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Conditions of Liberty: Civil Society and Its Rivals Hardcover – December 1, 1994
| Price | New from | Used from |
- Print length240 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherViking Adult
- Publication dateDecember 1, 1994
- Dimensions5.56 x 0.98 x 8.86 inches
- ISBN-100713991143
- ISBN-13978-0713991147
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Product details
- Publisher : Viking Adult; 1st American ed edition (December 1, 1994)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 240 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0713991143
- ISBN-13 : 978-0713991147
- Item Weight : 14.8 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.56 x 0.98 x 8.86 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,925,407 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #53,345 in Philosophy (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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Gellner's "Conditions of Liberty" first attempts to define the essential features of civil society -- that is, Western-style liberal democracies -- and then attempts to explain its origins. (Gellner's use of the term "civil society" may have been inspired by Michael Oakeshott's use of the term in his book, "On Human Conduct," but the analytical approaches of these two thinkers could not be more different.) Gellner contrasts civil society with the Islamic system, and with the system that was in place in the former Soviet Union.
This short book is rich in insights too numerous to mention here. Among other things, Gellner explains the relationship between the emergence of nationalism and the development of civil society. He draws on Max Weber's ideas to show how changing conceptions of religion affected the evolution of civil society. And he offers some fascinating observations about why the Soviet system collapsed with so little resistance.
This short book is so packed with fascinating ideas that I am willing to rate it as outstanding despite some uncharacteristic lapses in Gellner's writing. The usual wit and irreverence are there, but the editing and organization could have been better.
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It arrived promptly and in good condition.




