Modern Liberty and Its Discontents

by Pierre Manent, Daniel J. Mahoney (Editor), Paul Seaton (Editor)

Overview

In this book, distinguished French philosopher Pierre Manent addresses a wide range of subjects, including the Machiavellian origins of modernity, Tocqueville's analysis of democracy, the political role of Christianity, the nature of totalitarianism, and the future of the nation-state. As a whole, the book constitutes a meditation on the nature of modern freedom and the permanent discontents which accompany it. Manent is particularly concerned with the effects of modern democracy on the maintenance and sustenance of substantial human ties. Modern Liberty and its Discontents is both an important contribution to an understanding of modern society, and a significant contribution to political philosophy in its own right.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780847690879
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	08/06/1998
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	6.22(w) x 9.24(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Pierre Manent is director of studies at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris. He is the author of many books, including An Intellectual History of Liberalism (Princeton), Tocqueville and the Nature of Democracy (Rowman & Littlefield, 1996), and The City of Man (Princeton). Daniel Mahoney is associate professor of politics at Assumption College, and the author of The Liberal Political Science of Raymond Aron (Rowman & Littlefield, 1992) and DeGaulle: Statesmanship, Grandeur, and Modern Democracy (Praeger). Paul Seaton is university fellow at Fordham University.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Modern Liberty and Its Discontents: An Introduction to Political Reflectionof Pierre Manent Part 2 Reflections on an Intellectual Itinerary Chapter 3 The Truth, Perhaps Part 4 Essays in the History of Political Philosophy Chapter 5 Toward the Work and Toward the World: Claude Lefort's Machiavelli Chapter 6 Democratic Man, Aristocratic Man, and Man Simply: Some Remarks on an Equivocation in Tocqueville's Thought Part 7 Christianity and Politics Chapter 8 Charles Péguy: Between Political Faith and Faith Chapter 9 Christianity and Democracy: Some Remarks on the Political History of Religion/ or/ on the Religious History of Modern Politics Part 10 Understanding Totalitarianism Chapter 11 Totalitarianism and the Problem of Political Representation Chapter 12 Aurel Kolnai: A Political Philosopher Confronts the Scourge of Our Epoch Part 13 Democratic Individualism Chapter 14 On Modern Individualism Chapter 15 Recovering Human Attachments: An Introduction to Allan Bloom's Love and Friendship Part 16 Thinking and Acting Politically Chapter 17 Raymond Aron and the Analysis of Modern Society Chapter 18 De Gaulle as Hero Chapter 19 Democracy without Nations? Part 20 Reflections on Strauss, Nature, and History Chapter 21 Strauss and Nietzsche Chapter 22 On Historical Causality Part 23 Liberalism and Conservatism Today Chapter 24 Liberalism and Conservatism: The Transatlantic Misunderstanding Chapter 25 Index

Editorial Reviews

This is a welcome collection of essays by France's leading Straussian, Pierre Manent. It features a helpful introduction by one of the co-editors, Daniel J. Mahoney, that lays out quite clearly Manent's intellectual debt to Raymond Aron and Leo Strauss.

Canadian Journal of Political Science - Ronald Beiner

The volume covers a wide range of subjects in fifteen essays, felicitously translated from the French by its editors, Daniel J. Mahoney and Paul Seaton. The political reflection found in these essays offers a refreshing alternative to much of today's slef-satisfied liberal theory.

Perspectives on Political Science - Marc D. Guerra

The distinguished French philosopher Pierre Manent writes of Democratic man in these brilliant essays. He sees Democratic man as modern man, man in history—the man who struggles against his nature, against himself. Manent's perspective on this problematic being is penetrating, captivating, and—need I say it?—always French. Amazingly, it is also full of good sense.

Harvey C. Mansfield

The volume covers a wide range of subjects in fifteen essays, felicitously translated from the French by its editors, Daniel J. Mahoney and Paul Seaton.

The political reflection found in these essays offers a refreshing alternative to much of today's slef-satisfied liberal theory.
— Marc D. Guerra, Boston College

Perspectives On Political Science

This is a welcome collection of essays by France's leading Straussian, Pierre Manent. It features a helpful introduction by one of the co-editors, Daniel J. Mahoney, that lays out quite clearly Manent's intellectual debt to Raymond Aron and Leo Strauss.
— Ronald Beiner

Canadian Journal of Political Science

Manent masterfully decsrcibes the depth of the revolution and its future direction.

First Things, December 1998 - Russell Hittinger