The Scottish Enlightenment and Hegel’s Account of ‘Civil Society’

The Scottish Enlightenment and Hegel’s Account of ‘Civil Society’

Author: N. Waszek

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 302

ISBN-13: 9400927509

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The present study, which investigates the influence of the Scottish Enlightenment on Hegel's account of 'civil society' or "biirgerliche Gesellschaft", is based on my PhD thesis, submitted to the University of Cambridge in September 1983. Its publication provides me with a welcome opportunity to acknowledge the help and encouragement I have received over the years from scholars, friends, and relations. At the Ruhr University of Bochum where I began my studies, I am indebted to Professor Otto Poggeler (Director of the Hegel Archives), to the other, past and present members of staff at the Hegel Archives, and to Professors Jiirgen Gebhardt, Jiirgen von Kempski, Heinz Kim merle; and Leo Kofler. It was my time at Bochum under the guidance of these scholars that kindled my love for the study of Hegel, which proved to be a lasting romance. In Scotland, where I continued my studies and spent two fruitful and happy years, I am indebted to George Elder Davie and Richard Gunn, who first introduced me to the Scottish Enlightenment, and to Professors R. H. Campbell and T. D. Campbell, who supervised my research in that field. At Cambridge, where most of this study was prepared, my greatest debt is to Duncan Forbes. I am grateful for his supervision of my research, but also, beyond the scope of my research, for what I have learned, genuinely learned, from the man.


Book Synopsis The Scottish Enlightenment and Hegel’s Account of ‘Civil Society’ by : N. Waszek

Download or read book The Scottish Enlightenment and Hegel’s Account of ‘Civil Society’ written by N. Waszek and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The present study, which investigates the influence of the Scottish Enlightenment on Hegel's account of 'civil society' or "biirgerliche Gesellschaft", is based on my PhD thesis, submitted to the University of Cambridge in September 1983. Its publication provides me with a welcome opportunity to acknowledge the help and encouragement I have received over the years from scholars, friends, and relations. At the Ruhr University of Bochum where I began my studies, I am indebted to Professor Otto Poggeler (Director of the Hegel Archives), to the other, past and present members of staff at the Hegel Archives, and to Professors Jiirgen Gebhardt, Jiirgen von Kempski, Heinz Kim merle; and Leo Kofler. It was my time at Bochum under the guidance of these scholars that kindled my love for the study of Hegel, which proved to be a lasting romance. In Scotland, where I continued my studies and spent two fruitful and happy years, I am indebted to George Elder Davie and Richard Gunn, who first introduced me to the Scottish Enlightenment, and to Professors R. H. Campbell and T. D. Campbell, who supervised my research in that field. At Cambridge, where most of this study was prepared, my greatest debt is to Duncan Forbes. I am grateful for his supervision of my research, but also, beyond the scope of my research, for what I have learned, genuinely learned, from the man.


Civil Society, Second Edition

Civil Society, Second Edition

Author: John Ehrenberg

Publisher: NYU Press

Published: 2017-02-14

Total Pages: 341

ISBN-13: 1479891606

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"Provides a comprehensive discussion and analysis of two and a half millennia of Western political theory, as well as what the future may hold for how civil society might be understood. John Ehrenberg analyzes both the usefulness and the limitations of civil society and maps the political and theoretical evolution of the concept and its employment in academic and public discourse. From Aristotle and the Enlightenment philosophers to Black Lives Matter and the Occupy movement, the book provides an indispensable analysis of the possibilities of what this increasingly important idea can, and cannot, offer to contemporary political affairs."--Page [4] of cover.


Book Synopsis Civil Society, Second Edition by : John Ehrenberg

Download or read book Civil Society, Second Edition written by John Ehrenberg and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2017-02-14 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Provides a comprehensive discussion and analysis of two and a half millennia of Western political theory, as well as what the future may hold for how civil society might be understood. John Ehrenberg analyzes both the usefulness and the limitations of civil society and maps the political and theoretical evolution of the concept and its employment in academic and public discourse. From Aristotle and the Enlightenment philosophers to Black Lives Matter and the Occupy movement, the book provides an indispensable analysis of the possibilities of what this increasingly important idea can, and cannot, offer to contemporary political affairs."--Page [4] of cover.


