If only this book was as fawned over as Benjamin Labutet's slightly less excellent, but still excellent 'When We Cease to Understand the World.' Ypi'sIf only this book was as fawned over as Benjamin Labutet's slightly less excellent, but still excellent 'When We Cease to Understand the World.' Ypi's book is much stranger and more original and brilliant and thrilling and fascinating hybrid (all terms used to describe Labutet). On the other hand, everyone things they can do abstract philosophy, and nobody likes to read about how even using the word 'free' is tremendously hard work, so this got a bit less fawned. Both books are good, don't get me wrong. I just object to the way people embrace the existential and avert their eyes from the morally challenging.
Also, Ypi is fantastic on the Past Present Future podcast. This is what popularized philosophy should be. ...more
Solid academica here. It's a collection of essays in intellectual history, rather than a unified text, but once you're ready to swallow that, you'll eSolid academica here. It's a collection of essays in intellectual history, rather than a unified text, but once you're ready to swallow that, you'll enjoy yourself, and learn a lot--but again, the essays are journal articles, so don't expect much hand-holding. ...more
A model work of intellectual history--unbloated, sympathetic, relevant. Not for the uninitiated, unfortunately. It really is an academic book. But it'A model work of intellectual history--unbloated, sympathetic, relevant. Not for the uninitiated, unfortunately. It really is an academic book. But it's a worthy one. ...more
Regrettably, this is far too tough going for almost anyone. Rees thinks the Levellers were an organized group. Fine. He also writes sentences like thiRegrettably, this is far too tough going for almost anyone. Rees thinks the Levellers were an organized group. Fine. He also writes sentences like this one:
"Cromwell's house in Drury Lane was where such a move was planned." (183)
Is that the first line of a ballad, metrically speaking? Sure. ("... they charged the Presbyterian men and cursed them all as damned." Stress on 'Pres' and 'ter', not 'byt'). But please note that the subject of the sentence is 'a move.' (What is the move? As you might, but might not, be able to see from the previous paragraph, someone has to do something to 'halt' the Presbyterian offensive.) Who planned it? Unclear. Why is the subject at the end of the sentence? Ballad form, ya'll! This is the first sentence of a paragraph. It gets worse from there. The next sentence has no metrical qualities at all. Instead, it just restates what this sentence was trying to state ("Cromwell's residence had become a centre of radical activity.") The sentence after that is excruciating: "As the Levellers' spring petitioning campaign unfolded it had created a dynamic which drew support from initially sceptical Independents." Grammatically, that says that Cromwell's residence 'drew support...', even though a little thought will tell us that it's meant to say the campaign drew support. Here, let me edit that for you: "The Independent came to support the Levellers, thanks to the Levellers' spring petitions." Not elegant, but not rebarbative.
I know, this is a minor inconvenience, but, macro-micro, the book shows the same confusing structure, which makes it incredibly difficult to read. That's a real shame, since Rees is a passionate and *extremely* knowledgeable scholar of this stuff. ...more
Probably not a huge audience out there on GR for this book, so let me pivot a little, and remind of just how good books this old smell. This one is amProbably not a huge audience out there on GR for this book, so let me pivot a little, and remind of just how good books this old smell. This one is amazing. Also, the world would be a better place if we had more Maurices and Temples, and less (waves hands at the world, generally). ...more
A breezy trot through a *lot* of ideas or events that can, in some way, be tied to the idea of 'Utopia,' but not exactly the history of the idea of UtA breezy trot through a *lot* of ideas or events that can, in some way, be tied to the idea of 'Utopia,' but not exactly the history of the idea of Utopia--minimal begriffsgeschichte here. ...more
Very enjoyable biography of a man whom many, including myself, treat unfairly for the most part. Was Engels the sharpest knife in the draw? No. But heVery enjoyable biography of a man whom many, including myself, treat unfairly for the most part. Was Engels the sharpest knife in the draw? No. But he was fun, and often enough recognized his own flaws. ...more
