Transition to Modernity
Essays on Power, Wealth and Belief

This set of essays is concerned with the explanation of large scale social change.

John A. Hall (Edited by), I. C. Jarvie (Edited by)

9780521382021, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 16 January 1992

400 pages, 2 b/w illus. 5 maps
23.7 x 16 x 3.6 cm, 0.7 kg

This set of essays is concerned with the explanation of large scale social change. Concentration is on the social stagnation characteristic of agrarian circumstances, the conditions for exit from that world and the varied social orders that inhabit, sometimes precariously, the modern world community. The distinguished contributors, from archaeology, anthropology, sociology, economic history and philosophy, have all been stimulated by the work of Ernest Gellner, and the essays are in dialogue with his view of our social condition.

List of illustrations
List of contributors
Introduction
Part I. The Pre-Modern World: 1. World languages and human dispersals: a minimalist view Colin Renfrew
2. Nomads and oases in Central Asia A. M. Khazanov
3. Why poverty was inevitable in traditional societies E. A. Wrigley
Part II. Transitions to the Modern World: 4. On a little known chapter of Mediterranean history Karl R. Popper
5. Ernest Gellner and the escape to modernity Alan MacFarlane
6. The emergence of modern European nationalism Michael Mann
7. Sovereign individuals Ronald Dore
Part III. Modernity and its Discontents: 8. Science, politics, enchantment Perry Anderson
9. Deconstructing post-modernism: Gellner and Crocodile Dundee Joseph Agassi
10. A methodology without presuppositions? John Watkins
11. Gellner's positivism I. C. Jarvie
12. Left versus Right in French political ideology Louis Dumont
13. Property, justice and common good after socialism John Dunn
14. Social contract, democracy and freedom Gerard Radnitzky
15. Thoughts on liberalisation Jose Merquior
16. Peace, peace at last? John A. Hall
Indexes.

Subject Areas: Social theory [JHBA]