Steven Lukes Libri

The book explores the multifaceted concept of individualism, examining its interpretations across various disciplines, including history, literature, anthropology, philosophy, and political theory. Steven Lukes analyzes the evolution of individualism in different national contexts and critiques its current ideological function, arguing that it misrepresents the feasibility of redistributive policies and obscures alternative institutional frameworks to market solutions. Through this analysis, Lukes sheds light on the complexities and implications of individualism in contemporary discourse.

Václav Havel’s remarkable and rousing essay on the tyranny of apathy, with a new introduction by Timothy Snyder Cowed by life under Communist Party rule, a greengrocer hangs a placard in their shop window: Workers of the world, unite! Is it a sign of the grocer’s unerring ideology? Or a symbol of the lies we perform to protect ourselves? Written in 1978, Václav Havel’s meditation on political dissent – the rituals of its suppression, and the sparks that re-ignite it – would prove the guiding manifesto for uniting Solidarity movements across the Soviet Union. A portrait of activism in the face of falsehood and intimidation, The Power of the Powerless remains a rousing call against the allure of apathy. 'Havel’s diagnosis of political pathologies has a special resonance in the age of Trump' Pankaj Mishra

The collection of essays explores the limitations of liberal thought, particularly in relation to the tension between relativism and moral universalism in contemporary politics. Steven Lukes critiques the relativist stance that emphasizes distinct cultural and moral communities, arguing its incoherence. By integrating insights from anthropology and philosophy, he addresses themes such as social justice, identity politics, and human rights, while also drawing on Isaiah Berlin's ideas to illuminate these complex debates.

"The third edition of this seminal work includes the original text, first published in 1974, the updates and reflections from the second edition and two groundbreaking new chapters. Power: A Radical View assesses the main debates about how to conceptualize and study power, including the influential contributions of Michel Foucault. The new material includes a development of Lukes's theory of power and presents empirical cases to exemplify this. Including a refreshed introduction, this third edition brings a book that has consolidated its reputation as a classic work and a major reference point within Social and Political Theory to a whole new audience. It can be used on modules across the Social and Political Sciences dealing with the concept of power and its manifestation in the world. It is also essential reading for all undergraduate and postgraduate students interested in the history of Social and Political Thought."--Publisher's website

Everyone holds beliefs. So what gives us the right to judge the behaviour of others in a world where ethics seem increasingly diverse and conflicting? Do universal human rights exist, or do we just have to accept that there's an irreparable moral discord between us and the other?

A whirlwind tour through the utopias of modernity The Curious Enlightenment of Professor Caritat is a brilliant fictional excursion through Western political philosophy from one of our most original thinkers. Professor Caritat, a middle-aged Candide, walks naively from his native land to the neighbouring countries of Utilitaria, Communitaria, and Libertaria on a quest to find the best of all possible worlds. Freed from the confines of his ivory tower, this wandering intellectual is made to confront the perplexed state of modern thinking in a dazzling comedy of ideas.

Exploring the complexities of moral relativism, this book delves into its appealing and troubling aspects. It questions the existence of shared standards among humanity and whether we can refrain from judging differing practices. The author examines divergent views on concepts like good and evil, virtue and vice, and seeks to uncover any underlying commonalities that might unite our understanding of morality, challenging readers to reflect on the nature of ethical beliefs and human connection.

Książka Lukesa, prezentowana po raz pierwszy polskiemu czytelnikowi, stanowi pochwałę i obronę kosmopolityzmu, pozostającego w zgodzie z rzeczywistością pluralizmu oraz konfliktu moralnego i kulturowego. Tak pojęty kosmopolityzm charakteryzuje się patchworkowatością czy kalejdoskopowością, gdzie tożsamość jest konstruowana z różnych, często sprzecznych fragmentów różnych kultur, tradycji, sposobów życia. Kosmopolityczna tożsamość nie jest więc sterylną, wąską i niezaangażowaną abstrakcją, lecz melanżem, kalejdoskopem, galimatiasem, ucieleśnionym pluralizmem. Książka Lukesa jest także, przywołując „Imaginary Homeland's Rushdiego, „pochwałą hybrydalności, nieczystości, wzajemnego mieszania się, transformacji, która wyłania się z nowych i nieoczekiwanych kombinacji ludzi, kultur, idei, zawirowań politycznych, filmów i muzyki; która cieszy się ze skundlenia i przemieszania, a obawia się absolutyzmu tego, co Czyste. Melanż, galimatias, trochę tego i trochę tamtego - oto sposób, w jaki nowość wkracza w świat [...]. Jest za zmianą-przez-stapianie, za zmianą-przez-łączenie. Jest pieśnią miłosną dla naszych skundlonych jaźni'. Łukasz Dominiak, Wstęp