- Table View
- List View
Cryptocoding Based on Quasigroups (SpringerBriefs in Information Security and Cryptography)
by Daniela Mechkaroska Aleksandra Popovska-Mitrovikj Verica BakevaThis book presents the concept of cryptcoding which arises from the need to obtain secure and accurate transmission. Therefore, it is necessary to improve constantly existing and develop new algorithms that will ensure accurate and secure data transfer. This leads to the intensive development of coding theory and cryptography as scientific fields which solve these problems. To ensure efficient and secure data transmission at the same time, the concept of cryptcoding is developed such that the coding and encryption processes are merged into one process. Cryptcodes provide correction of a certain number of errors in the transmitted message and data confidentiality, using only one algorithm. The main research in this field is to define new algorithms for coding that detects and corrects errors, random codes, stream ciphers, block ciphers, pseudo-random generators, hash functions, etc. This monograph examines an application of quasigroups for designing error-correcting cryptcodes, called Random Codes Based on Quasigroups (RCBQ ). These codes are a combination of cryptographic algorithms and error-correcting codes and depend on several parameters. Some modifications (new coding/decoding algorithms) of RCBQ for improving their performances for transmission ordinary messages, images, and audio files trough a binary-symmetric channel, Gaussian channel, and burst channels are considered. Also, authors propose and analyze filter for visually enhance of the decoded images and improving the quality of decoded audio files.
The Culmination: Heidegger, German Idealism, and the Fate of Philosophy
by Robert PippinA provocative reassessment of Heidegger’s critique of German Idealism from one of the tradition’s foremost interpreters. Heidegger claimed that Western philosophy ended—failed, even—in the German Idealist tradition. In The Culmination, Robert B. Pippin explores the ramifications of this charge through a masterful survey of Western philosophy, especially Heidegger’s critiques of Hegel and Kant. Pippin argues that Heidegger’s basic concern was to determine sources of meaning for human life, particularly those that had been obscured by Western philosophy’s attention to reason. The Culmination offers a new interpretation of Heidegger, German Idealism, and the fate of Western rationalism.
The Culmination: Heidegger, German Idealism, and the Fate of Philosophy
by Robert B. PippinA provocative reassessment of Heidegger’s critique of German Idealism from one of the tradition’s foremost interpreters. Heidegger claimed that Western philosophy ended—failed, even—in the German Idealist tradition. In The Culmination, Robert B. Pippin explores the ramifications of this charge through a masterful survey of Western philosophy, especially Heidegger’s critiques of Hegel and Kant. Pippin argues that Heidegger’s basic concern was to determine sources of meaning for human life, particularly those that had been obscured by Western philosophy’s attention to reason. The Culmination offers a new interpretation of Heidegger, German Idealism, and the fate of Western rationalism.
Cultivating Integral Development
by Ananta Kumar GiriThis book cultivates visions and practices of integral development of the self, society, and the world. It builds upon deconstructions of development discourse and practice and strives to reconstruct and reconstitutes it as integral development. It addresses entrenched dualisms in development studies and practices such as between the self and the other, the providers of development and its recipients, materialism, and spirituality, and cultivates pathways of integral development. The book explores the many challenges facing development studies and practice such as poverty, creativity, political economy, moral economy, leadership, sustainable development, and evolutionary flourishing. It also opens the discourse and practice of development to cross-cultural dialogues by undertaking discussions between Euro-centric approaches to development and other visions and practices of development such as Purusartha, Swadhyaya, Sarvodaya, integral yoga, and Lokasasamgraha from Indic traditions. Drawing on multiple cultural and philosophical resources and traditions, Cultivating Integral Development is a pioneering work and will be of great interest to scholars, researchers, and actors of development studies, political science, and philosophy as well as concerned human beings around the world.
