Subjecthood and Self-Determination: The Limitations of Postmodernism as Democratic Theory

1999 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 147-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff Noonan
Keyword(s):  
Money Demand ◽  
Fundamental Principle ◽  
Need Satisfaction ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Market Forces ◽  
Radical Theory ◽  
Negative Liberty ◽  
Democratic Polity ◽  
History Of ◽  
The 1960S

The history of Western liberal capitalist society, viewed from the perspective of the growth of democracy, is contradictory. Although the idea of negative liberty at the basis of democracies of the liberal type secured citizens against arbitrary encroachments from the state, at the same time, by securing the rights of property first and foremost, it exposed those same citizens to the more insidious and all-determining undemocratic forces of the capitalist market. The history of liberal democracy thus created the conditions for the flourishing of genuine individuality in a democratic polity at the same time as it undermined those conditions by subjecting all need fulfillment (through which individuality is developed) to market forces. Until the fragmentation of radical movements occasioned by the upheavals of the 1960s, radical theory and practice was minimally unified around the critique of the contradiction between democracy and market forces at the core of liberal society. The fundamental principle of this critique stated that democratic society could flourish if and only if need satisfaction was freed from its subordination to money demand.

The Art of Comparative Politics. By Ruth Lane. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 1997. 147p. $32.46.

2001 ◽  
Vol 95 (1) ◽  
pp. 241-242
Author(s):  
Ronald H. Chilcote
Keyword(s):  
Political Science ◽  
Scientific Realism ◽  
Comparative Politics ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
History Of ◽  
Peasant Politics ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Development State ◽  
Political Realities ◽  
Concrete Model

In both these short volumes, Ruth Lane assumes an optimis- tic stance, generally within the mainstream of political sci- ence, and attempts to synthesize past and present trends in an effort to show progress. She argues in The Art of Comparative Politics that, despite the disparate approaches, real advances have occurred within the field. Her interpretative essay focuses on the recent history of the field, with an assessment of the behavioral movement during the 1960s and subsequent emphases on development, state, grassroots and peasant politics, and the new institutionalism. In Political Science in Theory and Practice she affirms that a core consensus has appeared in the independent investigations of prominent political scientists. Thus, a coherent working model of polit- ical behavior guides political scientists to understand political realities. She argues that this concrete model coincides with scientific realism and the current understanding of a philos- ophy of science.

scholarly journals Parliamentary Representation in Modern Britain: Past, Present, and Future

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-29
Author(s):  
Miles Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual History ◽  
Spatial Dimension ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Good Shape ◽  
History Of ◽  
Women In Parliament ◽  
1960S And 1970S ◽  
Parliamentary Procedure ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Modern Era

Abstract A series of recent books all attest to a revival of interest in the theory and practice of parliamentary representation in the modern era as a scholarly discipline. This review surveys eight different aspects of that history since the early nineteenth century: the spatial dimension of the Palace of Westminster; the comparative framework offered by the history of parliaments in Europe; ideas of parliamentary representation; the history of parliamentary procedure; women in parliament; the House of Lords; the history of corruption; and the Brexit crisis. Insights and perspectives are drawn from recent historical research as well as from political science and intellectual history. The review concludes by observing that the history of parliamentary representation in the modern era is in good shape. Some older interpretive paradigms still lurk, especially an obsession with ‘democratization’. However, more is now known about individual MPs and constituencies than ever before. The digitization of the records of parliament is expediting the kind of longitudinal analysis which was impossible back in the 1960s and 1970s. And the intellectual history and public policy literature around the idea of representation is enjoying a renaissance.

scholarly journals Deconstructing the reinvention of operations management

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 128-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
James M. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual History ◽  
Operations Management ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Industrial Engineering ◽  
Scientific Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
History Of ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Main Component

