Reclaiming the Enlightenment
Subtitle: Toward a Politics of Radical Engagement
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Published: September 2004
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 224
ISBN-13: 9780231126083
Subjects: Political science & theory; Philosophy; Politics / Current Events; History & Theory - General; Political; Political Ideologies - Conservatism & Liberalism; History / General; History & Surveys - General; Enlightenment; Liberalism; Political science
First sentence: IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE TERRORIST ATTACKS OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, amid the intellectual retrenchment consonant with the underlying "war against terror," the Enlightenment legacy has become-more than ever before-a contested terrain.
Description: "This book tackles as a problem in modern political life: the disorientation of intellectuals and activists on the left. As the study of political history and theory has been usurped by cultural criticism and abstract philosophical analysis, confusion about the origins and objectives of progressive politics has been the result. Specifically, it has become fashionable for intellectuals to attack the Enlightenment for its imperialism, euro centrism, and scientism, and for the sexism and racism of some to its major representatives. But Stephen Eric Bronner argues that reducing the Enlightenment ethos to these beliefs is wholly unsustainable." "Reclaiming the Enlightenment from purely philosophical and cultural interpretations, Bronner shows that its notion of political engagement keeps democracy fresh and alive by providing a practical foundation for fostering institutional accountability, opposing infringements on individual rights, instilling an enduring commitment to social reform, and building a cosmopolitan sensibility."--BOOK JACKET.