Cultures of Prediction: How Engineering and Science Evolve with Mathematical Tools (Engineering Studies)
by Ann Johnson Johannes LenhardA probing examination of the dynamic history of predictive methods and values in science and engineering that helps us better understand today&’s cultures of prediction.The ability to make reliable predictions based on robust and replicable methods is a defining feature of the scientific endeavor, allowing engineers to determine whether a building will stand up or where a cannonball will strike. Cultures of Prediction, which bridges history and philosophy, uncovers the dynamic history of prediction in science and engineering over four centuries. Ann Johnson and Johannes Lenhard identify four different cultures, or modes, of prediction in the history of science and engineering: rational, empirical, iterative-numerical, and exploratory-iterative. They show how all four develop together and interact with one another while emphasizing that mathematization is not a single unitary process but one that has taken many forms.The story is not one of the triumph of abstract mathematics or technology but of how different modes of prediction, complementary concepts of mathematization, and technology coevolved, building what the authors call &“cultures of prediction.&” The first part of the book examines prediction from early modernity up to the computer age. The second part probes computer-related cultures of prediction, which focus on making things and testing their performance, often in computer simulations. This new orientation challenges basic tenets of the philosophy of science, in which scientific theories and models are predominantly seen as explanatory rather than predictive. It also influences the types of research projects that scientists and engineers undertake, as well as which ones receive support from funding agencies.
The Curriculum of the Body and the School as Clinic: Histories of Public Health and Schooling (Critical Studies in Health and Education)
by Kellie Burns Helen ProctorThis collection brings together cutting-edge research on the history of embodiment, health and schooling in an international context. The book distinguishes a set of educational technologies, schooling practices and school-based public health programmes that organise and influence the bodies of children and young people, defining the curriculum of the body. Taking a historical approach, with a focus on the period in which mass schooling became an international phenomenon, the book is organised according to four major themes. The first positions the school as a modern clinical space, followed by the second that explores programmes and curricula which influence the discipline of and care for the body. The third section examines the role of the built environment on the organisation and experience of children’s bodies, and the final section outlines the pedagogies, rules and routines that determine how the body is treated and experienced in school. International and multidisciplinary in scope, this unique collection is of interest to postgraduate students and researchers in education and public health, as well as history, policy studies and sociology.
Cyberbullying and Values Education: Implications for Family and School Education (Routledge Series on Life and Values Education)
by Angel Nga Man Leung Kevin Ka Shing Chan Catalina Sau Man Ng John Chi-Kin LeeWritten by scholars from both the Western and Chinese contexts, this monograph discusses the relation between cyberbullying and socio-emotional-moral competencies, feasible interventions by integrating values education, and provides future directions in the field of cyberpsychology. Cyberbullying has become a growing concern in the digital age as it brings devastating impacts on its victims. Educating the younger generation, particularly through values education, also known as character, moral, or social-emotional learning, helps equip children and adolescents with the necessary ethical and moral attitudes, and foster the necessary socio-emotional competencies for them to navigate the digital world as responsible cyber-citizens. A central focus of the book is intervention and education. Cultivating competences and responsible use of technology in the younger generation through values education and evidence-based intervention helps combat cyberbullying. Families, schools, and communities can work together with suitable school programs, teacher education, and parents/school collaboration to help students cope with cyberbullying and create safer online spaces for them. Technology itself is not inherently good or bad but shaped by human choices and values. Supported by empirical evidence and theoretical insights, this book suggests ways to promote moral and emotional skills, foster digital citizenship, and encourage ethical technology design. This book provides a comprehensive understanding of cyberbullying. This timely resource will contribute to creating a safer and more positive online environment for all. It will inform researchers, educators, parents, and the community in combating cyberbullying by enabling children and adolescents to be responsible, ethical, and happy netizens.
