Languages of Civil Society

Peter Wagner is Professor of Social and Political Theory at the European University Institute, Florence, and Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick. His publications in social and political philosophy and historical and political sociology include A Sociology of Modernity (1994), Theorizing Modernity (2001), A History and Theory of the Social Sciences (2001), and The Political Constitution of Modern Capitalism (co–editor, forthcoming 2005).

• IntroductionPeter WagnerPART I: BEGINNINGSChapter 1. Civil Society and the Problématique of Political ModernityJean Terrier and Peter WagnerChapter 2. From koinonìa politikè to societas civilis: Birth, Disappearance and First Renaissance of the ConceptPeter Hallberg and Björn WittrockPART II: NARROWINGChapter 3. The Nationalisation and Popularisation of Political Language: the Concept of ‘Civil Society’ in SwedishPeter Hallberg Chapter 4. Declining Deliberation: Civil Society, Community, Organised ModernityJean Terrier and Peter WagnerChapter 5. The Withering Away of ‘Civil Society’ and the Organization of Social Life: the Case of Germany from the Wilhelminian era to the G.D.R.Jay Rowell and Bénédicte ZimmermannPART III: WIDENINGChapter 6. The Second Renaissance of Civil Society in East and Central Europe – and in the European UnionJody Jensen and Ferenc MiszlivetzChapter 7. Pluralized Globalisation: Civil Society in East Asia and Latin AmericaShin Jong-Hwa and Peter WagnerChapter 8. Global Civil Society: from Dissident Democratisation to World Bank ParlanceJody Jensen and Ferenc MiszlivetzChapter 9. The Critique of Organised ModernityJean Terrier and Peter WagnerPART IV: CONCLUDINGChapter 10. The Return of Civil Society and the Reopening of the Political ProblématiqueJean Terrier and Peter WagnerBibliographyIndex

“Overall, this is an insightful book, which will be of relevance to academics and students in the fields of political theory, philosophy and history. Besides a fine example of historical and theoretical analysis, those interested in civil society debates will find in this volume a wide range of arguments for reflection.”  ·  In-Spire Book Reviews