In Defence of Politics

by Bernard Crick

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Crick asserts that politics, with its compromises and power struggles, remains the only tested alternative to government by coercion, making both freedom and order possible in heterogeneous societies. For Crick, politics is necessarily imperfect, messy and complex, yet his book defends it against those who would identify it with (and reduce it to) ideology, nationalism, technology or populist democracy. In this fifth edition, Crick warns us that present-day politicians are in danger of show more threatening both citizenship and common humanity. He discusses the popular distrust for politicians in both the UK and USA, arguing that they have lowered the level of public debate for short-term gain; and he discusses how such short-termism is preventing timely attempts to tackle despoliation of the global environment. show less

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28+ Works 1,111 Members
Political theorist Bernard Crick was born in London in 1929. He earned a degree in economics in 1950 and a doctorate in political economy in 1956 from University College in London. He taught at numerous universities including Harvard University, McGill Univeristy, the University of California at Berkeley, the London School of Economics, the show more University of Sheffield, and Birkbeck College. He wrote numerous books during his lifetime including The American Science of Politics (1958), In Defence of Politics (1962), The Reform of Parliament (1964), and George Orwell: A Life (1980). He also edited the journal Political Quarterly for almost 40 years. He died from cancer on December 19, 2008 at the age of 79. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

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Turner, Clare (Cover designer)

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Common Knowledge

Original publication date
1962
Epigraph*
Tutto ha una misura. In questo frattempo si sarebbe potuto arrivare a qualcosa. E invece è apparso chiaro che gli ispiratori della rivoluzione ...per essere soddisfatti hanno bisogno perlomeno di tutto il globo terresre. La ... (show all)costruzione di nuovi mondi, i periodi di transizione, sono obiettivi fini a se stessi. Non hanno imparato nient'altro, non sanno fare altro. E sapete da che deriva l'irrequietezza di questi eterni preparativi? Dalla mancanza di capacità precise, di talento. L'uomo nasce per vivere, non per prepararsi alla vita.
PASTERNAK, Il dottor Zivago
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.

Classifications

Genres
Nonfiction, Politics and Government, General Nonfiction, Philosophy
DDC/MDS
320Society, government, & culturePolitical scienceTypes of Government
LCC
JA71 .C7Political SciencePolitical science (General)Political science (General)Theory. Relations to other subjects
BISAC

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244
Popularity
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(4.00)
Languages
English, Italian, Spanish
Media
Paper, Ebook
ISBNs
19
UPCs
1
ASINs
8