The Dancing Leaf: Embracing the Timeless Wisdom of Tao Te Ching
by Surbhi KakarWithin the ancient verses of the Tao Te Ching lies a timeless wisdom that has guided generations for centuries. The Dancing Leaf delves deep into the profound teachings of this revered text, providing a deeper understanding of human nature and enduring universal principles.Drawing from the rich tapestry of Lao Tzu&’s legacy, the book serves as a contemporary guide for those seeking to gain clarity on navigating the complexities of existence, cultivating inner peace, and embracing the interconnectedness of all things. Each chapter covers a facet of Tao and provides a practical and applicable roadmap for integrating these edifying insights into daily life.The author skillfully intertwines these age-old verses with her own life experiences, creating a profound narrative that breathes life into ancient philosophies. With personal anecdotes and heartfelt introspection, she becomes both a guide and companion on a transformative journey.All in all, The Dancing Leaf is not just a book; it&’s an invitation to embark on a transformative voyage of self-discovery and personal transformation.=
Darkening Blackness: Race, Gender, Class, and Pessimism in 21st-Century Black Thought
by Norman AjariThe concept of Afropessimism does not refer to Black people, but rather to the likelihood of white society overcoming its own negrophobia, and to a radical distrust in white narratives of inclusivity. What if the ideas and reforms we regard as progressive were just the new and shiny face of racism? In the time of Black Lives Matter, the unswerving dehumanization and killing of Black people form the bedrock of our civilization. But a vast anti-Black collective feeling also manifests itself as a more insidious shared unconscious, hidden from view by the doctrines we deem as emancipatory. This book challenges the simplistic and pacifying aspects of current African American thought. It puts forward alternatives to intersectionality, poststructuralism, and radical democracy, which are often prioritized in the Black analysis of race, gender, and class. Accessible, historically informed, and politically alert, this book offers a critical analysis of the groundbreaking theories and strategies that radically reimagine the future of Black lives throughout the world.
Das Nachleben der Künste: Von Kunst und Künsten zu Materialien und Orten (Ästhetiken X.0 – Zeitgenössische Konturen ästhetischen Denkens)
by Christian GrünyDie künstlerische Produktion der Gegenwart ist äußerst divers und kaum mehr auf klare Kategorien festlegbar. Es ist eine geläufige Diagnose, dass sich Disziplinengrenzen auflösen und dass letztlich alles in einer Kunst im Singular aufgeht. Das Buch vertritt die These, dass bei allen Überschreitungs- und Hybridisierungsbewegungen disziplinäre Logiken weiterhin bedeutsam sind und dass die Begriffe der Kunst im Singular und der Künste im Plural nur schlecht geeignet sind, diese Situation zu beschreiben: Sie unterschätzen die Heterogenität der künstlerischen Arbeiten bzw. suggerieren, die verschiedenen Disziplinen ließen sich sauber nebeneinander sortieren und folgten im Großen und Ganzen derselben Logik, was offensichtlich nicht der Fall ist. Als alternative Beschreibungsmöglichkeiten werden die Begriffe des Materials und des Ortes angeboten, mit denen jeweils konkrete, aber systematisch verankerte Analysen an die Stelle klarer Kategorisierungen gesetzt werden. Der Begriff des künstlerischen Materials wird von Theodor W. Adorno übernommen, aber flexibilisiert: Er ist produktiv darin, dass er die innere Historizität von Kunstwerken zu denken erlaubt und sie auf Vorläufer und Traditionslinien beziehbar macht. Er muss allerdings von der Vorstellung eines klaren Fortschritts befreit und von der Fixierung auf einzelne, getrennte Disziplinen gelöst werden. Mit dem Begriff des Ortes wird der disziplinären, architektonischen, institutionellen und geopolitischen Situierung künstlerischer Arbeiten Rechnung getragen. Die beiden Begriffe funktionieren komplementär, indem sie Materiallinien auch über Grenzen hinweg verfolgbar und die Interferenzen beschreibbar machen, die sich bei Ortswechseln ergeben.Dies ist ein Open-Access-Buch.
David Walker: The Politics of Racial Egalitarianism (Black Lives)
by Sherrow O. PinderDavid Walker, a free (with a small f) black man, was one of the most significant African-American abolitionists of the nineteenth century. Born in a slave society before moving to Boston where, after the American Revolutionary War, slavery was abolished, Walker devoted his life to fighting slavery and antiblack racism. In this book, Sherrow O. Pinder brings to light Walker’s lived experience, activism, and the synchronizing of his Christian principles and reformist radicalism to demonstrate why and how slavery must be eliminated. Walker’s call for blacks to regain their natural rights culminated in his Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World, an enormously influential work that is now considered a founding text of black studies. Today, given the escalation of antiblack racism manifested in the upholding of institutionalized violence by the state and the continued marginality of African-Americans, we cannot afford to forget Walker’s push for racial egalitarianism: it is more urgent than ever.
