Over the last twenty years, the political systems of the western world have become increasingly divided-t between right and left, but between crazy and n-crazy. What's more, the crazies seem to be gaining the upper hand. Rational thought cant prevail in the current social and media environment, where elections are won by appealing to voters' hearts rather than their minds. The rapid-fire pace of modern politics, the hyptic repetition of daily news items and even the multitude of visual sources of information all make it difficult for the voice of reason to be heard. In Enlightenment 2.0, bestselling author Joseph Heath outlines a program for a second Enlightenment. The answer, he argues, lies in a new slow politics. It takes as its point of departure recent psychological and philosophical research, which identifies quite clearly the social and environmental preconditions for the exercise of rational thought. It is impossible to restore sanity merely by being sane and trying to speak in a reasonable tone of voice. The only way to restore sanity is by engaging in collective action against the social conditions that have crowded it out.
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Harpercollins Publishers Inc, Harper
ISBN-10
0062342894
ISBN-13
9780062342898
eBay Product ID (ePID)
212550765
Product Key Features
Author
Joseph Heath
Format
Hardback
Language
English
Subject
Philosophy
Type
Textbook
Additional Product Features
Place of Publication
New York
Author Biography
JOSEPH HEATH is director of the Centre for Ethics at the University of Toronto, as well as professor in the department of philosophy and the School of Public Policy and Governance. He is the author of five books, including The Rebel Sell: Why the Culture Can't Be Jammed (with Andrew Potter) and Filthy Lucre: Economics for People Who Hate Capitalism. He lives in Toronto.