Civil Society, Second Edition

Civil Society, Second Edition

Author: John R. Ehrenberg

Publisher: NYU Press

Published: 2017-02-14

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 1479871621

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A comprehensive discussion and analysis of two and a half millennia of Western political theory In the absence of noble public goals, admired leaders, and compelling issues, many warn of a dangerous erosion of civil society, which includes families, religious organizations, and all other NGOs. Are they right? What are the roots and implications of their insistent alarm? How can public life be enriched in a period marked by fraying communities, widespread apathy, and unprecedented levels of contempt for politics? How should we be thinking about civil society? In Civil Society: The Critical History of an Idea, John Ehrenberg analyzes both the usefulness and the limitations of civil society and maps the political and theoretical evolution of the concept and its employment in academic and public discourse. From Aristotle and the Enlightenment philosophers to Black Lives Matter and the Occupy movement, Ehrenberg provides an indispensable analysis of the possibilities of what this increasingly important idea can, and cannot, offer to contemporary political affairs. In this new, second edition Ehrenberg brings the historical overview up to present day, specifically considering how major events such as 9/11, the global financial crisis, economic inequality, and rapidly advancing technologies alter and shape our relationship to contemporary civil society. Civic engagement, political participation, and volunteerism in contemporary life has faded, he argues, and in order to bring civil society—and all its virtues—back to the fore, we need to counter the suffocating inequality that has taken hold in recent years. Thorough and accessible, Civil Society gives a sweeping overview of a foundational part of political life.


Book Synopsis Civil Society, Second Edition by : John R. Ehrenberg

Download or read book Civil Society, Second Edition written by John R. Ehrenberg and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2017-02-14 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive discussion and analysis of two and a half millennia of Western political theory In the absence of noble public goals, admired leaders, and compelling issues, many warn of a dangerous erosion of civil society, which includes families, religious organizations, and all other NGOs. Are they right? What are the roots and implications of their insistent alarm? How can public life be enriched in a period marked by fraying communities, widespread apathy, and unprecedented levels of contempt for politics? How should we be thinking about civil society? In Civil Society: The Critical History of an Idea, John Ehrenberg analyzes both the usefulness and the limitations of civil society and maps the political and theoretical evolution of the concept and its employment in academic and public discourse. From Aristotle and the Enlightenment philosophers to Black Lives Matter and the Occupy movement, Ehrenberg provides an indispensable analysis of the possibilities of what this increasingly important idea can, and cannot, offer to contemporary political affairs. In this new, second edition Ehrenberg brings the historical overview up to present day, specifically considering how major events such as 9/11, the global financial crisis, economic inequality, and rapidly advancing technologies alter and shape our relationship to contemporary civil society. Civic engagement, political participation, and volunteerism in contemporary life has faded, he argues, and in order to bring civil society—and all its virtues—back to the fore, we need to counter the suffocating inequality that has taken hold in recent years. Thorough and accessible, Civil Society gives a sweeping overview of a foundational part of political life.


Ferguson: An Essay on the History of Civil Society

Ferguson: An Essay on the History of Civil Society

Author: Adam Ferguson

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1996-02-01

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 1107782473

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Adam Ferguson's Essay on the History of Civil Society (first published in 1767) is a classic of the Scottish - and European - Enlightenment. Drawing on such diverse sources as classical authors and contemporary travel literature, Ferguson offers a complex model of historical advance which challenges both Hume's and Smith's embrace of modernity and the primitivism of Rousseau. Ferguson combines a subtle analysis of the emergence of modern commercial society with a critique of its abandonment of civic and communal virtues. Central to Ferguson's theory of citizenship are the themes of conflict, play, political participation and military valour. The Essay is a bold and novel attempt to reclaim the tradition of active, virtuous citizenship and apply it to the modern state.


Book Synopsis Ferguson: An Essay on the History of Civil Society by : Adam Ferguson

Download or read book Ferguson: An Essay on the History of Civil Society written by Adam Ferguson and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1996-02-01 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Adam Ferguson's Essay on the History of Civil Society (first published in 1767) is a classic of the Scottish - and European - Enlightenment. Drawing on such diverse sources as classical authors and contemporary travel literature, Ferguson offers a complex model of historical advance which challenges both Hume's and Smith's embrace of modernity and the primitivism of Rousseau. Ferguson combines a subtle analysis of the emergence of modern commercial society with a critique of its abandonment of civic and communal virtues. Central to Ferguson's theory of citizenship are the themes of conflict, play, political participation and military valour. The Essay is a bold and novel attempt to reclaim the tradition of active, virtuous citizenship and apply it to the modern state.


Civil Society

Civil Society

Author: Sudipta Kaviraj

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2001-09-06

Total Pages: 344

ISBN-13: 9780521002905

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Civil society is one of the most used - and abused - concepts in current political thinking. In this important collection of essays, the concept is subjected to rigorous analysis by an international team of contributors, all of whom seek to encourage the historical and comparative understanding of political thought. The volume is divided into two parts: the first section analyses the meaning of civil society in different theoretical traditions of Western philosophy. In the second section, contributors consider the theoretical and practical contexts in which the notion of civil society has been invoked in Asia, Africa and Latin America. These essays demonstrate how an influential Western idea like civil society is itself altered and innovatively modified by the specific contexts of intellectual and practical life in the societies of the South.