De-Commemoration: Removing Statues and Renaming Places (Worlds of Memory #12)
by Sarah Gensburger and Jenny WüstenbergIn the wake of recent protests against police violence and racism, calls to dismantle problematic memorials have reverberated around the globe. This is not a new phenomenon, however, nor is it limited to the Western world. De-Commemoration focuses on the concept of de-commemoration as it relates to remembrance. Drawing on research from experts on memory dynamics across various disciplines, this extensive collection seeks to make sense of the current state of de-commemoration as it transforms contemporary societies around the world.
“Deceptive game of the light.”: SERBIAN (1 #1000)
by Snezana Pisaric MilicBook description: An exciting story about two women they talk about their fates. Six love stories in a novel. One woman is young, the other old. Events in the Balkans - Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia. The love of Christians and Muslims. The war is over. Translation from Google Translate
Decolonial Arts Praxis: Transnational Pedagogies and Activism (Routledge Research in Decolonizing Education)
by Injeong Yoon-Ramirez Alejandra I. RamírezDecolonial Arts Praxis: Transnational Pedagogies and Activism illustrates the productive potential of critical arts pedagogies in the ongoing work of decolonization by engaging art, activism, and transnational feminisms. Offering contributions from scholars, educators, artists, and activists from varied disciplines, the volume highlights how arts can reveal intersectional forms of oppression, inform critical understandings, and rebuild transnational solidarities across geopolitical borders. The contributors present forms of enquiry, creative writing, art, and reflection which grapple with issues of colonialism, racism, and epistemological violence to illustrate the power of decolonial arts pedagogies in formal and informal education. Using a range of multiple and intersectional critical lenses, through which readers can examine ways in which transnational feminist theorizing and art pedagogy inform, shape, and help strategize activism in various spaces, it will appeal to scholars, postgraduate students, and practitioners with interests in arts education, the sociology of education, postcolonialism, and multicultural education.
Decolonising and Indigenising Music Education: First Peoples Leading Research and Practice (ISME Series in Music Education)
by Te Oti Rakena, Clare Hall, Anita Prest and David JohnsonCentring the voices of Indigenous scholars at the intersection of music and education, this co-edited volume contributes to debates about current colonising music education research and practices, and offers alternative decolonising approaches that support music education imbued with Indigenous perspectives. This unique collection is far-ranging, with contributions from Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, India, South Africa, Kenya, and Finland. The authors interrogate and theorise research methodologies, curricula, and practices related to the learning and teaching of music. Providing a meeting place for Indigenous voices and viewpoints from around the globe, this book highlights the imperative that Indigenisation must be Indigenous-led.The book promotes Indigenous scholars’ reconceptualisations of how music education is researched and practised, with an emphasis on the application of decolonial ways of being. The authors provocatively demonstrate the value of power-sharing and eroding the gaze of non-Indigenous populations. Pushing far beyond the concepts of Western aesthetics and world music, this vital collection of scholarship presents music in education as a social and political action, and shows how to enact Indigenising and decolonising practices in a wide range of music education contexts.
Deeper Learning with Psychedelics: Philosophical Pathways through Altered States (SUNY series, Horizons in the Philosophy of Education)
by David J. BlackerIn both clinical and informal settings, psychedelics users often report they have undergone something profound and even life-altering. Yet there persists a confounding inability to articulate just what has been imparted. Informed by multidisciplinary emerging research, this book provides an account of the specifically educational aspects of psychedelics and how they can render us ready to learn. Drawing from indigenous peoples worldwide who typically revere these substances as "plant teachers" and from canonical thinkers in the western tradition such as Plato, Spinoza, Kant, and Heidegger, the author proposes an original set of categories through which to understand the educational capabilities of "entheogens" (psychedelics with visionary qualities). It emerges that entheogens' real power lies not in destabilizing and decentering—"turning on and dropping out"—but as powerful aids in restoring and reenchanting our shared worlds.
