Especially since the end of the Cold War, the concept of
civilization has been frequently deployed by those who seek to
describe and explain the world in which we live. The events of 11
September 2001, and the subsequent war on terror, have further
elevated the concept's use in the discourse of politics and
international relations. There has, for instance, been feverish
speculation and increasingly heated rhetoric about struggles for
civilization or a possible clash of civilizations, particularly
between the West and the Islamic world. The term is used both to
describe and to cast value-laden judgements about people, places,
and events. It is often misinterpreted and misapplied, with
sometimes dangerous consequences.
In response to the revival and misuse of civilization, this new
four-volume collection from Routledge Major Works meets the need
for an authoritative reference work to make sense of a vast and
growing scholarly literature. It brings together canonical and the
best cutting-edge research to provide a comprehensive overview of
the origins, contested meanings, contextual applications, and
general history of this critical concept.
Volume I ( The Origins and Meaning of Civilization ) is made up
of the best work from a distinguished line-up of political
scientists, philosophers, historians, sociologists, and linguists.
It outlines the origins of the concept and its many and disputed
meanings. This first volume establishes the foundations on which
much of the analysis included in the three subsequent volumes is
based. Volume II ( Civilization, Civilizations, Progress, and
History ) includes a range of materials that intimately outline the
relationship between the ideal of civilization and the idea of
progress, including progress in the social, cultural, moral,
scientific, and political realms. Research gathered here further
examines how the concepts of civilization and progress in turn
relate to the more general passage of history, particularly the
idea of history with a purpose. Volume III ( Civilization and its
Others ) brings together the best scholarship to explore what
civilization is not. The scholarship collected here comes from some
of history s most distinguished political scientists, leading
international lawyers, anthropologists, and controversial
ethnologists. Can one, for example, usefully draw a distinction
between civilized, savage, and barbarian peoples? The final volume
( Civilizational Relations: Past, Present, and Future ) enables
researchers and students to navigate through the equally sensitive
field of historical and contemporary relations between the world s
major civilizations or religio-cultural groups. It includes the
catalysts of debates such as the clash-of-civilizations thesis and
the responses it has provoked.
With a full index, together with a comprehensive introduction,
newly written by the editor, which places the collected material in
its historical and intellectual context, Civilization is an
essential work of reference. It is destined to be valued by
scholars, students, and researchers of politics, political
philosophy, and international relations as well as those working in
allied disciplines such as security studies and international law
as a vital research resource.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
