Comments on: Manent: Seeing Things Politically – European Vacation

By: Tom Cleveland

Tom Cleveland — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 04:26:42 +0000

Here’s Brague’s review of Les Metamorphoses de la Cite, without, as far as I can tell, any substantial criticism:

http://mobile.lemonde.fr/livres/article/2010/10/14/les-metamorphoses-de-la-cite-essai-sur-la-dynamique-de-l-occident-de-pierre-manent_1425938_3260.html

By: Clifford

Clifford — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 20:27:01 +0000

I would echos Dan’s comments above…. even if I have some serious issues with Manent’s concept of political forms–Metamorphoses de la Cite is very much a book that addresses how the concept of the political metamorphises in the West… via. Rome. On the important of Rome Manent share much with Rémi Brague who in his book Europe, la voie romaine (translated–Eccentric Culture: A Theory of Western Civilization).

I really hope that Metamorphoses de la Cite is translated quicker than Cours familier de philosophie politique was.

By: Clifford

Clifford — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 18:40:36 +0000

Le Regard Politique ( Flammarion) is very much an interesting book. I hope you and your son do a translation for ISI… but Manent’s Les Metamorphoses de la Cite is a much more important book, one the English language audience ought to be exposed to. Dr. Hancock thanks for this tidbit….

By: Daniel Mahoney

Daniel Mahoney — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 18:17:37 +0000

This is a book of incredible richness which aims to do full justice to the three great “poles” of human existence (as Manent calls them): politics, religion, and philosophy. It eloquently defends and articulates a political perspective but it is by no means narrowly “political” in focus. It was published at the same time what is perhaps Manent’s magnum opus, LES METAMORPHOSES DE LA CITE: ESSAI SUR LA DYNAMIQUE DE L’OCCIDENT, a 420 page exploration of the western political dynamic from the Greek city to the modern “religion of humanity” (which aims to affirm the universal independent of all humanizing “mediations”). I would suggest that Manent’s critique of the “religion of humanity” is more than a political critique–it is also a philosophical and theological critique that draws on the best classical and Christian wisdom. In my view, the centerpieces of the book are the remarkable treatments of Cicero and Augustine, respectively (Manent devotes no less than 120 pages to a richly suggestive reading of Augustine’s CITY OF GOD).In any case, there are passages of great penetration in LE REGARD POLITIQUE that I look forward to Ralph sharing with you.–DM

By: John Presnall

John Presnall — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 06:35:26 +0000

Necessity indeed. But in terms of most international relations political science there seems to be an inexorable tendency towards that which is beyond necessity. So Manent will be like Aron in that the latter showed the “opium of intellectualism” and the former will footnote the latter in a rearguard maneuver to forestall the emergence of something like the universal and homogeneous state.

That said, I’m glad that Manent is writing. He offers the best of what is political in terms of reasonable and historical and traditional political entities. Insofar as as one follows Aristotle regarding what is politics–and this has very little to do with Arendt’s notion of “republicanism” in On Revolution–Manent is the best writer to be taken seriously.

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Comments on: Manent: Seeing Things Politically – European Vacation

By: Tom Cleveland

By: Clifford

By: Clifford

By: Daniel Mahoney

By: John Presnall

By: Tweets that mention Manent: Seeing Things Politically â“ European Vacation » Postmodern Conservative | A First Things Blog -- Topsy.com

By: Tweets that mention Manent: Seeing Things Politically â“ European Vacation » Postmodern Conservative | A First Things Blog -- Topsy.com