Civility And Subversion

Download or read book Civility and Subversion written by Jeffrey C. Goldfarb and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1998-11-12 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a new account of the role of the intellectual in democracy. Arguing that society suffers from a systemic deliberation deficit, Jeffrey Goldfarb explores the potential of the intellectual as democratic agent, civilizing political contestation and subverting complacent consensus. Intellectuals are special kinds of "strangers" who pay careful attention to their critical faculties and are uniquely equipped to address the most pressing issues of today. A diverse set of intellectuals in action are analyzed, from Socrates to Central European political dissidents, from Malcolm X to Toni Morrison.