Defective Institutions: A Protocol for the Republic (Idiom: Inventing Writing Theory)
by Jacques LezraDefective Institutions overturns the basis of institutionalism. Faith in classic institutions—exposed as clamorously inadequate by the failure of governance under neoliberalism--does not result in greater democracy, greater horizontality, or more equitable living. Nor does trust in the standing of decisions, in the authority of antecedent cases, in the coherence, strength, continuity, or solidity of the institutions that frame and render legitimate these decisions and the rules they buttress. To the contrary: the classically-imagined institution and our faith in it lie at the heart of neoliberal unfreedom and racialized violence.Working at the point of contact and conflict between socialist and anarcho-philosophical traditions, Defective Institutions offers an alternative, which is also an alternative to the figures of governance associated with the liberal conception of the state: an aberrant republicanism comprised of defective institutions, run through with the necessity of their abolition. Lezra’s book moves from the primitive scenes of Western political institution—the city; the family; the university; the first person; “race”—through recent work in the philosophy of translation, decolonial studies, abolitionism, Afropessimism and its critiques, psvchoanalysis, and musicology.To offer an original wedding of abolition and institution, Lezra brings together genealogies of contemporary institutionalism (from Durkheim and Hauriou to Searle); post-Marxist accounts of the state (Balibar, Abensour); philosophical and anthropological anarchism (Wolff, Malabou, Graeber, Scott); critical legal theory (analyses of Marbury v. Madison as well as Dobbs v. Jackson); continental and analytic versions and critiques of foundationalism (Heidegger, Lyotard and Butler; Quine, Searle and Fine); and political and sociological abolitionism (Lewis, O’Brien). At a time when some call for strengthening institutions and for defending liberties ostensibly protected by such institutions, and others long for the destruction of institutions that have long been oppressive, Lezra’s book offers today’s Left a new framework for confronting institutions’ necessity and their necessary abolition.
Defending the Value of Education as a Public Good: Philosophical Dialogues on Education and the State (Routledge International Studies in the Philosophy of Education)
by Katarzyna Wrońska Julian SternCentred around a philosophical argument for contemporary education as a fundamental good, this edited volume demonstrates the benefits that education brings in a civil and flourishing societal context while also critiquing the state’s role in supporting and strengthening this educational focus.Chapters present in-depth philosophical and historical arguments that explore core aspects of education that are frequently overlooked, illustrating education’s role as a non-partisan public good during contentious times. Through this volume, diverse voices are heard from those with experience of life under communism as well as life in a stable democracy arguing, for example, that despite differing contexts, the value of education is autonomous and intrinsic. Ultimately drawing on conceptual frameworks, this timely volume reconciles the Anglo-American Continental dialogues on education and presents novel and challenging ideas to its readers.Striving to inspire new research through its various reflections on the relationship between education and the state, the book will be useful to scholars, researchers, and academics in the fields of philosophy of education, education policy, sociology of education as well as theory of education.
Delayed Transitional Justice: Lessons from Spain, Brazil, and Uruguay
by Mariana S. MendesThis book addresses the issue of the timing of transitional justice policies in countries that had negotiated transitions from authoritarianism to democracy. Why are transitional justice measures often being implemented decades after the events they refer to? More specifically, what combination of factors leads to the implementation of transitional justice policies at certain moments in time? And, what explains countries’ different choices and trajectories? To address these questions, this book pursues a comparative analysis of three cases: comparing a case of ‘robust’ implementation of transitional justice measures (Uruguay), a case where only victim-centered measures were approved (Spain), and a case that sits in between these two (Brazil). Through an in-depth empirical analysis of these specific country-cases, and focusing on seven different transitional justice initiatives, the book identifies the determinants behind delayed transitional justice policies and explains why such policies are more robust in some settings than in others. In doing so, it provides a holistic account of post-transitional justice outcomes, offering more general conclusions and insights about the study of the drivers of transitional justice. This book will appeal to scholars and students of transitional justice in politics, law, and sociology, as well as to policymakers involved in the implementation and administration of transitional justice measures.
