Concept of the Political » (Expanded)

Carl Schmitt (1888–1985) was a legal and political theorist and constitutional lawyer. He was the author of many books, including Political Theology, which the University of Chicago Press recently reprinted.

In this, his most influential work, legal theorist and political philosopher Carl Schmitt argues that liberalism’s basis in individual rights cannot provide a reasonable justification for sacrificing oneself for the state—a critique as cogent today as when it first appeared. George Schwab’s introduction to his translation of the 1932 German edition highlights Schmitt’s intellectual journey through the turbulent period of German history leading to the Hitlerian one-party state. In addition to analysis by Leo Strauss and a foreword by Tracy B. Strong placing Schmitt’s work into contemporary context, this expanded edition also includes a translation of Schmitt’s 1929 lecture “The Age of Neutralizations and Depoliticizations,” which the author himself added to the 1932 edition of the book. An essential update on a modern classic, The Concept of the Political, Expanded Edition belongs on the bookshelf of anyone interested in political theory or philosophy.

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A sociological study of American drinking patterns reviewing current scholarly literature and providing commentary and observation on alcohol use and its public control. Gusfield presents research on alcohol studies, discussing the related social problems and cultural authority embedded in public drinking, and studying drinking as a leisure and social activity which points to the moral and political conflicts surrounding alcohol use particularly in relation to drinking and driving. Paper edition (unseen), $19.95. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)