Synopses & Reviews
This new work (the first in a two-volume series) by the leading Marxian philosopher of our day is a milestone in human self-understanding. It focuses on the location where action emerges from freedom and necessity, thefoundation of all social science.
Today, as never before, the investigation of the close relationship between social structure—defined by Marx as "arising from the life-process of definite individuals"—and the various forms of consciousness is particularly important. We can only perceive what is possible by first identifying the historical process that constrains consciousness itself and therefore social action.
The relationship between social structure and forms of consciousness discussed in this volume is multifaceted and profoundly dialectical. It requires the presentation of a great wealth of historical material and the assessment of the relevant philosophical literature, from Descartes through Hegel and the Liberal tradition to the present, together with their connections with political economy and political theory. István Mészáros moves beyond both abstract solutions to the surveyed methodological questions and one-sided structuralist evaluation of the important substantive issues, bringing the process of our understanding of social structure and consciousness to a level not previously attained.
Above all, in the spirit of the Marxian approach, even the most complicated problems are always analyzed in relation to the major practical concerns of our time. The primary aim of this work is to outline the dialectical intelligibility of historical development toward a viable societal reproductive order. Social Structures and Forms of Consciousness is of the highest importance as both a political and philosophical work, illuminating the place from where we must act, today.
Review
“Smolla displays a special grasp of issues our college students face that are affected by the Constitution of the United States. He has given deep and clear thought to the relationship between the two and shares his unique knowledge in a practical way. I highly recommend The Constitution Goes to College to students, parents, faculty, lawyers and other thoughtful Americans who respect academic freedom and the foundation of our democracy.”
“This is a virtual user's manual for anyone who is interested in the intersection of two great American institutions, the law and the academy. Smolla displays an assured and deep learning, and yet his writing is always accessible and jargon free even when he ventures into territories where jargon has been the rule.”
“In this engaging, imaginative, and thought-provoking book, Smolla incorporates deft analysis of contemporary legal issues within a broader 'meditation' on how the American constitutional experience has influenced university campuses. Covering a broad range of important subjects in clearly written prose, The Constitution Goes to College is where the general reader interested in constitutional law and American higher education should go for accessible information and intellectual stimulation.” “Smolla’s lively core idea is that a college or university very much resembles a democracy: It’s ‘part corporation and part federal republic’… Smolla indeed makes a good case for the Constitution as a welcome hovering presence over academic life.”
Review
“Smollas lively core idea is that a college or university very much resembles a democracy: Its ‘part corporation and part federal republic… Smolla indeed makes a good case for the Constitution as a welcome hovering presence over academic life.”-Carlin Romano,The Chronicle of Higher Education
Review
"The Constitution Goes to College is a valuable, evenhanded guide to understanding the constitutional cat's cradle in which American colleges and universities operate."-Luther Spoehr,History News Network
Review
“This is a virtual user's manual for anyone who is interested in the intersection of two great American institutions, the law and the academy. Smolla displays an assured and deep learning, and yet his writing is always accessible and jargon free even when he ventures into territories where jargon has been the rule.”-Stanley Fish,author of Save the World on Your Own Time
Review
“Smolla displays a special grasp of issues our college students face that are affected by the Constitution of the United States. He has given deep and clear thought to the relationship between the two and shares his unique knowledge in a practical way. I highly recommend The Constitution Goes to College to students, parents, faculty, lawyers and other thoughtful Americans who respect academic freedom and the foundation of our democracy.”-Richard W. Riley,Former U. S. Secretary of Education
Synopsis
American college campuses, where ideas are freely exchanged, contested, and above all uncensored, are historical hotbeds of political and social turmoil. In the past decade alone, the media has carefully tracked the controversy surrounding the speech of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at Columbia, the massacres at Virginia Tech, the dismissal of Harvards President Lawrence Summers, and the lacrosse team rape case at Duke, among others. No matter what the event, the conflicts that arise on our campuses can be viewed in terms of constitutional principles, which either control or influence outcomes of these events. In turn, constitutional principles are frequently shaped and forged by campus culture, creating a symbiotic relationship in which constitutional values influence the nature of universities, which themselves influence the nature of our constitutional values.
In The Constitution Goes to College, Rodney A. Smolla—a former dean and current university president who is an expert on the First Amendment—deftly uses the American university as a lens through which to view the Constitution in action. Drawing on landmark cases and conflicts played out on college campuses, Smolla demonstrates how five key constitutional ideas—the living Constitution, the division between public and private spheres, the distinction between rights and privileges, ordered liberty, and equality—are not only fiercely contested on college campuses, but also dominate the shape and identity of American university life.
Ultimately, Smolla compellingly demonstrates that the American college community, like the Constitution, is orderly and hierarchical yet intellectually free and open, a microcosm where these constitutional dichotomies play out with heightened intensity.
About the Author
István Mészáros is a world-renowned philosopher and critic. He left his native Hungary after the Soviet invasion of 1956. He is professor emeritus at the University of Sussex, where he held the chair of philosophy for fifteen years. Meszaros is author of The Challenge and Burden of Historical Time, Beyond Capital, The Power of Ideology, The Work of Sartre, and Marxs Theory of Alienation.
Table of Contents