The Anthem Companion to Philip Rieff: (1 Anthem Companions to Sociology)

Philip Rieff (1922–2006) was a preeminent American social and cultural theorist. The original essays in The Anthem Companion to Philip Rieff offer an important new assessment of the major works of Philip Rieff by leading writers in the fields of social and cultural theory. These essays are the first to assess Rieff’s influence and significance as a master theorist and teacher, drawing on the contributors’ long interest in the broad scope of his work, from Freud: The Mind of the Moralist to The Triumph The Mind of the Moralist to The Triumph of the Therapeutic to his posthumous work, Sacred Order/Social Order. Anthem Companions to Sociology offer authoritative and comprehensive assessments of major figures in the development of sociology from the last two centuries. Covering the major advancements in sociological thought, these companions offer critical evaluations of key figures in the American and European sociological tradition, and will provide students and scholars with an in-depth assessment of the makers of sociology and chart their relevance to modern society.

Table of Contents:
Introduction, Jonathan B. Imber; Chapter 1. Philip Rieff : Some Refl ections, John Carroll; Chapter 2. Philip Rieff and the Impossible Culture, John Dickson; Chapter 3. Philip Rieff as Cultural Critic, Steven Grosby; Chapter 4. Philip Rieff as Teacher, Samuel Heilman; Chapter 5. Prophet v. Stoic : Philip Rieff ’s Case against Freud, Howard L. Kaye; Chapter 6. Decline and Fall in the Work of Philip Rieff : “I love the old questions” Beckett, Endgame, Richard H. King; Chapter 7. Philip Rieff as Social/ Cultural Theorist, Elisabeth Lasch- Quinn and Matthew D. Stewart; Chapter 8. Fellow Sons, James Poulos; Chapter 9. Philip Rieff and Social Theory, Charles Turner; Chapter 10. A Kindly Apocalypse: Philip Rieff and the Endgame of the Therapeutic, Peter Y. Paik; Chapter 11. Disenchantment, Authenticity and Ordinary Charisma, Alan Woolfolk; Writings of Philip Rieff; List of Contributors; Index.

About the Author :
Jonathan B. Imber is the Jean Glasscock Professor of Sociology at Wellesley College, Massachusetts, USA. The editor-in-chief of Society since 1998, Imber is the author of Abortion and the Private Practice of Medicine (1986) and Trusting Doctors: The Decline of Authority in American Medicine (2008) as also the editor of The Feeling Intellect: Selected Writings of Philip Rieff (1990).

Review :
The American Conservative The Anthem Companions to Sociology offers wide ranging and masterly overviews of the works of major sociologists. The volumes in the series provide authoritative and critical appraisals of key figures in modern social thought. These books, written and edited by leading figures, are essential additional reading on the history of sociology. — Gerard Delanty, Professor of Sociology, University of Sussex, Brighton This ambitious series provides an intellectually thoughtful introduction to the featured social theorists and offers a comprehensive assessment of their legacy. Each edited collection synthesizes the many dimensions of the respective theorist’s contributions and sympathetically ponders the various nuances in and the broader societal context for their body of work. The series will be appreciated by seasoned scholars and students alike. — Michele Dillon, Professor of Sociology and Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, University of New Hampshire The orchestration and emergence of the Anthem Companions to Sociology represent a formidable and invaluable achievement. Each companion explores the scope, ingenuity, and conceptual subtleties of the works of a theorist indispensable to the sociological project. The editors and contributors for each volume are the very best in their fields, and they guide us towards the richest, most creative seams in the writings of their thinker. The results, strikingly consistent from one volume to the next, brush away the years, reanimate what might have been lost, and bring numerous rays of illumination to the most pressing challenges of the present. — Rob Stones, Professor of Sociology, Western Sydney University, Australia The Anthem Companions, those that have appeared already and those that are to come, will give every sociologist a handy and authoritative guide to all the giants of their discipline. — Stephen Mennell, Professor Emeritus, University College Dublin Each volume of the Anthem Companions to Sociology examines comprehensively not only a theorist’s distinct approach and unique contributions, but also situates each in reference to the major parameters of mainstream theoretical schools and traditions. This remarkable Series in addition throws into high relief the singular features of modern societies. It promises to set the standard for discussions of Sociology’s long-term development and belongs on the shelves of every social scientist.— Stephen Kalberg, Professor of Sociology Emeritus, Boston University  This valuable series covers both familiar figures in the history of sociology (such as Max Weber and, prospectively, Marx and Durkheim) and less often treated ones such as Arendt and Troeltsch who are also highly relevant to sociology, broadly conceived. In these books, leading scholars explore important but often neglected aspects of their subjects’ work. — William Outhwaite, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, Newcastle University, UK