Tyranny of the Moderns

Urbinati Nadia, Thom Martin

In a well-reasoned and thought-provoking polemic, respected political theorist Nadia Urbinati explores a profound shift in the ideology of individualism, from the ethical nineteenth-century standard, in which each person cooperates with others as equals for the betterment of their lives and the community, to the contemporary "I don't give a damn" maxim. Identifying this "tyranny of the moderns" as the most radical risk that modern democracy currently faces, the author examines the critical necessity of reestablishing the role of the individual citizen as a free and equal agent of democratic society.

About the Author

Nadia Urbinati is Kyriakos Tsakopoulos Professor of Political Theory and Hellenic Studies in the Department of Political Science at Colombia University and co-editor of "Constellations: An International Journal of Critical and Democratic Theory". She lives in New York City.

Reviews

"This is an extremely timely book that combines theoretical sophistication and historical erudition by one of the most accomplished voices in democratic theory. A powerful, passionate critique of the reigning ideology of individualism, and its pernicious depoliticizing and populist effects, in the name of an uncompromising democratic individualism that seeks to rescue active citizenship, revive the emancipatory promises of political modernity, and reclaim progressive ideas. Nadia Urbinati is redefining the project of modern democracy with a new political vision for the present that is both hopeful and realistic" – Andreas Kalyvas, The New School

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