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Written with remarkable erudition and clarity, this is the most comprehensive introduction to democracy available in a single volume. Tocquevillian in its scope and historical-philosophical in its orientation, Democracy traces popular government from its classical origins through the authoritarian and totalitarian backlash of the twentieth century. Unified by the theme of democracy as the expression of the belief in autonomy - communal, plural, and individual - the text examines democratic government and politics in normative, institutional, and procedural terms. Students of the history of political thought will find especially valuable its account of the democratic ideal, from Athenian direct democracy and Roman republicanism to the rise of liberal democracy: Stressing the interplay of theory and practice, Lakoff moves from history to the present by examining modern democracy as "compound autonomy", expressed in voting and electoral systems, federalism, and efforts of democratization around the world. His synthesis leads to the conclusion that although democracy is neither perfect nor inevitable, it is humanity's best hope for free, stable, and peaceful government.
At a time when political labels are hurled carelessly in the public square, Sanford Lakoff provides a careful and highly accessible introduction to ten political ideas that have shaped modern thinking. Each chapter traces the history and examines the meaning of one of these ideas, clarifying its meaning and impact by examining its history and interpretation. By explaining what these ideas have come to mean, both those we may endorse and those we may deplore, Lakoff challenges readers' preconceptions and promotes critical thinking about the big questions of politics. The result will appeal to all readers interested in the history of political ideas.
This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1989.
""Max Lerner: Pilgrim in the Promise Land" is a fair, honest, and vivid portrait of one of the notable American public intellectuals of the century. Sanford Lakoff's perceptive biography illuminates both Lerner's complex life and his turbulent times".--Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. 17 halftones.
This book reviews the historical development of democracy and the backlash against it, the theoretical character of modern democracy, the practical problems of establishing and maintaining democracy, and the meaning of democracy and its prospects.
This book is an exploration of human understanding, from the perspectives of psychology, philosophy, biology and theology. The six contributors are among the most internationally eminent in their fields. Though scholarly, the writing is non-technical. No background in psychology, philosophy or theology is presumed. No other interdisciplinary work has undertaken to explore the nature of human understanding. This book is unique, and highly significant for anyone interested in or concerned about the human condition.
Since the 1960s the number of highly educated professionals in America has grown dramatically. During this time scholars and journalists have described the group as exercising increasing influence over cultural values and public affairs. The rise of this putative "new class" has been greeted with idealistic hope or ideological suspicion on both the right and the left. In an Age of Experts challenges these characterizations, showing that claims about the distinctive politics and values of the professional stratum have been overstated, and that the political preferences of professionals are much more closely linked to those of business owners and executives than has been commonly assumed.
When Ronald Reagan introduced the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) in 1983, he boldly challenged the long-accepted nuclear doctrine of mutual assured destruction. He argued that the development of this costly and complex missile defense system, popularly known as Star Wars, was the only viable and real alternative to the ongoing proliferation of nuclear weapons. While Reagan's vision unwittingly accelerated the end of the Cold War, SDI soon became a program shrouded in controversy. Costs soared and researchers struggled to develop the essential and successful technologies, although the threat of an atomic exchange with the former Soviet Union no longer loomed on the horizon. Despite those ...
Presenting a concise history of British universities and their place in society over eight centuries, this book gives an analysis of the university problems and policies as seen in the light of that history. It explains how the modern university system has developed since the Victorian era, giving attention to changes in policy since the WWII.