This polemical book examines the concept of sustainability and presents a critical exploration of its all-pervasive influence on society, arguing that sustainability, manifested in several guises, represents a pernicious and corrosive doctrine that has survived primarily because there seems to be no alternative to its canon: in effect, its bi-partisan appeal has depressed critical engagement and neutered politics. It is a malign philosophy of misanthropy, low aspirations and restraint. This book argues for a destruction of the mantra of sustainability, removing its unthinking status as orthodoxy, and for the reinstatement of the notions of development, progress, experimentation and ambition in its place. Al Gore insists that the ‘debate is over’, while musician K.T. Tunstall, spokesperson for ‘Global Cool’, a campaign to get stars to minimize their carbon footprint, says ‘so many people are getting involved that it is becoming really quite uncool not to be involved’. This book will say that it might not be cool, but it is imperative to argue against the moralizing of politics so that we can start to unpick the contemporary world of restrictive, sustainable practices.
Today the atmosphere cracks with excitement and the anticipation of dynamic challenges as we transition from one government to another. We must take drastic actions to recovery because we cannot afford to elect leaders that are political Svengali who will cozen their way to the top to enrich themselves at the expense of everyone else. Liberia is at the crossroad and in the state of shock because of all the happenings in the country; the time for change has come to take us to the foundation of recovery, molding the minds of young Liberians. Thus, the keys to national recovery are set to catapult the nation into a new era. A nation cannot be built on falsehood considering our relationship to Yahweh. It should be built on trust. For instance, the leprosy of Naaman was inflicted on Gehazi for his falsehood and covetousness. In this life-changing material, Zack Roberts reveals the secrets and truth concerning national recovery. Zack empties his heart into this book with one major mission. Through the lessons outlined in this book directed by Yahweh, the transformation of our nation will take place when our minds are renewed and every Liberian become a catalyst for the transformation we seek. We cannot bring about change if we are not changed. There is a grave need for someone who will stand as a symbol of hope for the new Liberia. He also shares this life-changing truth about how to turn our present circumstances around and experience recovery for the nation. There is a need for a new leadership that will serve as the benchmark of what we hoped for, someone who will as serve a standard by which others may be measured or judged. Said leadership will serve as a test to check the standard others. It will have to become the model to accelerate the process and progress of transformation without being consumed by the institutionalized system of corruption. As Liberians, we must be ready for the inevitable changes taking place in our nation. Zack shows us that we must change our perception of ourselves. We have been victimized by past leaders, but we must not remain victims. We must change our attitudes and our past approaches and must be willing to embrace the new Liberia. Keys to National Recovery points out that recovery will not just come from our social and political systems, but rather, it will come from a desire and a willingness that is deep within us. The emphasis of this book is on national recovery, and it is a must read for those who are determined to recover from eroding lifestyles and past losses.
In 1947 Horkheimer and Adorno connected the Enlightenment with totalitarianism. Since when the Left has drifted into the language and imagery of the European Counter-Enlightenment, the movement against 1776 and 1789. Bronner sets out to reclaim the heritage of progressive politics.
The first serious, extended effort to use a human rights-based approach to address the scientific issues affecting society and the often-neglected human right to science.
Contemporary Islamic theology remains a neglected area in studies on Islam. This work is dedicated to the thought and ideas of Said Nursi (1876–1960), one of the most prominent Muslim theologians of the twentieth century. Nursi inspired a faith movement—the Nur community—that originated in Turkey. It continues to play a key role in the revival of Islam and now numbers several millions of followers worldwide. His legacy and impact deserve therefore to be examined more closely. This volume is the most substantial overview in English of the inspiration of Said Nursi and his masterpiece the Risale-i Nur. In the beginning, the essays provide the reader with Nursi’s historical context and biography. Then Nursi’s theological views, his understanding of society, and ideas on politics are placed under the spotlight. Over the last twenty years, more and more comparative religion specialists in the West have become acquainted with Said Nursi. Nursi studies is now an established discipline, and this volume is a celebration of that reality. As it reveals, Muslims and Christians are grappling with the wisdom of this remarkable, rich thinker.