Democracy and Education: An Introduction To The Philosophy Of Education
by John DeweyThe American philosopher John Dewey transformed how people around the world view the purposes of schooling. In Democracy and Education (1916), Dewey opposed the model of education in which adults lecture at students and students follow strict rules. Instead, Dewey called upon schools to provide children with experiences such as gardening, sewing, building structures, conducting experiments in laboratories, and performing in school plays. For Dewey, democratic education teaches young people to become creative individuals who contribute to society.This edition makes Democracy and Education come alive for a new generation of readers. The editor’s introduction explores the main themes of the book and how Dewey’s ideas contribute to debates about education standards, testing, accountability, school choice, free school lunch, recess, student discipline, and education technology. Each chapter begins with a brief overview clarifying the argument and its present-day relevance and ends with questions to prompt conversations and research papers. Drawing on more than a century of secondary literature on Dewey’s philosophy, this new edition will become the standard for scholars, teachers, and students.
Democracy and Event: The Promise and Perils of Catastrophe
by Elaine StavroCatastrophes unsettle our safe places within the world. As such, they provide an interesting site to analyze the intersection of our affective and political lives. Bringing radical democratic thinking, affect theory, psychoanalysis, and discursive analysis to bear on contemporary catastrophic events, Democracy and Event presents a fresh perspective on the study of affect and its impact on democratic sensibilities and practices. Situated in different countries with differing institutional histories and cultures – the Grenfell Tower fire in London, England (2017); the SARS epidemic in Toronto, Canada (2003); the Parkland shooting in Florida (2018); the early days of the COVID-19 crisis and the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, USA (2020) – Elaine Stavro interprets the rhetoric, discourse, and affective communication of politicians and passionate protestors. She examines their linkages to well-established organizations informed by democratic ideals, as well as the context in which they arise, which have a bearing on their ability to challenge neoliberal and authoritarian practices. Inspired by the urgent need to bring theory back to politics and politics back to theory, Elaine Stavro demonstrates how theory might inform our attitudes to contemporary events while recognizing that political action and events cannot be captured in their complexity by theory. Her skillful engagement with various theoretical approaches, read through the lens of catastrophic events, will speak to a wide-ranging scholarly readership in numerous academic fields.
Democracy and Time in Cuban Thought: The Elusive Present
by María de TorresHow the temporalities of past, future, and present have been used in Cuban political rhetoric and expressed in Cuban culture In this fascinating analysis of political discourse in Cuban culture, María de los Ángeles Torres focuses on how the concept of time has been employed by different political projects. While the past and future are often evoked in rhetoric associated with authoritarianism, Torres argues, an emphasis on human actions in the present is important for a more democratic political culture, and she searches over a century of Cuban thought for this perspective. Delving into political texts and essays, literature, and art, Torres puts theories of temporalities in conversation with the Cuban experience. Torres closely examines the use of time and its political implications in Fidel Castro’s “History Will Absolve Me” speech, the writings of Jose Martí and Che Guevara, the poetry of Eliseo Diego and the Orígenes group, and paintings and performance art by Cuban exiles Nereida García Ferraz, María Martínez-Cañas, and Tania Bruguera. Recent events in Cuba have placed the search for democracy and social justice center stage, and Torres also studies the temporalities underpinning these movements, asking whether these projects are providing alternatives to overused past and future tropes. She suggests ways of thinking for today’s activists, encouraging them to remember history and imagine new possibilities while cultivating space for human agency now. Publication of this work made possible by a Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Democracy or Bonapartism: Two Centuries of War on Democracy
