Humanism and Democratic Criticism (Columbia Themes in Philosophy) - Hardcover

9780231122641: Humanism and Democratic Criticism (Columbia Themes in Philosophy)
View all copies of this ISBN edition:
 
 
In the radically changed and highly charged political atmosphere that has overtaken the United States―and to varying degrees the rest of the world―since September 11, 2001, the notion that cultures can harmoniously and productively coexist has come to seem like little more than a quaint fiction. In this time of heightened animosity and aggression, have humanistic values and democratic principles become irrelevant? Are they merely utopian fantasies? Or are they now more urgent and necessary than ever before?

Ever since the ascendancy of critical theory and multicultural studies in the 1960s and 1970s, traditional humanistic education has been under assault. Often condemned as the intolerant voice of the masculine establishment and regularly associated with Eurocentrism and even imperialism, the once-sacred literary canon is now more likely to be ridiculed than revered. While this seismic shift―brought on by advances in technological communication, intellectual specialization, and cultural sensitivity―has eroded the former primacy of the humanities, Edward Said argues that a more democratic form of humanism―one that aims to incorporate, emancipate, and enlighten―is still possible. A lifelong humanist, Said believed that self-knowledge is the highest form of human achievement and the true goal of humanistic education. But he also believed that self-knowledge is unattainable without an equal degree of self-criticism, or the awareness that comes from studying and experiencing other peoples, traditions, and ideas.

Proposing a return to philology and a more expansive literary canon as strategies for revitalizing the humanities, Said contends that words are not merely passive figures but vital agents in historical and political change. Intellectuals must reclaim an active role in public life, but at the same time, insularity and parochialism, as well as the academic trend toward needless jargon and obscurantism, must be combated. The "humanities crisis," according to Said, is based on the misperception that there is an inexorable conflict between established traditions and our increasingly complex and diversified world. Yet this position fails to recognize that the canonized thinkers of today were the revolutionaries of yesterday and that the nature of human progress is to question, upset, and reform. By considering the emerging social responsibilities of writers and intellectuals in an ever more interdependent world and exploring the enduring influence of Eric Auerbach's critical masterpiece, Mimesis, Said not only makes a persuasive case for humanistic education but provides his own captivating and deeply personal perspective on our shared intellectual heritage.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Book Description:
By considering the emerging social responsibilities of writers and intellectuals in an ever more interconnected world and pointing out that the canonized thinkers of today were yesterday's revolutionaries, Said makes a persuasive case for humanistic education and a more democratic form of intellectual criticism.
About the Author:
Born in Jerusalem in 1935, Edward W. Said was one of the world's most celebrated, outspoken, and influential public intellectuals until his death on September 24, 2003. He is the author of more than twenty books that have been translated into thirty-six languages, including Beginnings (1975); The Question of Palestine (1979); the internationally acclaimed Orientalism (1979); Covering Islam (1980); The World, the Text, and the Critic (1983); After the Last Sky (1986); Musical Elaborations (1991); Culture and Imperialism (1993); Out of Place: A Memoir (1999); Reflections on Exile and Other Essays (2001); Power, Politics, and Culture (2001); and Freud and the Non-European (2003). He began teaching at Columbia University in 1963 and became University Professor of English and Comparative Literature there in 1992. He was a past president of the Modern Language Association and was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Royal Society of Literature, and the American Philosophical Society. Said was the recipient of numerous prizes and distinctions―including twenty honorary doctorates―and he was first U.S. citizen to receive the prestigious Sultan Owais Prize.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

  • PublisherColumbia University Press
  • Publication date2004
  • ISBN 10 0231122640
  • ISBN 13 9780231122641
  • BindingHardcover
  • Edition number1
  • Number of pages192
  • Rating

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9781403947109: Humanism and Democratic Criticism

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  ISBN 13:  9781403947109
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004
Softcover

Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace

Stock Image

Said, Edward
Published by Columbia University Press (2004)
ISBN 10: 0231122640 ISBN 13: 9780231122641
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Red's Corner LLC
(Brookhaven, GA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. All orders ship by next business day! This is a new hardcover book. For USED books, we cannot guarantee supplemental materials such as CDs, DVDs, access codes and other materials. We are a small company and very thankful for your business!. Seller Inventory # 4CNOOA001B70

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 22.96
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.49
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Said, Edward
Published by Columbia University Press (2004)
ISBN 10: 0231122640 ISBN 13: 9780231122641
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
GoldenWavesOfBooks
(Fayetteville, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Fast Shipping and good customer service. Seller Inventory # Holz_New_0231122640

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 23.85
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.00
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Said, Edward
Published by Columbia University Press (2004)
ISBN 10: 0231122640 ISBN 13: 9780231122641
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
GoldBooks
(Austin, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # think0231122640

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 27.53
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.25
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Said, Edward
Published by Columbia University Press (2004)
ISBN 10: 0231122640 ISBN 13: 9780231122641
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Front Cover Books
(Denver, CO, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: new. Seller Inventory # FrontCover0231122640

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 27.48
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.30
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Said, Edward
Published by Columbia University Press (2004)
ISBN 10: 0231122640 ISBN 13: 9780231122641
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
GF Books, Inc.
(Hawthorne, CA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. Book is in NEW condition. Seller Inventory # 0231122640-2-1

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 43.09
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Said, Edward
Published by Columbia University Press (2004)
ISBN 10: 0231122640 ISBN 13: 9780231122641
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
BennettBooksLtd
(LOS ANGELES, CA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title! 0.6. Seller Inventory # Q-0231122640

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 64.31
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.13
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Said, Edward
Published by Columbia University Press (2004)
ISBN 10: 0231122640 ISBN 13: 9780231122641
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Wizard Books
(Long Beach, CA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Seller Inventory # Wizard0231122640

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 66.69
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 3.50
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Edward W. Said
Published by Columbia Univ Pr (2004)
ISBN 10: 0231122640 ISBN 13: 9780231122641
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Revaluation Books
(Exeter, United Kingdom)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Brand New. 192 pages. 7.50x5.00x0.50 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # 0231122640

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 81.64
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 12.62
From United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Seller Image

Said, Edward
Published by Columbia University Press (2004)
ISBN 10: 0231122640 ISBN 13: 9780231122641
New Hardcover First Edition Quantity: 1
Seller:
Pieuler Store
(Suffolk, United Kingdom)

Book Description Condition: new. First Edition. Book is in NEW condition. Satisfaction Guaranteed! Fast Customer Service!!. Seller Inventory # PSN0231122640

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 82.17
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 31.53
From United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds