen observer [and] deft writer" (David Quammen) Florence Williams explores the fascinating, cutting-edge science of heartbreak while seeking creative ways to mend her own. When her twenty-five-year marriage suddenly falls apart, journalist Florence Williams expects the loss to hurt. But when she starts feeling physically sick, losing weight and sleep, she sets out in pursuit of rational explanation. She travels to the frontiers of the science of "social pain" to learn why heartbreak hurts so much—and why so much of the conventional wisdom about it is wrong. Soon Williams finds herself on a surprising path that leads her from neurogenomic research laboratories to trying MDMA in a Portland therapist’s living room, from divorce workshops to the mountains and rivers that restore her. She tests her blood for genetic markers of grief, undergoes electrical shocks while looking at pictures of her ex, and discovers that our immune cells listen to loneliness. Searching for insight as well as personal strategies to game her way back to health, she seeks out new relationships and ventures into the wilderness in search of an extraordinary antidote: awe. With warmth, daring, wit, and candor, Williams offers a gripping account of grief and healing. Heartbreak is a remarkable merging of science and self-discovery that will change the way we think about loneliness, health, and what it means to fall in and out of love.
Democracy in America
by Alexis de TocquevilleAlexis de Tocqueville (1805-59) came to America in 1831 to see what a great republic was like. What struck him most was the country's equality of conditions, its democracy. The book he wrote on his return to France, Democracy in America, is both the best ever written on democracy and the best ever written on America. It remains the most often quoted book about the United States, not only because it has something to interest and please everyone, but also because it has something to teach everyone. When it was published in 2000, Harvey Mansfield and Delba Winthrop's new translation of Democracy in America—only the third since the original two-volume work was published in 1835 and 1840—was lauded in all quarters as the finest and most definitive edition of Tocqueville's classic thus far. Mansfield and Winthrop have restored the nuances of Tocqueville's language, with the expressed goal "to convey Tocqueville's thought as he held it rather than to restate it in comparable terms of today." The result is a translation with minimal interpretation, but with impeccable annotations of unfamiliar references and a masterful introduction placing the work and its author in the broader contexts of political philosophy and statesmanship.
Skeptic: Viewing the World with a Rational Eye
by Michael ShermerCollected essays from bestselling author Michael Shermer's celebrated columns in Scientific AmericanFor fifteen years, bestselling author Michael Shermer has written a column in Scientific American magazine that synthesizes scientific concepts and theory for a general audience. His trademark combination of deep scientific understanding and entertaining writing style has thrilled his huge and devoted audience for years. Now, in Skeptic, seventy-five of these columns are available together for the first time; a welcome addition for his fans and a stimulating introduction for new readers.
Humans, Angels, And Cyborgs Aboard Theseus' Ship: Metaphysics, Mythology, and Mysticism in Trans-/Posthumanist Philosophies
by Mattia GerettoThis book addresses the most suggestive themes of transhumanism and critical posthumanism by placing them in dialogue with classic problems of metaphysics, and with some great thinkers of the past (Bruno, Spinoza, and above all Leibniz). The main purpose of this comparison is to invite transhumanists and critical posthumanists to consider a highly complex problematic tradition rooted in the history of philosophy. This study also makes use of examples drawn from the history of mythology, angelology, and mysticism. At the same time, the book promotes dialogue between scholars of classical metaphysics and philosophy of religion, and the potential metaphysical/spiritual theories developed independently by transhumanist and posthumanist thinkers within an anti-dualist and naturalistic philosophical framework. The goal is to ‘enhance’ contemporary transhumanism and posthumanism by promoting the need to safeguard intelligence as a principle, without falling into the trap of a violent and egotistic metaphysics.
Historical Justice and History Education
by Henrik Åström Elmersjö Daniel Lindmark Björn Norlin Mati KeynesThis book explores how the expectations of historical justice movements and processes are understood within educational contexts, particularly history education. In recent years, movements for historical justice have gained global momentum and prominence as the focus on righting wrongs from the past has become a feature of contemporary politics. This imperative has manifested in globally diverse contexts including societies emerging from recent, violent conflict, but also established democracies which are increasingly compelled to address the legacies of colonialism, slavery, genocides, and war crimes, as well as other forms of protracted discord. This book examines historical justice from an educational perspective, exploring the myriad ways that education is understood as a site of historical injustice, as well as a mechanism for redress. The editors and contributors analyse the role of history education in processes of historical justice broadly, exploring educational sites, policies, media, and materials. This edited collection is a unique and important touchstone volume for scholars, policy-makers, practitioners, and teachers that can guide future research, policy, and practice in the fields of historical justice, human rights and history education.