by Domenico LosurdoHOW AN IRON FIST DONNED DEMOCRACY&’S VELVET GLOVEThe history of universal suffrage is best understood as a conflict between liberal elites and democractic workers&’ movements, according to Domenico Losurdo. John Stuart Mill, for example, argued that electoral influence should be more pronounced among the educated – and wealthy – than among those working with their hands. Every vote ought not to be counted the same. Countries with deep liberal roots have historically been quick to restrain the spread of the franchise, persisting in discrimination based on property, race, and gender. In this context, the rise of popular presidents and premiers, vested with extraordinary powers, has served to stimy attempts to associate politically and mobilize for meaningful change.This is modern Bonapartism, a soft authoritarianism in which popularity, stirred up by a news media dominated by the interests of the rich, replaces true democratic expression. As alternatives to this system drift toward the horizon, Bonapartism is set to become the dominant political regime of our era. Understanding the history of its development and the contradictory forces behind it may permit us to move towards true democracy.Praise for LIBERALISM: A COUNTER-HISTORY&‘Losurdo is almost unbelievably well-read&’- JACOBIN&‘A brilliant exercise in unmasking liberal pretensions, surveying over three centuries with magisterial command of the sources&’- FINANCIAL TIMES&‘Stimulatingly uncovers the contradictions of an ideology that is much too self-righteously invoked&’- PANKAJ MISHRA, GUARDIAN&‘A book of wide reference and real erudition&’- TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT&‘The book is a historically grounded, very accessible critique of liberalism, complementing a growing literature critical of liberalism&’- CHOICEPraise for WAR AND REVOLUTION: RETHINKING THE TWENTIETH CENTURY&‘War and Revolution is a relentless document. It is dense and disconcerting. This is precisely why it should be considered one of the most important history books written since 9/11&’- RON JACOBS, COUNTERPUNCH
Democracy’s Achilles Heel: The Rocky Marriage of Relative and Absolute
by Bruce FlemingDemocracy’s Achilles Heel argues that the structure of democracy is a combination of two incompatible worldviews: one relativist and liberal, the other absolutist and conservative. This combination of opposites is essential for its survival, yet places democracy at risk since each worldview is prone to trying to engulf the other, creating threats from both the right and the left. This is democracy’s Achilles heel: it never goes away and can only be avoided. The nature of open societies means that absolutisms, for example of a religious kind, can exist quite comfortably within democracy, yet for democracy to succeed, they must permit other belief systems and worldviews, absolute or otherwise, to exist alongside them. Likewise, relativism can undermine the liberal nature of democracy itself in seeking to reduce the existence of absolutisms to nothing, thus threatening freedom and destabilizing democracy. Reacting to the recent clashes in Western democracies between left and right, and drawing on the theories of such now-classic thinkers as Fromm, Berlin, and Hoffer, as well as more recent sources such as Levitsky and Ziblatt’s How Democracies Die, the author moves beyond the usual defenses of democracy, accepting the fact that democracy, because of its combination of opposites, is always unstable and always at risk, while urging those who live within democratic polities to strengthen its chances of survival by remembering its fundamental value and purpose. An impassioned defense of the democratic way of life even given (and indeed because of) its eternally threatened nature, Democracy’s Achilles Heel will appeal to scholars, students, and readers with interests in political sociology, philosophy, and political theory.
Democratic Failures and the Ethics of Democracy (Democracy, Citizenship, and Constitutionalism)
by Adam LovettIn Democratic Failures and the Ethics of Democracy, political philosopher Adam Lovett argues that when it comes to democratic ideals, the United States is a failed democracy. Specifically, he contends that American democracy has failed to advance equality and self-rule for its citizens—qualities he identifies as essential components of democracy’s intrinsic value. Drawing on rich empirical research, Lovett applies original philosophical analysis to reveal real-world democratic failures and evaluate their philosophical and ethical consequences.His research locates democratic failures at both the level of political elites and at the level of the masses. At the elite level, elected officials shape policy to prioritize the interests of their supporters, where wealthy individuals and corporations are the most influential. At the mass level, ordinary citizens are motivated to vote not to introduce specific policies but by party identification. By mapping how these failures erode equality and self-rule, he demonstrates that they in fact undermine the ethics of democracy itself. After all, Lovett argues, when a state fails to represent ordinary citizens, those ordinary citizens are not morally obligated to follow the laws of the state.Because the state fails to achieve democratic values in any meaningful way, its claim to political authority and legitimacy is diminished. However, Lovett does not conclude that American democracy is doomed—he instead proposes solutions from voting only on referendums to delegating aspects of public policy to unelected experts without partisan obligation. These reforms are vital for compelling the state to act on behalf of all citizens, not just the partisan or the powerful. Of interest to political scientists and political philosophers alike, Democratic Failures and the Ethics of Democracy sheds light on an increasingly troubled democratic ethos and proposes solutions for how ordinary citizens can work to save it.