Abstract
Theoretical discourses that emphasize difference, fragmentation and contingency have presented various challenges to the social sciences of today. The political implications of these discourses have generally been expressed in rather vague terms and often simply left unspecified. In this context, W. Warren Wagar's bold and provocative defence of the universalist values of the European Enlightenment is a most welcome contribution.
Highlights
Theoret i ca l d i scourses that emphas i ze d i fference, f ra gmen t a ti on and cont i ngency have presented var i ous cha ll enges to the s o c i al sciences of today
Th e a r gumenta t i v e style of th e pape risso mewha t d iff erent from t he more ba l anced perspecti v e of his wonderful book, _ A Sh ort Hi story of t he Fut u r e, in which on e can find many in s ightf ul c rit i c i sms of the ne o - En l igh tenment globali sm d efe nd e d wi t hou t much hesi t a t ion in t he paper
Whi l e I agree wi t h ma n y, if n ot most, of h i s pro v oca tivea rgume n ts, and in many way s s ha re hi s b as i c obj ec tiv e of a socialist worl d
Summary
Wagar ' s attempt , as I understand i t , i s to show th atone ca nn o t have the ca ke of a project to tr an s form the modern world - s y stem into a more ega li tar i an an d democr at i c s y ste m and eat i t t oo by a wholesale reject i on of t he modern values t h at would be a ne c essary e lement in the trans f ormat ion. I s h a ll fo c us on his decl a red unambiguousness and universalism and argue t hat some of his f ormu l ations and concept ual cho ic es may imply a rather d epol i t i c iz e d vi s i on of our poss ib le futu res
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