The Modern Condition: Essays at Century’s End - Softcover

Wrong, Dennis H.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0804732418 ISBN 13: 9780804732413

Publisher: Stanford University Press, 1998

Synopsis

In this collection, a leading sociologist brings his distinctive method of social criticism to bear on some of the most significant ideas, political and social events, and thinkers of the late twentieth century. Of the seventeen essays, two are published for the first time, and several of the previously published essays have been expanded and updated for this volume.

In the first section, the author critiques several concepts that have figured prominently in political-ideological controversies―capitalism, rationality, totalitarianism, power, alienation, left and right, and cultural relativism/multiculturalism. He considers their origins, historical shifts in their meaning and the myths surrounding them, and their subtle resonance beyond their formal definitions.

The second section highlights the author’s lifelong interest in the relation of intellectuals to social classes and institutions. The author critically assesses the notion of a “New Class” in which intellectuals have been alleged to play a prominent role, considers the implications for class structure of the increasing centering of intellectual life in the university, and assesses the relation of sociology to professional jargon. The final essays in this section discuss four influential thinkers: David Riesman, Daniel Bell, Christopher Lasch, and Allan Bloom. The book closes with an autobiographical statement centered on the author’s intellectual-political life.

About this title

About the Author

Dennis H. Wrong is Professor of Sociology Emeritus at New York University.

From the Back Cover

“For almost fifty years, Wrong may well have been the single most consistent voice for good sense and moderation in both the fevered circles of the New York intelligentsia and the discipline of sociology. He brings to his analyses a unique combination of historical perspective and a temperamental inclination to cut through the hype. As a result, whether he is reconsidering past events or arguments (McCarthyism, Hannah Arendt’s characterization of totalitarianism, David Riesman’s The Lonely Crowd) or assessing current events and fads (rational choice theory, postmodernism, Allan Bloom’s lament about the state of the ‘American Mind’), Wrong invariably ends up providing a new, balanced perspective where none existed before.” —Axel van den Berg,McGill University

From the Inside Flap

In this collection, a leading sociologist brings his distinctive method of social criticism to bear on some of the most significant ideas, political and social events, and thinkers of the late twentieth century. Of the seventeen essays, two are published for the first time, and several of the previously published essays have been expanded and updated for this volume.
In the first section, the author critiques several concepts that have figured prominently in political-ideological controversies—capitalism, rationality, totalitarianism, power, alienation, left and right, and cultural relativism/multiculturalism. He considers their origins, historical shifts in their meaning and the myths surrounding them, and their subtle resonance beyond their formal definitions.
The second section highlights the author’s lifelong interest in the relation of intellectuals to social classes and institutions. The author critically assesses the notion of a “New Class” in which intellectuals have been alleged to play a prominent role, considers the implications for class structure of the increasing centering of intellectual life in the university, and assesses the relation of sociology to professional jargon. The final essays in this section discuss four influential thinkers: David Riesman, Daniel Bell, Christopher Lasch, and Allan Bloom. The book closes with an autobiographical statement centered on the author’s intellectual-political life.

Edition details

• Publisher: Stanford University Press
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0804732418
• ISBN 13: 9780804732413
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 264