Rationalism in politics and other essays

Bibliographic Information

Rationalism in politics and other essays

Michael Oakeshott ; foreword by Timothy Fuller

Liberty Fund, c1991

New and expanded ed

  • : hardcover

Available at  / 1 libraries

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Note

Bibliography: p. xxiii-xxvi

Includes index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

Rationalism in Politics, first published in 1962, has established the late Michael Oakeshott as the leading conservative political theorist in modern Britain. This expanded collection of essays astutely points out the limits of "reason" in rationalist politics. Oakeshott criticizes ideological schemes to reform society according to supposedly "scientific" or rationalistic principles that ignore the wealth and variety of human experience. "Rationalism in politics," says Oakeshott, "involves a misconception with regard to the nature of human knowledge." History has shown that it produces unexpected, often disastrous results. "Having cut himself off from the traditional knowledge of his society, and denied the value of any education more extensive than a training in a technique of analysis," the Rationalist succeeds only in undermining the institutions that hold civilized society together. In this regard, rationalism in politics is "a corruption of the mind."

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Details

  • NCID
    BD03648243
  • ISBN
    • 9780865970946
  • LCCN
    91006951
  • Country Code
    us
  • Title Language Code
    eng
  • Text Language Code
    eng
  • Place of Publication
    Carmel, Ind.
  • Pages/Volumes
    xxvi, 556 p.
  • Size
    24 cm
  • Classification
  • Subject Headings
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