Vaclav Havel Civic Responsibility in the Postmodern Age

by Pontuso, James F.

• ISBN13: 9780742522565
• ISBN10: 0742522563
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-08-19
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Summary

More than any other public figure, VOclav Havel has reflected on the opportunities and dilemmas facing humankind as a result of the Communism's collapse. His life serves as an example of responsible and moral action, even at the cost of much personal suffering. In the first book to bring together Havel's life and work, James Pontuso examines the Czech president's political philosophy. Pontuso argues that Havel's life as a dissident and political leader, his political writings, and his plays are part of a whole and must be understood as intimately connected to one another. In this engaging work, Pontuso skillfully explores these connections and explains Havel's prescriptions for political life.

Author Biography

James F. Pontuso is Elliott Professor of Political Science at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
1 A Life like a Work of Art	1	(14)
2 A Hesitant Philosopher	15	(40)
3 A Dissident in an "Unnatural" World	55	(14)
4 An Ironic Playwright	69	(54)
5 Free Markets and Civil Society: Citizen in the Global Economy	123	(29)
6 An "Untactical" President	152	(19)
Index	171	(4)
About the Author	175