Purpose The purpose is to provide an intellectual history of Operations Management, particularly noting recent developments and its underlying continuity with earlier systems and thinking. Operations Management as a discipline identifies its “modern” incarnation as dating from the 1960s when it became more rigorous and managerially focused. This re-invention constructed a “narrative” that the profession still follows, yet a critical perspective reveals significant, though under-appreciated continuity with earlier theory and practice. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a comprehensive literature review and comparative analysis of historic developments in management and academia. Findings In the early 1900s, F. W. Taylor’s Shop Management established Operation Management, but its main component, Scientific Management, had stagnated by the 1950s. At that point, the rise of Management Science both reinvigorated Operations Management and threatened it with a competing new discipline. To compete Operations Management then modernized by redefining itself, reasserting its interest in several areas and co-opting Operational Research tools for those. It also contracted, withdrawing from areas considered vocational, or more suited to Industrial Engineering. Research limitations/implications This historical overview shows the critical importance of drawing research agenda from practical managerial concerns. Practical implications Practitioners benefit from the intellectual rigor that academics provide and a historical perspective shows that the relationship has been mutually beneficial. Social implications The disciplines of Operations Management, Operations Research and Industrial Engineering are complementary and competitive in addressing many problems that transcend their boundaries, and use common ideas and techniques. The demands of “academic rigor” have had a deleterious effect on the practical managerial relevance of these disciplines. Originality/value A long-term, cross-disciplinary perspective provides a unique understanding of the research interests and practical orientations of these disciplines.

A Short History of Well-Being in Interiors

2020 ◽  
pp. 28-51
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Interior Space ◽  
Cultural Contexts ◽  
Living Well ◽  
History Of ◽  
Ancient Times ◽  
The 1960S

Although well-being studies started in the psychological field (1961) when well-being was discussed in terms of “the good life,” the concept dates back to ancient times from Aristotle's idea of eudaimonia to the human-centered understanding of the Renaissance. During the last decades, different studies focused on social, physiological, and psychological impacts of the dwelling and the neighborhood, and some even applied neurosciences to architecture. The contribution of studies carried in healthcare contexts has been crucial, as well as experimental results in workplaces, but also biologists, psychologists, and sociologists supported theory and practice, starting from the 1960s. Nevertheless, the specific role of architecture and interior space has been quite under-evaluated. This chapter aims to discuss the foundations of the concept of living well evaluating the understanding of “space for human well-being” in different cultural contexts at different times.

scholarly journals Feedback Systems: An Analytical Framework

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 12-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dario Sanfilippo ◽  
Andrea Valle
Keyword(s):  
Analog Circuits ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Theoretical Point ◽  
Feedback Systems ◽  
History Of ◽  
Synthesis And Processing ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Analog Domain

The use of feedback-based systems in the music domain dates back to the 1960s. Their applications span from music composition and sound organization to audio synthesis and processing, as the interest in feedback resulted both from theoretical reflection on cybernetics and system theory, and from practical experimentation on analog circuits. The advent of computers has made possible the implementation of complex theoretical systems in audio-domain oriented applications, in some sense bridging the gap between theory and practice in the analog domain, and further increasing the range of audio and musical applications of feedback systems. In this article we first sketch a minimal history of feedback in music; second, we briefly introduce feedback systems from a theoretical point of view; then we propose a set of features that characterize them from the perspective of music applications; finally, we propose a typology targeted at feedback systems used in the audio/musical domain and discuss some relevant examples.

scholarly journals Informational Aesthetics—What Is the Relationship between Art Intelligence and Information?

Proceedings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 54
Author(s):  
John Holgate
Keyword(s):  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Philosophy Of Information ◽  
Artistic Activity ◽  
Digital World ◽  
Media Objects ◽  
History Of ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
The Aesthetic ◽  
Concept Of Information ◽  
Aesthetic Measure