Book Synopsis Civil Society by : Sudipta Kaviraj

Download or read book Civil Society written by Sudipta Kaviraj and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2001-09-06 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Civil society is one of the most used - and abused - concepts in current political thinking. In this important collection of essays, the concept is subjected to rigorous analysis by an international team of contributors, all of whom seek to encourage the historical and comparative understanding of political thought. The volume is divided into two parts: the first section analyses the meaning of civil society in different theoretical traditions of Western philosophy. In the second section, contributors consider the theoretical and practical contexts in which the notion of civil society has been invoked in Asia, Africa and Latin America. These essays demonstrate how an influential Western idea like civil society is itself altered and innovatively modified by the specific contexts of intellectual and practical life in the societies of the South.


Reading the Scottish Enlightenment

Reading the Scottish Enlightenment

Author: Mark Towsey

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2010-09-24

Total Pages: 380

ISBN-13: 9004193510

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Drawing on a range of methodologies associated with the history of reading, this book explores the reception of the Scottish Enlightenment, assessing the impact that major texts had on the lives, beliefs and habits of mind of contemporary readers.


Book Synopsis Reading the Scottish Enlightenment by : Mark Towsey

Download or read book Reading the Scottish Enlightenment written by Mark Towsey and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2010-09-24 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawing on a range of methodologies associated with the history of reading, this book explores the reception of the Scottish Enlightenment, assessing the impact that major texts had on the lives, beliefs and habits of mind of contemporary readers.


Hegel's Philosophy of Freedom

Hegel's Philosophy of Freedom

Author: Paul Franco

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 1999-01-01

Total Pages: 420

ISBN-13: 9780300093223

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Human freedom is the central theme of modern political philosophy, and G. W. F. Hegel offers perhaps the most profound and systematic modern attempt to understand the state as the realization of human freedom. In this comprehensive examination of Hegel's philosophy of freedom, Paul Franco traces the development of Hegel's ideas of freedom, situates them within his general philosophical system, and relates them to the larger tradition of modern political philosophy. Franco then applies Hegel's understanding of liberty to certain problems in contemporary political theory. He argues that Hegel offers a powerful reformulation of liberalism that escapes many of the problematic assumptions of traditional liberal doctrine and yet avoids falling into the romantic and relativistic excesses of a substantial communitarianism. Devoting the major portion of his attention to Hegel's masterpiece the Philosophy of Right, published in 1821, Franco provides a clear and nontechnical guide to the challenging arguments Hegel presents. Franco establishes the necessary context within which to understand the work and draws on Hegel's other writings, including the unpublished lecture notes, to illuminate it. For the Hegel specialist as well as the reader with a more general interest in political philosophy and modern intellectual history, this book offers significant insights into Hegel's ideas on the theme of human liberty.


Book Synopsis Hegel's Philosophy of Freedom by : Paul Franco

Download or read book Hegel's Philosophy of Freedom written by Paul Franco and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 1999-01-01 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Human freedom is the central theme of modern political philosophy, and G. W. F. Hegel offers perhaps the most profound and systematic modern attempt to understand the state as the realization of human freedom. In this comprehensive examination of Hegel's philosophy of freedom, Paul Franco traces the development of Hegel's ideas of freedom, situates them within his general philosophical system, and relates them to the larger tradition of modern political philosophy. Franco then applies Hegel's understanding of liberty to certain problems in contemporary political theory. He argues that Hegel offers a powerful reformulation of liberalism that escapes many of the problematic assumptions of traditional liberal doctrine and yet avoids falling into the romantic and relativistic excesses of a substantial communitarianism. Devoting the major portion of his attention to Hegel's masterpiece the Philosophy of Right, published in 1821, Franco provides a clear and nontechnical guide to the challenging arguments Hegel presents. Franco establishes the necessary context within which to understand the work and draws on Hegel's other writings, including the unpublished lecture notes, to illuminate it. For the Hegel specialist as well as the reader with a more general interest in political philosophy and modern intellectual history, this book offers significant insights into Hegel's ideas on the theme of human liberty.


