For the past thirty to forty years, cultural analysis has focused on developing terms to explain the surpassing of modernity. Discussion is stranded in an impasse between those who view the term modernity with automatic disdain-as deterministic, Eurocentric or imperialistic-and a booming interest that is renewing the study of modernism. Another dilemma is that the urge to move away from, or beyond, modernity arises because it is viewed as difficult, even unsavoury. Yet, there has always been a view of modernity as somehow difficult to live with, and that has been said by figures we regard today as typical modernists. McNamara argues in this book that it is time to forget the quest to surpass modernity. Instead, we should re-examine a legacy that continues to inform our artistic conceptions, our political debates, our critical justifications, even if that legacy is baffling and contradictory. We may find it difficult to live with, but without recourse to this legacy, our critical-cultural ambitions would remain seriously diminished. How do we explain the culture we live in today? And how do we, as citizens, make sense of it? This book suggests these questions have become increasingly difficult to answer.

The "ghastly spectacle": witnessing Civil War death -- Body images: the Civil War dead in visual culture -- Blood and ink: historicizing the Civil War dead -- Plotting mortality: the Civil War dead and the narrative imagination

This collection of ten essays offers the first systematic assessment of JürgenHabermas's Philosophical Discourse of Modernity, a book that defended the rational potential of themodern age against the depiction of modernity as a spent epoch. The essays (of which four are newlycommissioned, five were published in the journal Praxis International, and one -- by Habermas --first appeared in translation in New Critique) are divided into two sections: Critical Rejoindersand Thematic Reformulations.An opening essay by d'Entrèves sets out the main issues and orients thedebate between Habermas and the postmodernists by identifying two different senses ofresponsibility: a responsibility to act versus a responsibility to otherness (an openness todifference, dissonance, and ambiguity). These are linked with two alternative understandings of theprimary function of language: action-orienting versus world-disclosing. This is a fruitful way oflooking at the issues that Habermas has raised in his attempt to resurrect and complete the projectof Enlightenment.Habermas's essay discusses the main themes of his book in the context of a criticalengagement with neoconservative cultural and political trends. The main body of essays offer aninteresting collection of points of view, for and against Habermas's position by philosophers,social scientists, intellectual historians, and literary critics.SECTIONS & CONTRIBUTORS :Introduction, Maurizio Passerin d'Entrèves. Modernity versus Postmodernity, Jürgen Habermas.Critical Rejoinders : Fred Dallmayr. Christopher Norris. David C. Hoy. James Schmidt. JoelWhitebook. Thematic Reformulations : James Bohman. Diana Coole. Jay M. Bernstein. DavidIngram.

