Social and Political Bonds

A Mosaic of Contrast and Convergence

By F.M. Barnard
Series: McGill-Queen's Studies in the History of Ideas
Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press
Hardcover : 9780773536470, 240 pages, February 2010
Ebook (PDF) : 9780773580756, 253 pages, February 2010

Description

Warning specifically against official moralistic rhetoric, the ignoring of civic demands, and hidden acts of power by anonymous governmental bureaucracies and lobbyists, F.M. Barnard uses an approach that blurs the boundaries of specialized fields of study in order to recognize the degree to which individual choice influences political force. He also shows how any attempt to achieve a balance between the state and society requires a developed political judgement and a measured view of what can be politically attained and demanded. A masterfully clear work that synthesizes centuries of political theory, Social and Political Bonds makes a powerful and well-reasoned case for the benefits of civic involvement and governmental cooperation.