The author examines the notion of informational aesthetics. The origin of aesthetics lies in Epicurus’s notion of aesthesis and the integration of artistic activity within ethics and the ‘good life’—as in the aesthetic theory and practice of the East. The debasement of the word ‘aesthetic’ reflects the increasing alienation of beauty from imagination. The fragmentation of art now packaged as media objects in our digital world is the legacy of this alienation. The author retraces the history of the concept of information aesthetics developed in the 1960s by Birkhoff, Bense and Mole and which sought to marry mathematics, computation and semiotics with artistic activity, based on Birkhoff’s aesthetic measure, and to bridge the gap between science and the humanistic imagination. The failure of the cognitive school is attributed to the limitations of its data-driven view of art itself as an affordance of perception (Arnheim). The roles of algorithmically generated art and of Computational Aesthetic Evaluation (CAE) are assessed. An appeal is made to the more fertile conceptual ground of information civilization—an idea developed by Professor Kun Wu. The author introduces the concept of digital iconography and applies it to Renaissance masterpieces such as Raphael’s School of Athens and Leonardo’s Mona Lisa. In conclusion, Informational Aesthetics is identified as a future discipline for the Philosophy of Information.

scholarly journals Informational Aesthetics—What Is the Relationship between Art Intelligence and Information?

Proceedings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 54
Author(s):  
John Holgate
Keyword(s):  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Philosophy Of Information ◽  
Artistic Activity ◽  
Digital World ◽  
Media Objects ◽  
History Of ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
The Aesthetic ◽  
Concept Of Information ◽  
Aesthetic Measure

The author examines the notion of informational aesthetics. The origin of aesthetics lies in Epicurus’s notion of aesthesis and the integration of artistic activity within ethics and the ‘good life’—as in the aesthetic theory and practice of the East. The debasement of the word ‘aesthetic’ reflects the increasing alienation of beauty from imagination. The fragmentation of art now packaged as media objects in our digital world is the legacy of this alienation. The author retraces the history of the concept of information aesthetics developed in the 1960s by Birkhoff, Bense and Mole and which sought to marry mathematics, computation and semiotics with artistic activity, based on Birkhoff’s aesthetic measure, and to bridge the gap between science and the humanistic imagination. The failure of the cognitive school is attributed to the limitations of its data-driven view of art itself as an affordance of perception (Arnheim). The roles of algorithmically generated art and of Computational Aesthetic Evaluation (CAE) are assessed. An appeal is made to the more fertile conceptual ground of information civilization—an idea developed by Professor Kun Wu. The author introduces the concept of digital iconography and applies it to Renaissance masterpieces such as Raphael’s School of Athens and Leonardo’s Mona Lisa. In conclusion, Informational Aesthetics is identified as a future discipline for the Philosophy of Information.

Social History for ‘Ordinary’ School Pupils

2021 ◽  
pp. 55-86
Author(s):  
Laura Carter
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Social History ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
British Society ◽  
Practical Skills ◽  
Mass Education ◽  
Average Ability ◽  
History Of ◽  
The 1960S

Chapters 1 and 2 make up Part I of this book, which explains how the ‘history of everyday life’ developed and why it had such purchase in mid-twentieth-century British society. This chapter is about the theory and practice of teaching social history in schools between the 1920s and the 1960s. It explains the pedagogical framework in which ordinary consumers of history came to be conceptualized in the mid-twentieth century. It is argued that social history in schools was increasingly associated with average ability and younger pupils after 1918. Through mass education, the ‘history of everyday life’, with its premium on local settings, practical skills, emotions, and the visual, became the type of history prescribed for the ordinary, ‘modern’ pupil.

Beating Time in the Slow Movements: Bensaïd’s Revolutionary Rhythms

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 129-149
Author(s):  
Xavier Lafrance ◽  
Alan Sears
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Analysis ◽  
Working Class ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
The Political ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Political Sphere ◽  
History Of ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Social Weight

Daniel Bensaïd was prominent among the revolutionary thinkers and activists who emerged from the mass insurgency of the 1960s, a period in which anti-capitalist organisers had genuine social weight grounded in connections to broad layers of the working class and radical movements. As the neoliberal offensive developed, working-class and allied movements experienced crucial defeats that marginalised anti-capitalist theory and practice. Bensaïd developed a unique theoretical analysis of radical mobilising during the neoliberal period, at once grounded in the history of revolutionary organising and audaciously open-ended in assessing the impact of capitalist restructuring and the employers’ offensive. The basis of his theoretical renewal lay in a new approach to understanding temporality that undercut any sense of socialist inevitability, and a commitment to revolutionary pluralism that was crucially located in the political sphere.

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