This book discusses contemporary Chinese philosophy. It is the is the outcome of the author's own twenty year-long studies on the relationship between modernization and Chinese culture from the perspective of cultural reconstruction and philosophical reflection. The book highlights the author's opinions and research outcomes. Part I Culture 1 1 The Basic Spirit of Ancient Chinese Culture I. Schools of thought on the basic spirit of ancient Chinese culture II. The cultural spirit with humanism as its core 2 Types and Characteristics of Chinese Culture I. The culture of ethical politics that seeks good governance II. Characteristics of the studies of ancient Chinese culture 3 Thinkers and Cultural Traditions I. Thinkers and connotations of cultural traditions II. The major cultural tradition promoted by thinkers III. The main approaches taken by the thinkers to shaping cultural traditions IV. The relationship between thinkers and the cultural traditions V. Absorbing historic resources and reconstructing the cultural traditions 4 The Study of Ancient Chinese Culture and the Spirit of the Times I. The connotation, content and scope of studies of ancient Chinese culture II. The essence of the debate about ancient Chinese culture is how to achieve China’s modernization III. The interaction between ancient Chinese culture and the spirit of the times 5 Ancient Chinese Culture and the Chinese Spiritual Homeland I. What is the spiritual homeland? Anient Chinese culture III. Constructing the Chinese spiritual homeland 6 Traditional Chinese Thought on Humanism I. The indomitable spirit of observing the Way II. The ideal of worshipping the mean and valuing harmony III. The consciousness of tolerance of "cultural China" IV. The conservative and innovative consciousness of evolution V. The pursuit of morality and justice VI. The function of traditional Chinese humanism 7 Issues of the Chinese Culture and the Chinese Spirit I. The connotation and function of cultural spirit and national spirit II. The relationship between Chinese culture and the Chinese spirit III. The innovative study of the spirit of Chinese culture IV. The human spirit, cultural spirit and national spirit 8 The Developmental Direction of Chinese Culture and the Self-improvement of National Spirit: The Efforts of Chinese Cultural Modernization from the Perspective of Three "Cultural Declarations" I. The main content and the value themes of the three "Cultural Declarations" II. The value of the modern neo-Confucian "Cultural Declaration" III. The similarities and differences of the three "Cultural Declarations" IV. The enlightenment of the three "Cultural Declarations" for developmental directions of Chinese culture 9 Cultural Criticism and the Value Reconstruction: A prospective look at the future of Chinese culture I. Cultural critique, values reconstruction and civilization renaissance II. The cultural criticism and value reconstruction in the course of modern history III. The modern spiritual direction of reconstructing the values 10 National Cultural Qualities and Rebuilding the Humanistic Spirit I. The quality of national culture is a diverse and open system II. The value orientations of the human spirit III. The relationship between the cultural qualities of the nation and the spirit of humanity IV. How to rebuild the human spirit V. The main contents of the new humanistic spirit vi Between Tradition and Modernity 11 Economic Globalization and the Construction of National Culture I. Economic globalization cannot counteract cultural nationality II. A rational view of nationalism III. Adhering to and enhancing the cultural nationality 12 Cultural Globalization and Cultural Construction in Contemporary China I. "Cultural globalization" is a factual judgment II. Cultural globalization is subordinate to cultural diversity Part II Philosophy 13 Confucian Cultural Tradition and National Cohesion I. The specifi c meaning of the traditional Confucian culture and its spiritual values II. The cultural connotation of Chinese national cohesion and modern values III. The relationship between tradition of Confucian culture and Chinese national cohesion 14 Confucian Culture and the Construction of a Contemporary Humanistic Spirit I. A rational pursuit of Confucian culture II. The practical needs of contemporary culture building III. The positive value of Confucian culture and the construction of contemporary humanistic spirit 15 Approaches to Promoting Economic Development through Confucian Culture I. Dual roles of Confucian culture in economic development II. A practical approach to promoting economic development through Confucian culture 16 Modernization and Marginalization of Confucianism I. The origin and connotation of modernization and marginalization of Confucianism II. On the modernization of Confucianism III. On the marginalization of Confucianism IV. The tension between the modernization and marginalization of Confucianism 17 Confucianism and Schools of Thoughts in Modern China. I. Tripartite situation of culture: Conservatives, reformists and revolutionaries II. Academic schools of thought: Marxism, Western schools and Neo-Confucianism III. Approaches to cultural reconstruction: Seeking gradual improvement through radical means IV. The contemporary fate of Confucianism 18 Formation of Ruling by Rites in the Han dynasty and its Ideological Features I. The embryonic stage of ruling by rites: The establishment of the country by the Emperor Gaozu of Han to the period of Emperors Wendi and Jingdi of the Han dynasty II. The establishment stage of ruling by rites: the periods from Emperor Wudi to Emperors Zhaodi and Xuandi of the Han dynasty III. The mature stages: During the period of Emperor Zhangdi of the Eastern Han dynasty IV. The ideological characteristics of the Han dynasty 19 The Political Philosophy of Dong Zhongshu I. The political theory of benevolent governance with morality given priority over penalty II. The theory of the historical cycle of three unities III. The theory of political order of "Heaven changeth not, likewise the Way changeth not" 20 Dong Zhongshu’s Thought on Heaven and Man and its Signifi cance in Cultural History I. The theory of mutual interaction between Heaven and humanity II. The theory of harmony between man and nature III. The theory of the unity of nature and mankind with the ruler in the center IV. The signifi cance of Dong Zhongshu’s theory of nature and mankind in cultural history 21 Dong Zhongshu’s Way of Thinking I. The integrated logical approach of analogy and alignment II. The holistic, intuitive and experiential way of thinking III. The reform principles of respecting Heaven and the practice of the ancient times viii Between Tradition and Modernity 22 The Cultural Interpretation of Dong Zhongshu’s ideal I. The great aspiration and noble ideal of the unity of the country II. The pursuit of harmony and fairness III. The strategic vision of long-term stability 23 The Confucian Orientation and Characteristics of the New School in Kang Youwei’s "On Dong Zhongshu’s Study of Spring-Autumn" I. The structure of On Dong Zhongshu’s Study of Spring-Autumn 330 II. The content and themes of "On Dong Zhongshu’s Study of Spring-Autumn" III. "On Dong Zhongshu’s Study of Spring-Autumn" and the Reformation Movement IV. The Guangdong fl avor of "On Dong Zhongshu’s Study of Spring-Autumn" 24 Challenges and Issues of Developing Contemporary Neo-Confucianism I. The dilemma between openness and conservatism II. The gap between the ambition of reviving Confucianism and the desolate reality of the Confucian school III. The confl ict between the traditional values and norms of "Back to Basics" and the modern concept of openness IV. The divorce between the spirit of criticism and the consciousness of self-refl ection V. The paradox between the intentions of modernizing Confucianism and the reality of its marginalization VI. The total lack of an ideal carrier of Confucian values and ideals 25 A Close Examination of the Study of Chinese Philosophy in the 20th Century and a Prospective Look at its Development in the New Century I. The fi rst half of the twentieth century II. The second half of the twentieth century III. Achievements and shortcomings in the century IV. A look into the new century The Postscript of the English version

