Books of great political insight and novelty always outlive their
time of birth and this reissued work, initially published in 1985,
is no exception. Written shortly after the formation of Charter 77,
the essays in this collection are among the most original and
compelling pieces of political writing to have emerged from central
and Eastern Europe during the whole of the post-war period. Vaclav
Havel's essay provides the title for the book. It was read by all
the contributors who in turn responded to the many questions which
Havel raises about the potential power of the powerless. The essays
explain the anti-democratic features and limits of Soviet-type
totalitarian systems of power. They discuss such concepts as
ideology, democracy, civil liberty, law and the state from a
perspective which is radically different from that of people living
in liberal western democracies. The authors also discuss the
prospects for democratic change under totalitarian conditions.
Steven Lukes' introduction provides an invaluable political and
historical context for these writings. The authors represent a very
broad spectrum of democratic opinion, including liberal,
conservative and socialist.
General
Imprint: |
M.E.Sharpe
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
1985 |
First published: |
1985 |
Authors: |
V aclav Havel
• John Keane
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 19mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
228 |
Edition: |
Reprinted edition |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-87332-761-9 |
Categories: |
Books >
Social sciences >
Politics & government >
General
|
LSN: |
0-87332-761-6 |
Barcode: |
9780873327619 |
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!