书名: Civil Religion: A Dialogue in the History of Political Philosophy
作者: Ronald Beiner (Author)
出版社: Cambridge University Press (December 31, 2010)
语言: English
ISBN-10: 0521738431
ISBN-13: 978-0521738439
Book Description
Civil Religion offers philosophical commentaries on more than twenty thinkers stretching from the sixteenth to the twentieth century. The book examines four important traditions within the history of modern political philosophy and delves into how each of them addresses the problem of religion. Two of these traditions pursue projects of domesticating religion. The civil religion tradition, principally defined by Machiavelli, Hobbes, and Rousseau, seeks to domesticate religion by putting it solidly in the service of politics. The liberal tradition pursues an alternative strategy of domestication by seeking to put as much distance as possible between religion and politics. Modern theocracy is a militant reaction against liberalism, and it reverses the relationship of subordination asserted by civil religion: it puts politics directly in the service of religion. Finally, a fourth tradition is defined by Nietzsche and Heidegger. Aspects of their thought are not just modern, but hyper-modern, yet they manifest an often-hysterical reaction against liberalism that is fundamentally shared with the theocratic tradition. Together, these four traditions compose a vital dialogue that carries us to the heart of political philosophy itself.
Review
"The relationship between politics and faith remains a deep conundrum in the West, and it shows no sign of receding as an issue. Beiner's book brings a much-needed historical depth to these debates, and in so doing introduces questions that are at once timely and enduring. It both deepens our understanding of the relevant traditions, and in its forceful and critical engagement with that history, casts new light on the problems we face today. It is a remarkable achievement!" -- W. James Booth, Vanderbilt University
"Ronald Beiner has written an extraordinary book. He makes an audacious and unblinking effort to show how a great portion of political theory is devoted to purging religion of its destructive fanaticism. When religion is purged and made over into civil religion, it can serve such diverse purposes as political docility, social cohesion, and cultural energy. For most of the great political theorists, the test of every religion is not truth but usefulness. Beiner gives a sensitive and often original reading of many works in political theory and backs up his eye-opening interpretations with impressive learning. In an already distinguished career, Beiner has now written a magisterial work." -- George Kateb, Princeton University
"Ronald Beiner has written a fascinating book on the question and place of civil religion in Western political thought. He manages to go from Machiavelli to Martin Heidegger without ever being superficial, and at every page we learn something. Just as important, he shows how the texts he considers have what Samuel Beckett called 'the power to claw': by a direct and unmediated engagement with them, he shows us how they work upon their readers, thus how and what we learn from them. His is an important achievement." -- Tracy Strong, University of California, San Diego
"...those of us who have been in debt to Ronald Beiner for previous works that have enriched our understanding of those men he calls the 'master thinkers' of political theory find our debt to him deepened by Civil Religion." -- Robert P. George, Princeton University, Political Theory
About the Author
Ronald Beiner is a professor of political science at the University of Toronto and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He has edited Hannah Arendt's Lectures on Kant's Political Philosophy; his other books include Political Judgment; What's the Matter with Liberalism? (winner of the Canadian Political Science Association's 1994 Macpherson Prize); Philosophy in a Time of Lost Spirit; and Liberalism, Nationalism, Citizenship.
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作者: Ronald Beiner (Author)
出版社: Cambridge University Press (December 31, 2010)
语言: English
ISBN-10: 0521738431
ISBN-13: 978-0521738439
Book Description
Civil Religion offers philosophical commentaries on more than twenty thinkers stretching from the sixteenth to the twentieth century. The book examines four important traditions within the history of modern political philosophy and delves into how each of them addresses the problem of religion. Two of these traditions pursue projects of domesticating religion. The civil religion tradition, principally defined by Machiavelli, Hobbes, and Rousseau, seeks to domesticate religion by putting it solidly in the service of politics. The liberal tradition pursues an alternative strategy of domestication by seeking to put as much distance as possible between religion and politics. Modern theocracy is a militant reaction against liberalism, and it reverses the relationship of subordination asserted by civil religion: it puts politics directly in the service of religion. Finally, a fourth tradition is defined by Nietzsche and Heidegger. Aspects of their thought are not just modern, but hyper-modern, yet they manifest an often-hysterical reaction against liberalism that is fundamentally shared with the theocratic tradition. Together, these four traditions compose a vital dialogue that carries us to the heart of political philosophy itself.
Review
"The relationship between politics and faith remains a deep conundrum in the West, and it shows no sign of receding as an issue. Beiner's book brings a much-needed historical depth to these debates, and in so doing introduces questions that are at once timely and enduring. It both deepens our understanding of the relevant traditions, and in its forceful and critical engagement with that history, casts new light on the problems we face today. It is a remarkable achievement!" -- W. James Booth, Vanderbilt University
"Ronald Beiner has written an extraordinary book. He makes an audacious and unblinking effort to show how a great portion of political theory is devoted to purging religion of its destructive fanaticism. When religion is purged and made over into civil religion, it can serve such diverse purposes as political docility, social cohesion, and cultural energy. For most of the great political theorists, the test of every religion is not truth but usefulness. Beiner gives a sensitive and often original reading of many works in political theory and backs up his eye-opening interpretations with impressive learning. In an already distinguished career, Beiner has now written a magisterial work." -- George Kateb, Princeton University
"Ronald Beiner has written a fascinating book on the question and place of civil religion in Western political thought. He manages to go from Machiavelli to Martin Heidegger without ever being superficial, and at every page we learn something. Just as important, he shows how the texts he considers have what Samuel Beckett called 'the power to claw': by a direct and unmediated engagement with them, he shows us how they work upon their readers, thus how and what we learn from them. His is an important achievement." -- Tracy Strong, University of California, San Diego
"...those of us who have been in debt to Ronald Beiner for previous works that have enriched our understanding of those men he calls the 'master thinkers' of political theory find our debt to him deepened by Civil Religion." -- Robert P. George, Princeton University, Political Theory
About the Author
Ronald Beiner is a professor of political science at the University of Toronto and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He has edited Hannah Arendt's Lectures on Kant's Political Philosophy; his other books include Political Judgment; What's the Matter with Liberalism? (winner of the Canadian Political Science Association's 1994 Macpherson Prize); Philosophy in a Time of Lost Spirit; and Liberalism, Nationalism, Citizenship.
[thread=29648]论坛相关讨论主题[/thread]