In antiquity, it was not only Aristotle who assumed the people are more to be understood in relation to one another than as individual or solitary constructs. This examination considers the changing attitudes to friendship since antiquity.

Romanticism is a worldview that finds expression over a whole range of cultural fields—not only in literature and art but in philosophy, theology, political theory, and social movements. In Romanticism Against the Tide of Modernity Michael Löwy and Robert Sayre formulate a theory that defines romanticism as a cultural protest against modern bourgeois industrial civilization and work to reveal the unity that underlies the extraordinary diversity of romanticism from the eighteenth to the twenty-first century. After critiquing previous conceptions of romanticism and discussing its first European manifestations, Löwy and Sayre propose a typology of the sociopolitical positions held by romantic writers-from “restitutionist” to various revolutionary/utopian forms. In subsequent chapters, they give extended treatment to writers as diverse as Coleridge and Ruskin, Charles Peguy, Ernst Bloch and Christa Wolf. Among other topics, they discuss the complex relationship between Marxism and romanticism before closing with a reflection on more contemporary manifestations of romanticism (for example, surrealism, the events of May 1968, and the ecological movement) as well as its future. Students and scholars of literature, humanities, social sciences, and cultural studies will be interested in this elegant and thoroughly original book.

Technology, Time, and the Conversations of Modernity takes as its impetus the idea that technology is an embodiment of our uneasiness with finitude. Lorenzo Simpson argues that technology has succeeded in granting our wish to domesticate time. He shows how this attitude affects our understanding of the meaning of action and our ability to discern meaning in our lives.

Sjoerd Griffioen investigates the polemics between Löwith, Blumenberg and Schmitt in the German secularization debate (1950’s-1980’s). ‘Secularization’ is revealed as a contested concept in ideological struggles over modernity and religion, both in this debate and contemporary postsecularism.

Religions of Modernity' challenges the social-scientific orthodoxy that, once unleashed, the modern forces of individualism, science and technology inevitably erode the sacred and evoke the profane. The book’s chapters, some by established scholars, others by junior researchers, document instead in rich empirical detail how modernity relocates the sacred to the deeper layers of the self and the domain of digital technology. Rather than destroying the sacred tout court, then, the cultural logic of modernization spawns its own religious meanings, unacknowledged spiritualities and magical enchantments. The classical theoretical accounts of modernity by Max Weber, Emile Durkheim and others, it is argued in the introductory chapter, already hinted that there's a future for such religions of modernity. Contributors: Stef Aupers, Kelly Besecke, Kirsten Marie Bovbjerg, Siobhan Chandler, Olav Hammer, Dick Houtman, Murray Lee, Carly Machado, Karen Pärna, Adam Possamai, Linda Woodhead, and Dorien Zandbergen.