The Dark Side of Modernity

In this book, one of the world’s leading social theorists presents a critical, alarmed, but also nuanced understanding of the post-traditional world we inhabit today. Jeffrey Alexander writes about modernity as historical time and social condition, but also as ideology and utopia. The idea of modernity embodies the Enlightenment’s noble hopes for progress and rationality, but its reality brings great suffering and exposes the destructive impulses that continue to motivate humankind. Alexander examines how twentieth-century theorists struggled to comprehend the Janus-faced character of modernity, which looks backward and forward at the same time. Weber linked the triumph of worldly asceticism to liberating autonomy but also ruthless domination, describing flights from rationalization as systemic and dangerous. Simmel pointed to the otherness haunting modernity, even as he normalized the stranger. Eisenstadt celebrated Axial Age transcendence, but acknowledged its increasing capacity for barbarity. Parsons heralded American community, but ignored modernity’s fragmentations. Rather than seeking to resolve modernity’s contradictions, Alexander argues that social theory should accept its Janus-faced character. It is a dangerous delusion to think that modernity can eliminate evil. Civil inclusion and anti-civil exclusion are intertwined. Alexander enumerates dangerous frictions endemic to modernity, but he also suggests new lines of social amelioration and emotional repair.

Table of Contents:
CONTENTS Preface and Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1: Social Theory between Progress and Apocalypse Chapter 2: Autonomy and Domination: Weber’s Cage Chapter 3: Barbarism and Modernity: Eisenstadt’s Regret Chapter 4: Integration and Justice: Parsons’ Utopia Chapter 5: Despising Others: Simmel’s Stranger Chapter 6: Meaning Evil Chapter 7: De-civilizing the Civil Sphere Chapter 8: Psychotherapy as Central Institution Chapter 9: The Frictions of Modernity and their Possible Repair Notes Bibliography

About the Author :
Jeffrey C. Alexander is the Lillian Chavenson Saden Professor of Sociology at Yale University and a co-director of the Center for Cultural Sociology at Yale.

Review :
"Jeffery Alexander’s The dark side of modernity (2013) is an eclectic collection of essays written over 25 years and spanning from discussions on a few key theorists – including Weber, Simmel, Eisenstadt, and Parsons – to engagements with some of the central themes of modernity... its greatest contribution is that it allows us to reconsider some of the founding debates of our discipline." Information, Communication & Society "Alexander greatly contributes to social theory by demonstrating the two sides of the coin of modernity in his explanation to diverse approaches and various thinkers in the field." Review of Social Studies "This book offers a highly engaging and insightful overview of modernity" Political Studies Review "No major figure in American social theory has reached so far beyond regional traditions to reinvent the language by which we interpret culture, politics, and the dilemmas of modernity. The Dark Side of Modernity collects superb essays representative of Jeff Alexander's special gift for clear expression, unflinching criticism, and creative thinking." Charles Lemert, Center for Comparative Research, Sociology, Yale University "Modernity has had its critics from the beginning, but social science in general and sociology in particular have mainly supported the idea that it is a 'good thing.' Few were willing to look squarely at the dark side of modernity, Weber being a partial exception. Jeffrey Alexander has looked unflinchingly at the dark side, not holding it to be the only truth about modernity, but an inescapable aspect of it. His new book is indispensable for anyone who wants to look at modernity whole." Robert Bellah, University of California, Berkeley and coauthor of Habits of the Heart