The Best Guide to Eastern Philosophy & Religion: Easily Accessible Information for a Richer, Fuller Life
by Diane MorganThe Best Guide to Eastern Philosophy & Religion provides a thorough discussion of the most widely practiced belief systems of the East. Author Diane Morgan understands how to direct the materialistic, linear way of Western thinking toward a comprehension of the cyclical, metaphysical essence of Eastern philosophy. With an emphasis on the tenets and customs that Western seekers find most compelling, this text is accessible to the novice yet sophisticated enough for the experienced reader.Inside, you'll find complete coverage of Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, as well as the less-widely practiced faiths of Shintoism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Zoroastrianism. Learn the fundamentals of the tantric path to liberation and the relationship between sex and seeking. Discover the true meaning of Feng Shui, the philosophical underpinnings of Hatha Yoga and Taoist connection to the martial art of Tai chi chuan. And if you've ever wondered: what is the sound of one hand clapping?, this book will get you started on finding that answer.The Eastern traditions, with their emphasis on harmony and oneness, have much to offer us in our hectic, demanding lives. For a comprehensive, entertaining exploration of the beliefs of Asia, The Best Guide to Eastern Philosophy & Religion is the essential manual for the seeker in all of us.
Wrong on Race: The Democratic Party's Buried Past
by Bruce BartlettIn Wrong on Race, Bruce Bartlett sets the record straight on a hidden past that many Democrats would rather see swept under the carpet. Ranging from the founding of the Republic through to today, it rectifies the unfair perceptions of America's two national parties. While Nixon's infamous "Southern Strategy" is constantly referenced in the media, less well remembered are Woodrow Wilson's segregation of the entire Federal civil service; FDR's appointment of a member of the KKK to the Supreme Court; John F. Kennedy's apathy towards civil rights legislation; and the ascension of Robert Byrd, who is current President pro tempore of the Senate, third in line in the presidential line of succession, and a former member of the KKK. For the last seventy years, African Americans have voted en masse for one party, with little in the end to show for it. Is it time for the pendulum to swing the other way? With the Republican Party furiously engaged in pre-2008 soul searching, this exhaustively researched, incisively written exposé will be an important and compelling component of that debate as we head towards November.
Bug Music: How Insects Gave Us Rhythm and Noise
by David RothenbergIn the spring of 2013 the cicadas in the Northeastern United States will yet again emerge from their seventeen-year cycle—the longest gestation period of any animal. Those who experience this great sonic invasion compare their sense of wonder to the arrival of a comet or a solar eclipse. This unending rhythmic cycle is just one unique example of how the pulse and noise of insects has taught humans the meaning of rhythm, from the whirr of a cricket's wings to this unfathomable and exact seventeen-year beat. In listening to cicadas, as well as other humming, clicking, and thrumming insects, Bug Music is the first book to consider the radical notion that we humans got our idea of rhythm, synchronization, and dance from the world of insect sounds that surrounded our species over the millions of years over which we evolved. Completing the trilogy he began with Why Birds Sing and Thousand Mile Song, David Rothenberg explores a unique part of our relationship with nature and sound—the music of insects that has provided a soundtrack for humanity throughout the history of our species. Bug Music continues Rothenberg's in-depth research and spirited writing on the relationship between human and animal music, and it follows him as he explores insect influences in classical and modern music, plays his saxophone with crickets and other insects, and confers with researchers and scientists nationwide. This engaging and thought-provoking book challenges our understanding of our place in nature and our relationship to the creatures surrounding us, and makes a passionate case for the interconnectedness of species.
Nine Pints: A Journey Through the Money, Medicine, and Mysteries of Blood
by Rose GeorgeAn eye-opening exploration of blood, the lifegiving substance with the power of taboo, the value of diamonds and the promise of breakthrough scienceBlood carries life, yet the sight of it makes people faint. It is a waste product and a commodity pricier than oil. It can save lives and transmit deadly infections. Each one of us has roughly nine pints of it, yet many don’t even know their own blood type. And for all its ubiquitousness, the few tablespoons of blood discharged by 800 million women are still regarded as taboo: menstruation is perhaps the single most demonized biological event.Rose George, author of The Big Necessity, is renowned for her intrepid work on topics that are invisible but vitally important. In Nine Pints, she takes us from ancient practices of bloodletting to the breakthough of the "liquid biopsy," which promises to diagnose cancer and other diseases with a simple blood test. She introduces Janet Vaughan, who set up the world’s first system of mass blood donation during the Blitz, and Arunachalam Muruganantham, known as “Menstrual Man” for his work on sanitary pads for developing countries. She probes the lucrative business of plasma transfusions, in which the US is known as the “OPEC of plasma.” And she looks to the future, as researchers seek to bring synthetic blood to a hospital near you.Spanning science and politics, stories and global epidemics, Nine Pints reveals our life's blood in an entirely new light.Nine Pints was named one of Bill Gates recommended summer reading titles for 2019.