Short treatments of a few big names, but there's not a lot to unify this, and the editor appears to have been asleep at the wheel. Ultimately, you'll Short treatments of a few big names, but there's not a lot to unify this, and the editor appears to have been asleep at the wheel. Ultimately, you'll enjoy it if you have no interest whatsoever in being fair to the people under discussion (and I do not!), but if you're a bit more generous (which I should be), you'll probably find the discussions a little shallow. ...more
Solid and readable, but my search any--literally, *any*--explanation of why Hume is so beloved by pure philosopher types continues. I get why conservaSolid and readable, but my search any--literally, *any*--explanation of why Hume is so beloved by pure philosopher types continues. I get why conservatives love him, and much better Hume than Burke on that count. I get why sceptics love him. But why do so many English philosophers love him? He's not good at that stuff! Come on! ...more
Useful, but not pleasurable. Kim does the responsible thing and puts the 'great thinkers' in their historical context. Unfortunately, that means Kim aUseful, but not pleasurable. Kim does the responsible thing and puts the 'great thinkers' in their historical context. Unfortunately, that means Kim also needs to give us the historical context, and the book just isn't long enough for all of this to go down smoothly. Hopefully someone will write the political thought version of Ivanhoe's 'Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy,' and then Kim's book will be a magnificent second book to recommend to people. Until then, though... rough going. ...more
Interesting but also, I confess, a little too self-impressed for my taste. The best historians of ideas are often too impressed with themselves, for sInteresting but also, I confess, a little too self-impressed for my taste. The best historians of ideas are often too impressed with themselves, for some reason. ...more
A rather confusing book for me. I could easily be wrong, but it felt like Capaldi was trying to prove that JS Mill was a forerunner of the American EnA rather confusing book for me. I could easily be wrong, but it felt like Capaldi was trying to prove that JS Mill was a forerunner of the American Enterprise Institute or something--basically, a conservative liberal. But the fact that Mill synthesized the 'conservatism' of Coleridge and the liberalism of Bentham has been a commonplace for some time (see: Williams and, before him, Leavis). Capaldi spends a *lot* of time on Mill on Tocqueville, which is fine, but not especially compelling or interesting. Mill has insights into 'human nature' that means we all really want 'liberal culture,' meaning free market capitalism (see, e.g., 267, 283). What on earth is going on here? I want Mill, not Milton Friedman.
Capaldi is right that there should be a good biography of Mill. But this one is a bit too parti pris to be that good biography. ...more
I am astonished by the praise this book has received. According to Gellner, 'the' modern economy demands a 'flexible' workforce, which therefore needsI am astonished by the praise this book has received. According to Gellner, 'the' modern economy demands a 'flexible' workforce, which therefore needs a 'universal' education so that one's 'culture' will allow one to communicate with others in industry. Only the homogeneous state can offer that education. Therefore, 'culture' nationalism and state power grow together:
"Homogeneity imposed by objective, inescapable imperative eventually appears on the surface in the form of nationalism."
Okay, nationalism isn't the liberation of the pre-existing nation. I can get behind that. But to make an argument *this* deterministic, without any mention of power, class, oppression, exclusion, colonization, empire, or anything similar, at all? It's just silly. How silly? This silly:
"With the diffusion of technological and economic might, the balance of power changed, and between about 1905 and 1960 the pluralistic European empire was lost or voluntarily abandoned."
I swear, *something* happened between 1905 and 1960. Remind me what it was, again? Whatever, must have been inevitable.
I mean... when did education get universal, again? Which industries required a 'flexible' and educated workforce? Why does nationalization precede universal education? Where does the unified culture come from? ...more
There's still space on your bookshelf for an entertaining history of the Saint-Simonians, who were *very* interesting and entertaining. This is the kiThere's still space on your bookshelf for an entertaining history of the Saint-Simonians, who were *very* interesting and entertaining. This is the kind of book that the person who writes the entertaining book reads for days on end, trying to make sense of the academic prose and 'organization' and argumentation, and ultimately boils it down to a half-dozen excellent citations. There's a space for this book in the world, as well, but I really would have preferred the first book. ...more
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