Paradoxes of Civil Society

Paradoxes of Civil Society

Author: Frank Trentmann

Publisher: Berghahn Books

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 404

ISBN-13: 9781571811431

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"[This book] does an admirable job of making our understanding of civil society both more elaborated and more complex. Bringing together theoretical and historical perspectives, and insisting on the significance of the comparative, these essays provide an important resource for researchers, teachers and students." - Catherine Hall, "It is fitting to recognize ways in which civil society may produce conformity and inequality; it is also fitting to recognize how it allows for challenges to insularity and discrimination. This volume succeeds admirably in fostering an appropriately nuanced and balanced view." - Albion "The resurgence of interest in the concept of civil society among political scientists and social theorists has permeated the language of historians during the past decade - bringing with it the familiar dangers of inflation, confusing eclecticism, and misuse. This volume . . . grounds the discussion in an impressive series of carefully delimited essays, contextualizing the category in rich and illuminating ways. Frank Trentmann's team eloquently brings theory and history together." - Geoff Eley, "Civil Society" has been experiencing a global renaissance among social movements and political thinkers during the last two decades. This collection of original papers by junior and senior scholars offers an important comparative-historical dimension to the debate by examining the historical roots of civil society in Germany and Britain from the seventeenth-century revolutions to the beginning of the welfare state. Frank Trentmann is Senior Lecturer in Modern History at Birkbeck College, University of London.


Book Synopsis Paradoxes of Civil Society by : Frank Trentmann

Download or read book Paradoxes of Civil Society written by Frank Trentmann and published by Berghahn Books. This book was released on 2003 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "[This book] does an admirable job of making our understanding of civil society both more elaborated and more complex. Bringing together theoretical and historical perspectives, and insisting on the significance of the comparative, these essays provide an important resource for researchers, teachers and students." - Catherine Hall, "It is fitting to recognize ways in which civil society may produce conformity and inequality; it is also fitting to recognize how it allows for challenges to insularity and discrimination. This volume succeeds admirably in fostering an appropriately nuanced and balanced view." - Albion "The resurgence of interest in the concept of civil society among political scientists and social theorists has permeated the language of historians during the past decade - bringing with it the familiar dangers of inflation, confusing eclecticism, and misuse. This volume . . . grounds the discussion in an impressive series of carefully delimited essays, contextualizing the category in rich and illuminating ways. Frank Trentmann's team eloquently brings theory and history together." - Geoff Eley, "Civil Society" has been experiencing a global renaissance among social movements and political thinkers during the last two decades. This collection of original papers by junior and senior scholars offers an important comparative-historical dimension to the debate by examining the historical roots of civil society in Germany and Britain from the seventeenth-century revolutions to the beginning of the welfare state. Frank Trentmann is Senior Lecturer in Modern History at Birkbeck College, University of London.


The Scottish Enlightenment

The Scottish Enlightenment

Author: Silvia Sebastiani

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2013-02-20

Total Pages: 269

ISBN-13: 1137069791

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The Scottish Enlightenment shaped a new conception of history as a gradual and universal progress from savagery to civil society. Whereas women emancipated themselves from the yoke of male-masters, men in turn acquired polite manners and became civilized. Such a conception, however, presents problematic questions: why were the Americans still savage? Why was it that the Europeans only had completed all the stages of the historic process? Could modern societies escape the destiny of earlier empires and avoid decadence? Was there a limit beyond which women's influence might result in dehumanization? The Scottish Enlightenment's legacy for modernity emerges here as a two-faced Janus, an unresolved tension between universalism and hierarchy, progress and the limits of progress.


Book Synopsis The Scottish Enlightenment by : Silvia Sebastiani

Download or read book The Scottish Enlightenment written by Silvia Sebastiani and published by Springer. This book was released on 2013-02-20 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Scottish Enlightenment shaped a new conception of history as a gradual and universal progress from savagery to civil society. Whereas women emancipated themselves from the yoke of male-masters, men in turn acquired polite manners and became civilized. Such a conception, however, presents problematic questions: why were the Americans still savage? Why was it that the Europeans only had completed all the stages of the historic process? Could modern societies escape the destiny of earlier empires and avoid decadence? Was there a limit beyond which women's influence might result in dehumanization? The Scottish Enlightenment's legacy for modernity emerges here as a two-faced Janus, an unresolved tension between universalism and hierarchy, progress and the limits of progress.


Civil Society, Philanthropy, and the Fate of the Commons

Civil Society, Philanthropy, and the Fate of the Commons

Author: Bruce R. Sievers

Publisher: UPNE

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 226

ISBN-13: 1584659149

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Traces the historical development of civil society and philanthropy in the West and analyzes their role in solving the problems faced by modern liberal democracy


Book Synopsis Civil Society, Philanthropy, and the Fate of the Commons by : Bruce R. Sievers

Download or read book Civil Society, Philanthropy, and the Fate of the Commons written by Bruce R. Sievers and published by UPNE. This book was released on 2010 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Traces the historical development of civil society and philanthropy in the West and analyzes their role in solving the problems faced by modern liberal democracy