The Age of Ideology: Political Ideologies from the American Revolution to Postmodern Times

by John Schwarzmantel

Overview

After the great revolutions of 1776 in America and 1789 in France, modern nations began to express political struggle as a conflict between Left and Right, a spectrum of ideologies including socialism, liberalism, conservatism, nationalism, and later, communism and fascism, among others. These dominant ideologies reflected the themes of industrial society, powerful nation-states, and the era of class politics.
Today, however, a series of rapid social and political transformations have provoked a world-wide crisis of ideologies. New technology threatens the traditional social structure of heavy industry. Increased globalization challenges the sovereignty of the nation-state, and class divisions appear less salient. In light of these changes, do modern ideologies have anything to say to us as citizens of the world today?
The Age of Ideology analyzes the contemporary relevance of the main ideologies that have been central to political struggle over the past two centuries. Believing the postmodern critique of ideologies as inadequate for dealing with society's problems, John Schwarzmantel argues convincingly that political ideologies still provide essential organizing frameworks for political debate and action.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780814780961
Publisher:	New York University Press
Publication date:	03/01/1998
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.53(d)

About the Author

John Schwarzmantel is a lecturer in politics at the University of Leeds in England.

Table of Contents

Introduction
PART 1: ENLIGHTENMENT AND EMANCIPATION
The Politics of Modernity
The Revolutionary Challenge
PART 2: IDEOLOGIES OF MODERNITY
Liberalism and Modernity
Socialism and Emancipation
Conservative Critiques
Nationalism and Its Ambiguities
PART 3: THE CRISIS OF IDEOLOGIES
The Crisis of Modernity
Critiques of Enlightenment
Ideologies
The Future of Ideology.

Editorial Reviews

Assesses the major ideologies of modern times, including liberalism, socialism, and conservatism, and traces their relationships with one another, with the ambiguous ideology of nationalism, and to the emergence of modern societies, democratic politics, and Enlightenment ideas. Overviews key themes of modern political and social thought, the nature and crisis of modernity, and the rise and fall of Enlightenment ideas, and argues that the left-right spectrum and its major ideological poles remain essential to democratic government. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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