The Essential Civil Society Reader The Classic Essays

by Eberly, Don E.; Bell, Daniel; Bellah, Robert; Berger, Peter; Dilulio, John; Eberly, Don E.; Ehrenhalt, Allan; Elshtain, Jean Bethke; Etzioni, Amitai; Fukuyama, Francis; Galston, William; Glendon, Mary Ann; Havel, Vaclav; Himmelfarb, Gertrude; McKnight, Jo

• ISBN13: 9780847697182
• ISBN10: 0847697185
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-07-12
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Summary

There is a growing anxiety about the basic health of society. Everywhere we see the fraying of the social fabric, the decline of families, the absence of consensus on unifying moral principles, and the disappearance of community and voluntary associations. Around the world, politicians and intellectuals of all political persuasions seek to restore civil society by cultivating stronger public ethics and social institutions. In The Essential Civil Society Reader Don E. Eberly, one of the nation's leading civil society theorists and activists, presents the classic writings of the leading scholars and organizers who have brought the civil society debate to the forefront of American politics. The future of democracy depends on a strong civil society, and this book tells readers how we can achieve it.

Author Biography

Daniel Bell is the author of numerous books. Bell is professor emeritus of social science at Harvard University and a resident scholar at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Robert N. Bellah is professor of sociology at the University of California, Berkeley Peter L. Berger is director of the Institute for the Study of Economic Culture and professor of economics at Boston University John J. DiIulio Jr. is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, a nonresident senior fellow in governmental studies at the Brookings Institution, and director of the Partnership for Research on Religion and At-Risk Youth (PRRAY) in Philadelphia Don E. Eberly is the author or editor of numerous books on American society and culture. Eberly contributes widely to the debate on civil society in regular submissions to journals and magazines. He has also founded several national civic initiatives, including the Civil Society Project, which he directs, and the National Fatherhood Initiative, for which he serves as chairman and CEO Alan Ehrenhalt is executive editor of Governing Magazine Jean Bethke Elshtain is the Laura Spellman Rockefeller Professor of Social and Political Ethics at the Divinity School of the University of Chicago Amitai Etzioni is a professor at George Washington University and a leading contributor to communitarian thought Francis Fukuyama is a former senior social scientist with the Rand Corporation and presently teaches at George Mason University William A. Galston is a professor in the School of Public Affairs at the University of Maryland at College Park and director of the university's Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy Mary Ann Glendon is professor of law at Harvard University Vaclav Havel is an internationally renowned playwright and the author of many influential essays. He was imprisoned in 1979 for his involvement in the Czech human rights movement, and after his release in 1989, he became his country's president Gertrude Himmelfarb taught for twenty-three years at Brooklyn College and the Graduate School of the City University of New York John L. McKnight is director of the Community Studies Program at the Center for Urban Affairs and Policy Research at Northwestern University, where he is a professor in the School of Education and Social Policy Richard John Neuhaus is a leading voice on issues of religion and society in America Robert Nisbet was formerly a professor of sociology at Columbia University Michael J. Sandel is a political theorist and professor of government at Harvard University William A. Schambra is director of general programs for the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation in Milwaukee, Wisconsin James Q. Wilson was professor of government for twenty-six years at Harvard and has taught management and public policy at UCLA Alan Wolfe is professor of sociology and political science at Boston University

Table of Contents

Part One: Introduction and Overview
The Meaning, Origins, and Applications of Civil Society	3	(30)
Don E. Eberly
Part Two: Civil Society Theory
``The Quest for Community'': A Study in the Ethics of Order and Freedom	33	(18)
Robert Nisbet
Whose Keeper? Social Science and Moral Obligation	51	(18)
Alan Wolfe
The Good Society: We Live through Our Institutions	69	(26)
Robert N. Bellah
The Demoralization of Society: What's Wrong with the Civil Society	95	(6)
Gertrude Himmelfarb
Democracy on Trial: The Role of Civil Society in Sustaining Democratic Values	101	(22)
Jean Bethke Elshtain
Communitarianism and the Moral Dimension	123	(20)
Amitai Etzioni
Part Three: Community as a Generator of Social Capital
To Empower People: From State to Civil Society	143	(40)
Peter L. Berger
Richard John Neuhaus
Professionalized Services: Disabling Help for Communities and Citizens	183	(12)
John L. McKnight
Culture, Incentives, and the Underclass	195	(22)
James Q. Wilson
The Urban Church: Faith, Outreach, and the Inner-City Poor	217	(22)
John J. Dilulio Jr.
Part Four: Civil Society: Civic Trust, Social Authority
The Lost City: The Case for Social Authority	239	(18)
Alan Ehrenhalt
Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity	257	(12)
Francis Fukuyama
Part Five: Civil Society and the Democratic State
Democracy's Discontent: The Procedural Republic	269	(36)
Michael J. Sandel
Rights Talk: The Impoverishment of Political Discourse	305	(12)
Mary Ann Glendon
The Progressive Assault of Civic Community	317	(36)
William A. Schambra
Individualism, Liberalism, and Democratic Civic Society	353	(20)
William A. Galston
``American Exceptionalism'' Revisited: The Role of Civil Society	373	(18)
Daniel Bell
Politics, Morality, and Civility	391	(12)
Vaclav Havel
Index	403	(8)
About the Contributors	411