The importance of being civil : the struggle for political decency
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
The importance of being civil : the struggle for political decency
Princeton University Press, c2013
- : hbk
- : [pbk]
Available at / 4 libraries
-
No Libraries matched.
- Remove all filters.
Note
Includes index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
Civility is desirable and possible, but can this fragile ideal be guaranteed? The Importance of Being Civil offers the most comprehensive look at the nature and advantages of civility throughout history and in our world today. Esteemed sociologist John Hall expands our understanding of civility as related to larger social forces--including revolution, imperialism, capitalism, nationalism, and war--and the ways that such elements limit the potential for civility. Combining wide-ranging historical and comparative evidence with social and moral theory, Hall examines how the nature of civility has fluctuated in the last three centuries, how it became lost, and how it was reestablished in the twentieth century following the two world wars. He also considers why civility is currently breaking down and what can be done to mitigate this threat. The Importance of Being Civil is a decisive and sophisticated addition to the discussion of civility in its modern cultural and historical contexts.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments vii Introduction 1 Part One: A Composite Definition 1. Agreeing to Differ 19 2. Sympathy and Deception 38 3. How Best to Rule 62 4. Entry and Exit 83 5. Intelligence in States 105 Part Two: Enemies 6. Down with Authenticity 129 7. The Disenchantment of the Intellectuals 152 8. The Problem with Communism 176 9. The Destruction of Trust 201 10. Imperialism, the Perversion of Nationalism 226 Conclusion 247 Index 255
by "Nielsen BookData"
