Suchergebnisse

"Political Representation: From Classical Research Traditions to Comparative Perspectives" published on by Oxford University Press.

"David Martins 'General Theory of Secularization' stellt die bisher beste historisch-soziologische Typologie von Religionsentwicklung und Prozessen der Säkularisierung in der europäisch-christlichen Zivilisation (einschließlich Nord- und Südamerikas) dar. Seit ihrer Veröffentlichung im Jahr 1978 haben sich sowohl in der Religionsgeschichte und Religionssoziologie als auch in der empirischen Anschauungsgrundlage (vor allem in Osteuropa, Südeuropa und Südamerika) enorme Entwicklungen vollzogen, ohne daß die Systematik dar Martinschen Säkularisierungstheorie erneut aufgegriffen und fortentwickelt worden wäre. Aus dieser Perspektive diskutiere ich vier Aspekte der Martinschen Säkularisierungstheorie in einem europäisch-amerikansichen Vergleichsrahmen 1. Den Begriff und die Dimensionen der Säkularisierung bei David Martin; 2. Das Verhältnis von Stsatsentwicklung, Nationbildung und Religion (vor allem im Blick auf Osteuropa); 3. Das Verhältnis von Ethnizität, Migration und Religion (vor allem hinsichtlich Nord- und Südamerikas): und 4. Das Verhältnis der Martinschen Typologie zum historischen Wandel von Konfigurationsbeziehungen von Religion und Säkularisierung im Rahmen von Modernisierungsprozessen." (Autorenreferat)

The author begins this book with a comparative approach to reveal affinities between Michael Oakeshott's philosophy regarding the paradox of knowledge, & ancient & classical philosophers. Oakeshott's nonexegetical view of philosophy has a Protean evasiveness that reflects a Platonic style of argumentation in the relationship between writing form & content. But, the rejection of a Platonic division between philosophic & practical knowledge locates the beginnings of philosophy within concepts of everyday knowledge that have become "recognizables" through repetition & familiarity rather than actual truth. Plato's use of myths (the immortal soul, the cave) is refuted as reductionist devices used to achieve certain truths. In actuality, the prisoners in the Platonic cave have more information than the myth reveals. Thus, philosophy does not produce concrete knowledge that rules as a philosopher king, but rather provides clarification of actual experience. 28 References. J. Harwell

Analyzes the desirability of a multination federation in Canada as discussed by Will Kymlicka. Challenges to the feasibility of Kymlicka's depiction of a multination federation are posed: (1) framing of the Canadian case in comparative perspective is deemed erroneous & (2) considering the dynamics of the nationalist movement in Quebec, Kymlicka's argument is not compelling. Political philosophy & ideologies concerning multicultural citizenship & the idea of multination federations are discussed, & multinational federalism in Canada is not supported. L. Collins Leigh

Draws on Hannah Arendt (1966) & Carl Joachim Friedrich's (1953) conceptions of totalitarianism to compare the explanatory & predictive power of the totalitarian paradigm with that of competing approaches in light of the 1989-1991 demise of communist systems in Eastern Europe. Arendt's normative political philosophy & Friedrich's empirical comparative politics are shown to exemplify two different types of thinking in political science. Although both interpretations have recently experienced renewed interest, it is argued that Arendt's conception is more useful to current arguments than Friedrich's typological approach, which overestimates the ability of totalitarian rulers to exert total control over society. The disintegration of Eastern European communist systems refutes Friedrich's assumption that it would take military intervention by foreign powers to extinguish these systems. Nonetheless, it is contended that Friedrich's concept of totalitarian dictatorship is still historically relevant &, even though totalitarianism as a model failed more than other approaches, his typology of 13 types of rule in history is valuable to comparative scholars with historical insight. 1 Figure. J. Lindroth