The Reformed Local Government System (Routledge Library Editions: Government)
by Peter G. RichardsOriginally published in 1973 and revised as a third edition in 1978, this book provides a concise introductory account of the system of local administration since the Local Government Act of 1972 produced the most-far-reaching change in England and Wales since 1888. The book shows why such a major shake-up was necessary, and how the policies evolved which produced the new pattern of local authorities. The book contains basic factual material about the constitution and powers of the new councils and discusses the major problems which confront them. It also considers the respective roles of councillors officials and the political circumstances within which local government has to work.
Representative and Responsible Government: An Essay on the British Constitution (Routledge Library Editions: Government)
by A H BirchOriginally published in 1964, this book remains a seminal source for contemporary political scientists and offers exceptional insights into notions of responsibility. Wahlke (1971) describes it as ‘one of the best analytical surveys of representation.’ The book is a compact and critical essay on the British constitution which reveals the realities of British politics in the second half of the 20th Century by showing the extent to which theory and reality agree and differ.
Introduction to French Local Government (Routledge Library Editions: Government)
by Brian ChapmanOriginally published in 1953, this was the first post-War study in either English or French of the institutions and law relating to French local government and on the practice of French local administration. It is a study in political science and therefore, although the basic laws governing local institutions are dealt with in some detail, the aim is to give a picture of those institutions at work in the middle of the 20th Century. The book assumes no prior knowledge of the subject and will be of interest to students of French government and comparative political institutions.
Constitutional Bureaucracy: The Development of the British Central Administration Since the Eighteenth Century (Routledge Library Editions: Government)
by Henry ParrisOriginally published in 1969, this book discusses specific issues in the rise of a ‘constitutional bureaucracy’ as a counter-part to constitutional monarchy. These issues, including patronage, ministerial power and responsibility and the ‘grey-eminence’ myth are set against the relationship among legislation and administration, Treasury control and the relevance of public administration to our conception of public accountability and ‘representative bureaucracy.’
Delegation in Local Government: County to District Councils (Routledge Library Editions: Government)
by Peter G. RichardsOriginally published in 1956, this book outlines the history of delegation in local government since the establishment of county councils in 1888. It describes the use made of delegation over a wide range of council services. The technique of delegation has become more important in recent years and represents the compromise of the competing claims of county and district councils to control local government. This book is an important contribution both to the detailed study of local administration and to the debate on the future pattern of local government.
The New Local Government System (Routledge Library Editions: Government)
by Peter G. RichardsOriginally published in 1956, this book outlines the history of delegation in local government since the establishment of county councils in 1888. It describes the use made of delegation over a wide range of council services. The technique of delegation has become more important in recent years and represents the compromise of the competing claims of county and district councils to control local government. This book is an important contribution both to the detailed study of local administration and to the debate on the future pattern of local government.
Parliament and Conscience (Routledge Library Editions: Government)
by Peter G. RichardsOriginally published in 1970, this book has a dual purpose. Firstly, it is a study of how Parliament works when the party whips are withdrawn. The author shows how backbenchers can create legislation of great importance; he demonstrates the obstacles, political and procedural to social reform; he relates the votes of MPs to their personal characteristics e.g. age, religion and occupation, and he argues that Parliament achieves a fresh vigour and authority when MPs think and act independently of party policy. Secondly, Parliament and Conscience analyses 6 major controversies in British society in the late 20th Century: the death penalty, homosexuality, abortion, theatre censorship, divorce and Sunday entertainment.
The Prefects and Provincial France (Routledge Library Editions: Government)
by Brian ChapmanOriginally published in 1955, this book traces the history of the Corps from its foundation in 1800, the successive stages in the career of a Prefect, his or her legal powers and influence on the social, political and economic life of the country. As well as being an original piece of research, it provides an absorbing picture of life in provincial France and explains the fundamental strength of France despite her political contradictions.
