The Modern Condition

by Wrong, Dennis H.

• ISBN13: 9780804732413
• ISBN10: 0804732418
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-04-01
• Publisher: Stanford Univ Pr

Summary

In this collection, a leading sociologist brings his distinctive method of social criticism to bear on some of the most significant ideas, political and social events, and thinkers of the late twentieth century. Of the seventeen essays, two are published for the first time, and several of the previously published essays have been expanded and updated for this volume. In the first section, the author critiques several concepts that have figured prominently in political-ideological controversiescapitalism, rationality, totalitarianism, power, alienation, left and right, and cultural relativism/multiculturalism. He considers their origins, historical shifts in their meaning and the myths surrounding them, and their subtle resonance beyond their formal definitions. The second section highlights the author's lifelong interest in the relation of intellectuals to social classes and institutions. The author critically assesses the notion of a "New Class" in which intellectuals have been alleged to play a prominent role, considers the implications for class structure of the increasing centering of intellectual life in the university, and assesses the relation of sociology to professional jargon. The final essays in this section discuss four influential thinkers: David Riesman, Daniel Bell, Christopher Lasch, and Allan Bloom. The book closes with an autobiographical statement centered on the author's intellectual-political life.

Author Biography

Dennis H. Wrong is Professor of Sociology Emeritus at New York University.

Table of Contents

Concepts and Realities
Disaggregating the Idea of Capitalism	p. 3
Is Rational Choice Humanity's Most Distinctive Trait?	p. 15
Hannah Arendt on Totalitarianism	p. 26
The Concept of Power: Boundless or Delimited?	p. 36
Myths of Alienation	p. 47
The Politics of Left and Right	p. 63
Cultural Relativism as Ideology	p. 87
Intellectuals and Middle Classes
The New Class: Does It Exist?	p. 99
Knowledge and Power: Intellectuals, Universities, and the Class Structure	p. 114
The Influence of Sociological Ideas on American Culture	p. 131
Professional Jargon: Is Sociology the Culprit?	p. 146
The New York Intellectuals and McCarthyism	p. 152
David Riesman: The Lonely Crowd Revisited	p. 162
Daniel Bell: A Specialist in Generalizations	p. 173
Christopher Lasch: Is Progress a Delusion?	p. 183
Allan Bloom: The Paperbacking of the American Mind	p. 194
"As we grow older the world becomes stranger"	p. 205
Notes	p. 233
Bibliography	p. 241
Sources	p. 251
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