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In Defence of Modernity: The Social Thought of Michael Oakeshott (British Idealist Studies, Series 1: Oakeshott)
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Product Description
This book is an inquiry into Oakeshott's philosophy as a whole, understood as social thought, and the central claim of the study is that Oakeshott's philosophy is one of the most sophisticated defences of modernity and liberalism found in contemporary British thought. The central feature of modernity is seen here as the "fragmentation" of experience and society. Critics of modernity see this situation of fragmentation as essentially unstable, based on false assumptions and lacking an authority of its own. Oakeshott defends modernity against both pre-modernists and post-modernists. For him, to be modern means to recognize radical plurality. An appropriate response to this condition is reconciling ourselves with it by learning to appreciate and enjoy this plurality. The book is structured into four sections. Section one introduces us into the setting of Oakeshott's thought by highlighting the idea of modernity. Section two analyses Oakeshott's philosophy of experience. It deals with the question of what it is to be modern in our reflective imagining of the world. Section three looks at Oakeshott's philosophy of society and explores what it is to be modern in the pragmatic perception of our social life. It analyses the nature of the relation between Oakeshott's philosophy of experience and his philosophy of society. Section four deals with Oakeshott's educational thought and its relation to his social philosophy as a whole.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #1143444 in Books
- Published on: 2003-10-02
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Hardcover
- 268 pages
Editorial Reviews
Review
'This is an excellent and illuminating book.' John Charvet, History of Political Thought 'The book as a whole is a major contribution to the scholarly literature on Oakeshott... Podoksik's central thesis--that Oakeshott wanted to defend the plurality and fragmentation of modern life--is surely right.' Elizabeth Corey, Society
George Feaver, Times Literary Supplement
"Shows how the somewhat problematic notion of practice. . . culminated in the mature category of conduct featured in On Human Conduct."
Mark Garnett, Conservative History Journal
"In a wide-ranging and perceptive account, Podoksik presents Oakeshott as a defender of modernity."
