Conditions of liberty
civil society and its rivals
1st American ed.
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Author
Publication
1994 - Allen Lane/Penguin Press, New York, N.Y, New York (State)
Language
English
Word Count
56,250 words, Guess
Page Count
225 pages
Identifiers
- Open LibraryOL1236326M
- ISBN-100713991143
- OCLC Control Number31500988
- OCLC Control Numberconditionsoflibe0000gell
- Library of Congress Control Number94239736
and 2 more
- LibraryThing342944
- Goodreads878233
Classifications
- DDC301
- LCCJC336 .G45 1994
Description
As Ernest Gellner shows in this path-breaking book, the most significant difference between communism (and other totalitarian ideologies) and Western liberalism is the existence of the civil society - the intermediary institutions like trade unions, political parties, religions, pressure groups and clubs which fill the gap between the family and the state. Under communism the civil society was suppressed. In liberal democracy it thrives. If life is to improve in Eastern Europe, the civil society must be encouraged to grow and prosper: the early signs - as observed by the doyen of British social anthropology - are good. The contrast with militant Islam is extraordinary: while Marxism as a faith has collapsed, Islam has been growing ever stronger. In fundamentalist states like Iran there is little civil society and apparently not much pressure for one, either. Why is there so little resistance or opposition? How can this be understood? This is an extremely important book and a major contribution to the 'end of history' debate by one of the most distinguished scholars working in Europe today.
Subjects
Topics
Other Editions
- Conditions of liberty: civil society and its rivals
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