Civil Society: The Critical History of an Idea [Paperback]

John Ehrenberg (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0814722075 | ISBN-13: 978-0814722077 | Publication Date: March 1, 1999

In the absence of noble public goals, admired leaders, and compelling issues, many warn of a dangerous erosion of civil society. Are they right? What are the roots and implications of their insistent alarm? How can public life be enriched in a period marked by fraying communities, widespread apathy, and unprecedented levels of contempt for politics? How should we be thinking about civil society?

Civil Society examines the historical, political, and theoretical evolution of how civil society has been understood for the past two and a half millennia. From Aristotle and the Enlightenment philosophers to Colin Powell's Volunteers for America, Ehrenberg provides an indispensable analysis of the possibilities-and limits-of what this increasingly important idea can offer to contemporary political affairs.

Civil Society is the winner of the Michael J. Harrington Award from the Caucus for a New Political Science of APSA for the best book published during 1999.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A sweeping and illuminating analysis of the evolving concept of civil society. Ehrenberg locates understandings of civil society in the context of historically changing relations of state, economy, and community and helps us to understand the ambiguities and even contradictions which beriddle the oft-evoked term."

-Frances Fox Piven,CUNY Graduate Center

"Ehrenberg's work is a book that anyone studying the third sector shoul dhave on his or her bookshelf."

-Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary & Nonprofit Organizations,

"No one involved in the current debates over civil society-and there can only be a few serious scholars who are not-will want to miss John Ehrenberg's trenchant and thrill-packed (well, for us theorists anyway) work. A major contribution to the history of political theory by one of the brightest stars in the critical galaxy."

-Bertoll Ollman,author of Dialectical Investigations

"An absorbing study of a seminal idea in the history of political theory . . . This is a beautifully written work with an important critical perspective. It makes a genuine scholarly contribution."

-Stephen Eric Bronner,Rutgers University

About the Author

John Ehrenberg is Professor and Chair of the Political Science Department at the Brooklyn Campus of Long Island University and has written extensively on social and democratic thought.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: NYU Press (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814722075
• ISBN-13: 978-0814722077
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #514,290 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really useful overview, January 27, 2008

By 

southsiderosie - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Civil Society: The Critical History of an Idea (Paperback)

This is a really useful overview of different theories of civil society: the role that citizens and/or the state play in shaping and governing society, and pursuing the common good (or not!). Essentially it is an overview of the evolution of Western political philosophy, from the Classical era onwards. It is especially useful for highlighting not only the evolution of these ideas over time and placing them into context, but it also helps sort out critical ways in which some strains of thought differ (i.e. not all classical liberals are the same!).

One recommendation I would have for those who do not already have copies of the original texts is to get this book first and see what version of the texts he used, so you can cross-reference the page numbers correctly. Alas, if you are like me and already have many of them (or have printed them off of the internet), you may have to dig around a bit to figure out what sections Ehrenberg is addressing directly.

Ultimately, this book is a great compliment to - NOT SUBSTITUTE FOR - the original texts.