This book, first published in 1971, provides an account of educational and social services, their functions, and how they relate to each other. It discusses their problems and makes constructive and original proposals for their future development. Taking the child and its needs as their central theme, the authors go beyond superficial organisational matters to consider fundamental issues that profoundly affect the future of the nation’s children. This title will be of interest to students of sociology and education.
" . . . a comprehensive canvass of Dewey's logic, metaphysics, aesthetics, philosophy of history, and social thought." —Choice " . . . a major addition to the recent accumulation of in-depth studies of Dewey." —Journal of Speculative Philosophy "Larry Hickman has done an exemplary job in demonstrating the relevance of John Dewey's philosophy to modern-day discussions of technology." —Ethics
Today's highly fraught historical moment brings a resurgence of antisemitism. Antisemitic incidents of all kinds are on the rise across the world, including hate speech, the spread of neo-Nazi graffiti and other forms of verbal and written threats, the defacement of synagogues and Jewish cemeteries, and acts of murderous terror. Contending with Antisemitism in a Rapidly Changing Political Climate is an edited collection of 18 essays that address antisemitism in its new and resurgent forms. Against a backdrop of concerning political developments such as rising nationalism and illiberalism on the right, new forms of intolerance and anti-liberal movements on the left, and militant deeds and demands by Islamic extremists, the contributors to this timely and necessary volume seek to better understand and effectively contend with today's antisemitism.
Language and Metaphors of the Russian Revolution: Sow the Wind, Reap the Storm is a panoramic history of the Russian intelligentsia and an analysis of the language and ideals of the Russian Revolution, from its inception over the long nineteenth century through fruition in early Soviet society. This volume examines metaphors for revolution in the storm, flood, and harvest imagery ubiquitous in Russian literary works. At the same time, it considers the struggle to own the narrative of modernity, including Bolshevik weaponization of language and cultural policy that supported the use of terror and social purging. This uniquely cross-disciplinary study conducts a close reading of texts that use storm, flood, and agricultural metaphors in diverse ways to represent revolution, whether in anticipation and celebration of its ideals or in resistance to the same. A spotlight is given to the lives and works of authors who responded to Soviet authoritarianism by reclaiming the narrative of revolution in the name of personal freedom and restoration of humanist values. Hinging on the clashes of culture wars and class wars and residing at the intersection of ideas at the very core of the fight for modernity, this book provides a critical reading of authoritarian discourse and investigates rare examples of the counter narratives that thrived in spite of their suppression.
Based on original sources, this study charts the development of modern Irish socialism from the influence of William Thompson, Marx and the First International, challenging the myth that socialism emerged with James Connolly and the struggle for independence. The author explores the land war, the challenging position of Irish socialists in relation to Irish independence and the impact of British socialism on Ireland.
Positivism, not just an “ivory tower” philosophy, was a major force in the social, political, and educational life of Mexico during the last half of the nineteenth century. Once colonial conservatism had been conquered, the French Intervention ended, and Maximilian of Hapsburg executed, reformers wanted to create a new national order to replace the Spanish colonial one. The victorious liberals strove to achieve “mental emancipation,” a kind of second independence, which would abolish the habits and customs imposed on Mexicans by three centuries of colonialism. At this singular moment in Mexican history, positivism was offered as an extraordinary means and pathway to a new order. The next stage was the education of the Mexican people in this liberal philosophy and their incorporation into the process of development achieved by modern nations. Leopoldo Zea traces the forerunners of liberal thought and their influence during Juárez’s time and shows how this ideology degenerated into an “order and progress” philosophy that served merely to maintain colonial forms of exploitation and, at the same time, to create new ones that were peculiar to the neocolonialism that the great nations of the world imposed on other peoples. Zea examines the regime of Porfirio Díaz and its justification by the positivist philosophers of the period. He concludes that the conflict between exploited social groups, on the one hand, and foreign interests and a middle class on the margin of an oligarchy, on the other, brought about the movement known as the Mexican Revolution.
