Wilson Carey McWilliams was professor of political science at Rutgers University. He was the author and editor of a number of books including /Beyond the Politics of Disappointment?: American elections, 1980-1998/ and a regular contributor to several journals of opinion.

• 1 Introduction2 Macroscopic Action: On Amitai Etzioni's Contribution to Social Theory3 The Cultural Dimensions ofThe Active Society4 The Cybernetic Institutionalist5 The Constitution of Activity: Etzioni's Foundation of Social Theory in Collective Action and Collective Actors6 The Actively Drifting Society7 Communitarianism, the Highest Stage of Progressivism:The Active Society Revisited8 The Teamwork of Sisyphus: Post-Fordist Capitalism, Corporate Culture and Etzioni'sActive Society9 Membership and Belonging: Etzioni's "Authenticity" and the Existential Challenges of Liberalism10 Swing Low, Sweet Chariot: Transformation and Religious Tradition11 The Eagle and the Worm:The Active Society from a Community Organizer's Perspective12 Searching for Active Citizenship13 Courting Megalogues: Judicial Power in The Active Society14 Community Formation, Gender Issues and the Evolution of International Law: A Perspective on Amitai Etzioni's The Active Society15 'Lighting Damp Logs': Social Movements, Liberal Democracy and the Politics of Transformation16 From the Active Society to the Good Society: The Second Sailing of Amitai Etzioni17 The Active Society Revisited: A Response

Credit must be given to the editor...for having assembled a talented team of sociological archaeologists...