_Ideology and Utopia_ argues that ideologies are mental fictions whose function is to veil the true nature of a given society. They originate unconsciously in the minds of those who seek to stabilise a social order. Utopias are wish dreams that inspire the collective action of opposition groups which aim at the entire transformation of society. Mannheim shows these two opposing elements to dominate not only our social thought but even unexpectedly to penetrate into the most scientific theories in philosophy, (...) history and the social sciences. This new edition contains a new preface by Bryan S. Turner which describes Mannheim's work and critically assesses its relevance to modern sociology. The book is published with a comprehensive bibliography of Mannheim's major works. (shrink)

This book provides an explanation of the connections between nature at its most basic level and natural selection, archaeology, linguistics, child development, computers and other complex adaptive systems.

Addressing a growing need to examine environmental issues from a cultural perspective, this innovative book adopts a cultural studies approach to reach a deeper understanding of the significance of ecological issues in our lives. Eco-Impacts and the Greening of Postmodernity explores such vital questions as: Can nature survive? How do academic disciplines engage with environmental crises? And, how do we map sustainable futures? The authors, Tom Jagtenberg and David McKie, bring a body of relevant literature into the debate - that (...) stems from both cultural and environmental issues - as well as their own multidisciplinary perspectives on the subject. (shrink)

" With this succinct formulation, Murray Bookchin launches his most ambitious work, The Ecology of Freedom.

The text provides a survey of the main components of ecologism and examines elements that have been neglected in existing literature. It contains debates surrounding this aspect of political philosophy, and the author's own development of them.

Smith outlines the distinctive features of ecological thought and examines two contentious areas of environmental ethics, the obligations for present generations and the relationship of humans to non-human animals.