Skip to main content

Bereft of Reason

On the Decline of Social Thought and Prospects for Its Renewal

In this radical critique of contemporary social theory, Eugene Halton argues that both modernism and postmodernism are damaged philosophies whose acceptance of the myths of the mind/body dichotomy make them incapable of solving our social dilemmas.

Claiming that human beings should be understood as far more than simply a form of knowledge, social construction, or contingent difference, Halton argues that contemporary thought has lost touch with the spontaneous passions—or enchantment—of life. Exploring neglected works in twentieth century social thought and philosophy—particularly the writings of Lewis Mumford and Charles Peirce—as well as the work of contemporary writers such as Vaclav Havel, Maya Angelou, Milan Kundera, Doris Lessing, and Victor Turner, Halton argues that reason is dependent upon nonrational forces—including sentiment, instinct, conjecture, imagination, and experience. We must, he argues, frame our questions in a way which encompasses both enchantment and critical reason, and he offers an outline here for doing so.

A passionate plea for a fundamental reexamination of the entrenched assumptions of the modern era, this book deals with issues of vital concern to modern societies and should be read by scholars across disciplines.

"Bereft of Reason is a thoughtful critique informed by a passionate commitment to the renewal of critical concerns. For this reason alone it should be widely read and inform current debates."—Lauren Langman, Sociological Inquiry

"Halton takes the ’ghost in the machine’ as a dominant defining metaphor for modern thought and life, and criticizes it with gusto, wit, wide reading, and philosophical acumen."—Robert J. Mulvaney, Review of Metaphysics

314 pages | 3 haltones, 1 table | 6 x 9 | © 1995

Culture Studies

Philosophy: General Philosophy

Sociology: General Sociology, Theory and Sociology of Knowledge

Table of Contents

1: The Codification of Social Theory
2: Of Life and Social Thought
3: The Cultic Roots of Culture
4: Lewis Mumford’s Organic Worldview
5: The Transilluminated Vision of Charles Peirce
6: Jurgen Habermas’s Theory of Communicative Etherealization
7: The Neopragmatic Acquiescence: Between Habermas and Rorty
8: The Modern Error and the Renewal of Social Thought
Notes
Acknowledgments
Index

Be the first to know

Get the latest updates on new releases, special offers, and media highlights when you subscribe to our email lists!

Sign up here for updates about the Press