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There is a growing anxiety about the basic health of society. Everywhere we see the fraying of the social fabric, the decline of families, the absence of consensus on unifying moral principles, and the disappearance of community and voluntary associations. Around the world, politicians and intellectuals of all political persuasions seek to restore civil society by cultivating stronger public ethics and social institutions. In
The Essential Civil Society Reader Don E. Eberly, one of the nation's leading civil society theorists and activists, presents the classic writings of the leading scholars and organizers who have brought the civil society debate to the forefront of American politics. The future of democracy depends on a strong civil society, and this book tells readers how we can achieve it.
List of contents
Part 1 Introduction and Overview Chapter 2 The Meaning, Origins, and Applications of Civil Society Part 3 Civil Society Theory Chapter 4 The Quest for Community: A Study in the Ethics of Order and Freedom Chapter 5 Whose Keeper? Social Science and Moral Obligation Chapter 6 The Good Society: We Live Through Our Institutions Chapter 7 The Demoralization of Society: What's wrong with Civil Society Chapter 8 Democracy on Trial: The Role of Civil Society in Sustaining Democratic Values Chapter 9 Communitarianism and the Moral Dimension Part 10 Community as a Generator of Social Capital Chapter 11 To Empower People: from State to Civil Society Chapter 12 Professionalized Services: Disabling Help for Communities and Citizens Chapter 13 Culture,Incentives, and the Underclass Chapter 14 The Urban Church: Faith, Outreach and the Inner City Poor Part 15 Civil Society: Civic Trust, Social Authority Chapter 16 The Lost City: The Case for Social Authority Chapter 17 Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity Part 18 Civil Society and the Democratic State Chapter 19 Democracy's Discontent: The Procedural Republic Chapter 20 Rights Talk: The Impoverishment of Political Discourse Chapter 21 The Progressive Assault of Civic Community Chapter 22 Individualism, Liberalism and Democratic Civic Society Chapter 23 American Exceptionalism Revisted: The role of Civil Society Chapter 24 Politics, Morality, and Civility
About the author
Edited by Don E. Eberly - Contributions by Daniel Bell; Robert Bellah; Peter Berger; John Dilulio; Don E. Eberly; Allan Ehrenhalt; Jean Bethke Elshtain; Amitai Etzioni; Francis Fukuyama; William Galston; Mary Ann Glendon; Vaclav Havel; Gertrude Himmelfarb
Summary
Around the world politicians and intellectuals seek to restore civil society by cultivating stronger public ethics and social institutions. This text presents classic writings of leading scholars and organizers who have brought the civil society debate to the forefront.