The Profession of Government: The Public Service in Europe (Routledge Library Editions: Government)
by Brian ChapmanOriginally published in 1959, and using material collected from eight languages, much of which was previously unpublished, this is a genuine comparative study, not merely describing each country separately, but an analysis of the most important questions facing 20th century public administration. A substantial historical introduction traces from Roman to modern times the concept and practice of public service and brings out the underlying unity of European experience.
Government and Politics in Israel (Routledge Library Editions: Government)
by Oscar KrainesOriginally published in 1961, this book provides a clear authoritative work of reference, surveying not only constitutional form, but also actual political practice. The author deals in turn with the Knesset, the political parties and the electoral system, Cabinet, Presidents and Judiciary, the basis of citizenship and civil rights, the administrative structure, local government and foreign policy. The book also emphasizes the precarious balance of the new state of Israel in which immigrants exceeded the original population.
A History of Local Government (Routledge Library Editions: Government)
by K. B. SmellieOriginally published in 1946, this book traces the essential changes in structure, areas and in the relations between local and central authorities in England from 1832 to the Education Act of 1944. Modern English local government has developed from the industrial and scientific revolution and the growth of political democracy since 1832 and the present system is the result of an interplay between political, economic and scientific factors. The book contains a stand-alone chapter on London government and an introductory chapter on the condition of local government between 1689 and 1832.
Modern Forms of Government: A Comparative Study (Routledge Library Editions: Government)
by Michael StewartOriginally published in 1958 and written by a serving M.P. this book discusses the nature and purpose of political activity in the Government of Britain, the Commonwealth and the former British Empire. As politics is closely connected with history and economics, the book makes reference to these subject areas, but in a way that is only necessary to give a lucid introduction to the political problems of the 20th Century. The book was written in such a way as to be particularly useful for the introductory study of government and politics.
Political Integration and Disintegration in the British Isles (Routledge Library Editions: Government)
by Anthony H. BirchOriginally published in 1977, this book provided the first analysis of the processes of political integration and devolution within the British Isles, taking account of the social, economic and cultural factors involved as well as the unique character of the political system, together with the growth of Scottish and Welsh nationalism. The book contains both an analysis of the nationalist movements of Ireland, Ulster, Scotland and Wales and a critical assessment of the way British central Governments have reacted to these movements.
The British Approach to Politics (Routledge Library Editions: Government)
by Michael StewartOriginally published in 1958 and written by a serving M.P. this book discusses the nature and purpose of political activity in the Government of Britain, the Commonwealth and the former British Empire. As politics is closely connected with history and economics, the book makes reference to these subject areas, but in a way that is only necessary to give a lucid introduction to the political problems of the 20th Century. The book was written in such a way as to be particularly useful for the introductory study of government and politics.
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: Britain and the American Dream
by Peter Moore“Gripping . . . Vibrant . . . A wonderfully absorbing and stimulating book.” —Sarah Bakewell, NBCC Award–winning author of How to Live and Humanly Possible“[A] rollicking account . . . The book’s compulsive readability is a tribute to Moore’s skill at cracking open the pre-revolutionary period.” —Charles Arrowsmith, The Washington PostA spirited group biography that explores the origins of the most iconic words in American history, and the remarkable transatlantic context from which they emerged.The most famous phrase in American history once looked quite different. “The preservation of life, & liberty, & the pursuit of happiness” was how Thomas Jefferson put it in the first draft of the Declaration, before the first ampersand was scratched out, along with “the preservation of.” In a statement as pithy—and contested—as this, a small deletion matters. And indeed, that final, iconizing revision was the last in a long chain of revisions stretching across the Atlantic and back. The precise contours of these three rights have never been pinned down—and yet in making these words into rights, Jefferson reified the hopes (and debates) not only of a group of rebel-statesmen but also of an earlier generation of British thinkers who could barely imagine a country like the United States of America.Peter Moore’s Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness tells the true story of what may be the most successful import in US history: the “American dream.” Centered on the friendship between Benjamin Franklin and the British publisher William Strahan, and featuring figures including the cultural giant Samuel Johnson, the ground-breaking historian Catharine Macaulay, the firebrand politician John Wilkes, and revolutionary activist Thomas Paine, this book looks at the generation that preceded the Declaration in 1776. Everyone, it seemed, had “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” on their minds; Moore shows why, and reveals how these still-nascent ideals made their way across an ocean and started a revolution.Includes 16 pages of black-and-white images