MACMILLAN The Evolution of Communitarian Ideas: History, Theory and Practice

This book deals with three key questions about communitarian ideas: how to distinguish what constitutes communitarian thinking; what lessons to take from the historical development of communitarian arguments; and why their practical implications are relevant in devising reforms at the local, national, and global levels. Each chapter covers a distinct period, with a critical exposition of the leading thinkers of that time who contributed to communitarian philosophy and politics. Beginning with an examination of the rise of proto-communitarian ideas in classical Western and Eastern thought, the book closes with a review of communitarian responses to the emergent social and technological changes in the 21st century. Readers will learn about the core features and significance of communitarian theories and practices in relation to morality, education, the economy, freedom and security, community development, and democratic governance; and how they compare and contrast with other ethical and intellectual outlooks. Review “This book is by far the most comprehensive, scholarly treatment of communitarian ideas and policies available to date. It is above all a powerful history of ideas, of great importance to our polarized age.” (Professor Amitai Etzioni, Director of the Institute of Communitarian Studies, George Washington University, USA, and author of The New Golden Rule)  “This comprehensive book makes complex ideas accessible. It gives a lucid and learned overview, combining the theory, practice and history of mutual and reciprocal co-operation in what will become a textbook for the growing number of interested students wanting to change the world as well as to understand it.” (Professor Stephen Yeo, author of A Useable Past; formerly Principal, Ruskin College, University of Oxford, UK)  “Tam’s book offers a timely reminder of the fundamental human truth that we are at our best―our healthiest, our happiest, our most authentic selves―when we acknowledge our obligation to treat others as we would have them treat us. Drawing upon both Western and Eastern schools of thought, Tam provides a lucid narrative of the ebbs and flows of this notion of communitarian thinking across time, from ancient Greece to the modern day. Moving forward from this historical review Tam provides us with a hopeful framing of the future of communitarianism with profound implications for all of us committed to reclaiming a sense of common purpose in working toward the common good.”  (Professor Mary Brydon-Miller, College of Education and Human Development, University of Louisville, USA) From the Back Cover This book deals with three key questions about communitarian ideas: how to distinguish what constitutes communitarian thinking; what lessons to take from the historical development of communitarian arguments; and why their practical implications are relevant in devising reforms at the local, national, and global levels. Each chapter covers a distinct period, with a critical exposition of the leading thinkers of that time who contributed to communitarian philosophy and politics. Beginning with an examination of the rise of proto-communitarian ideas in classical Western and Eastern thought, the book closes with a review of communitarian responses to the emergent social and technological changes in the 21st century. Readers will learn about the core features and significance of communitarian theories and practices in relation to morality, education, the economy, freedom and security, community development, and democratic governance; and how they compare and contrast with other ethical and intellectual outlooks. Henry Tam is Director of Question the Powerful. He has been Lecturer at the University of Cambridge, Visiting Professor at Birkbeck, University of London, and Head of Civil Renewal in the UK Government. His published books include Communitarianism (1998),  Time to Save Democracy (2018), and  Whose Gov