Book description
The online publication Logos: A Journal of Modern Society and Culture
was launched in response to the atmosphere of triumphant conservatism
and militarism that pervades American political culture in the aftermath
of 9/11. Aiming to revitalize the moribund political left, several
world-renowned intellectual figures congregated to form the journal's
core group of editors and writers. The mission of Logos is to promote
“rational radicalism,” grounded in critical social theory and fully
engaged with the most vital issues of our time. The Logos Reader:
Rational Radicalism and the Future of Politics offers the best political
writing published by the journal during its first three years. Compiled
by founding editors Stephen Eric Bronner and Michael J. Thompson, these
pieces critically examine globalization, the Iraq War, and the plight of
the Middle East, while also illuminating the domestic concerns that
dominate American discourse. Delivered in a direct, accessible manner,
the analyses presented in The Logos Reader reflect the journal's
distinctly public purpose. The essays reveal both the practical and
theoretical connections between distant military pursuits and domestic
struggles for democracy and equality. The left's leading intellectuals
shed light on the most recent developments in the global war on
terrorism while sharply criticizing right-wing justifications for
restricted civil liberties, human rights violations, and rampant
expansion of armaments. Similar attention is given to central domestic
issues, such as the conservative right's assault on the welfare state
and the crusade of religious fundamentalists against civil rights
protections for all citizens. Negotiating the vast terrain of current
social problems, the contributors are united in their intent to question
and ultimately constrain the excessive power wielded by dominant
cultural, political, and economic institutions. This collection stakes
out firm ideological ground and challenges authoritarian forces,
clarifying the notion of rational radicalism as a liberating
counterpoint to limiting worldviews and systems of oppression.
