Reconsiders the canon of political thought in the context of current world events by presenting debates between the ideas of clasical theorists.

What is wrong with capitalism, and how can we change it? Capitalism has transformed the world and increased our productivity, but at the cost of enormous human suffering. Our shared values—equality and fairness, democracy and freedom, community and solidarity—can provide both the basis for a critique of capitalism and help to guide us toward a socialist and democratic society. Erik Olin Wright has distilled decades of work into this concise and tightly argued manifesto: analyzing the varieties of anticapitalism, assessing different strategic approaches, and laying the foundations for a society dedicated to human flourishing. How to Be an Anticapitalist in the Twenty-First Century is an urgent and powerful argument for socialism, and an unparalleled guide to help us get there. Another world is possible. Included is an afterword by the author’s close friend and collaborator Michael Burawoy.

The God Debates presents a comprehensive, non-technical survey of the quest for knowledge of God, allowing readers to participate in a debate about the existence of God and gain understanding and appreciation of religion?s conceptual foundations. Explains key arguments for and against God's existence in clear ways for readers at all levels Brings theological debates up to the present with current ideas from modernism, postmodernism, fideism, evidentialism, presuppositionalism, and mysticism Updates criticism of theology by dealing with the latest terms of the God debates instead of outdated caricatures of religion Helps nonbelievers to learn important theological standpoints while noting their shortcomings Encourages believers and nonbelievers to enjoy informed dialogue with each other Concludes with an overview of religious and nonreligious worldviews and predictions about the future of faith and reason

The text examines how analysts and scholars explain relations among states, how modern states are asserting their sovereignty and striving for democracy and market economies, how economic inequality in less developed countries remains after the vestiges of imperialism, and how power is currently distributed in the international arena. Readings were carefully selected by virtue of their seminal importance to the field, their representation of divergent schools of thought, their student accessibility, and their relevance to contemporary events.

What are the grand dynamics that drive the accumulation and distribution of capital? Questions about the long-term evolution of inequality, the concentration of wealth, and the prospects for economic growth lie at the heart of political economy. But satisfactory answers have been hard to find for lack of adequate data and clear guiding theories. In this work the author analyzes a unique collection of data from twenty countries, ranging as far back as the eighteenth century, to uncover key economic and social patterns. His findings transform debate and set the agenda for the next generation of thought about wealth and inequality. He shows that modern economic growth and the diffusion of knowledge have allowed us to avoid inequalities on the apocalyptic scale predicted by Karl Marx. But we have not modified the deep structures of capital and inequality as much as we thought in the optimistic decades following World War II. The main driver of inequality--the tendency of returns on capital to exceed the rate of economic growth--today threatens to generate extreme inequalities that stir discontent and undermine democratic values if political action is not taken. But economic trends are not acts of God. Political action has curbed dangerous inequalities in the past, the author says, and may do so again. This original work reorients our understanding of economic history and confronts us with sobering lessons for today.

Provides students with an understanding of the diversity of approaches to the study of international relations and an appreciation of the key concepts and frameworks. The readings are organised by the familiar themes of peace and war, conflict and cooperation, independence and interdependence.

This book examines key trends, debates, and challenges in twenty-first-century sociology. To this end, it focuses on significant issues surrounding the nature of sociology (‘What is sociology?’), the history of sociology (‘How has sociology evolved?’), and the study of sociology (‘How can or should we make sense of sociology?’). These issues have been, and will continue to be, essential to the creation of conceptually informed, methodologically rigorous, and empirically substantiated research programmes in the discipline. Over the past years, however, there have been numerous disputes and controversies concerning the future of sociology. Particularly important in this respect are recent and ongoing discussions on the possibilities of developing new – and, arguably, post-classical – forms of sociology. The central assumption underlying most of these projects is the contention that a comprehensive analysis of the principal challenges faced by global society requires the construction of a sociology capable of accounting for the interconnectedness of social actors and social structures across time and space. This book provides a cutting-edge overview of crucial past, present, and possible future trends, debates, and challenges shaping the pursuit of sociological inquiry. ‘Simon Susen – one of the most knowledgeable scholars in the contemporary social sciences – examines the key challenges with which sociology is confronted today. This book is a must-read for professional sociologists as well as for those studying the subject.’ – Luc Boltanski, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris, France ‘Simon Susen provides a balanced update on sociology’s theoretical, methodological, and institutional resources as well as challenges in today’s complicated local and global social worlds. Fortunately, he has innovative and practical recommendations for ensuring the cutting-edge relevance of sociological thinking. This book is an excellent choice for undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as for the general reader.’ – Sandra Harding, University of California, Los Angeles, USA ‘A comprehensive and judicious account of the intellectual and material state of sociology, based on omnivorous reading and incisive analysis. The writing is beautifully clear, and the book is a major contribution to the self-understanding of the discipline.’ – William Outhwaite, Newcastle University, UK

"The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color-line," W. E. B. Du Bois wrote in 1903, and his words have proven sadly prophetic. As we enter the twenty-first century, the problem remains--and yet it, and the line that defines it, have shifted in subtle but significant ways. This brief book speaks powerfully to the question of how the circumstances of race and racism have changed in our time--and how these changes will affect our future. Foremost among the book's concerns are the contradictions and incoherence of a system that idealizes black celebrities in politics, popular culture, and sports even as it diminishes the average African-American citizen. The world of the assembly line, boxer Jack Johnson's career, and The Birth of a Nation come under Holt's scrutiny as he relates the malign progress of race and racism to the loss of industrial jobs and the rise of our modern consumer society. Understanding race as ideology, he describes the processes of consumerism and commodification that have transformed, but not necessarily improved, the place of black citizens in our society. As disturbing as it is enlightening, this timely work reveals the radical nature of change as it relates to race and its cultural phenomena. It offers conceptual tools and a new way to think and talk about racism as social reality.

21st Century Dissent contends that anarchism has considerably influenced the modern political landscape. Curran explores the contemporary face of anarchism as expressed via environmental protests and the anti-globalization movement.

Classical Debates for the 21st Century distinctively reconsiders the canon of political thought, in the context of current world events, by presenting debates between the ideas of classical theorists. It is through these debates that Thomas O. Hueglin argues that exclusive state sovereignty, individual citizenship, and majority rule have become questionable categories of political theory and practice in a globalizing world. To a large extent, the classical canon of political thought has been constructed in order to give legitimacy to these categories, but it is time to rethink the validity of that canon, and to search for alternative voices and traditions that emphasize plurality, shared sovereignty, and complex patterns of representation and decision-making. This does not mean that the familiar names in the classical canon have to disappear. But they should be examined more critically for their continued importance, and additional theorists thus far neglected should complement them. Each chapteris organized as a debate between two theorists with contrasting views and approaches. At the end of each chapter, there is a critical evaluation of these political theorists’ continued or renewed relevance.