Book description
In addition to war, terrorism, and unchecked military violence,
modernity is also subject to less visible but no less venomous
conflicts. Global in nature, these "culture wars" exacerbate
the tensions between tradition and innovation, virtue and freedom.
Internationally acclaimed scholar Fred Dallmayr charts a course beyond
these persistent but curable dichotomies in Integral Pluralism: Beyond
Culture Wars. Consulting diverse fields such as philosophy,
literature, political science, and religious studies, Dallmayr equates
modern history with a process of steady pluralization. This process,
which Dallmayr calls "integral pluralism," requires new
connections and creates ethical responsibilities.
Dallmayr critically compares integral pluralism against the theories
of Carl Schmitt, the Religious Right, international
"realism," and so-called political Islam. Drawing on the
works of James, Heidegger, Gadamer, and Merleau-Ponty, Integral
Pluralism offers sophisticated and carefully researched solutions for
the conflicts of the modern world.
""The key virtues of Integral Pluralism are the
remarkable erudition of its author, the grace of the writing, the
scope and sweep of its vision, and its synthetic weaving of the
contributions of a broad spectrum of nineteenth- through
twenty-first-century theorists and philosophers."--Leslie Paul
Thiele, author of Thinking Politics: Perspectives in Ancient, Modern,
and Postmodern Political Theory" --
Fred Dallmayr, Emeritus Packey J. Dee Professor of Political
Science at Notre Dame University, is the author or editor of numerous
books, including In Search of the Good Life: A Pedagogy for Troubled
Times. He lives in South Bend, Indiana.
