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Good Society

Author Robert Bellah, Richard Madsen, Steve Tipton, William Sullivan, Ann Swidler
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$19.00 US
Knopf | Vintage
On sale Aug 18, 1992 | 368 Pages | 9780679733591
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In 1985, the authors’ bestselling Habits of the Heart redefined the terms of America’s debate about individualism and social commitment. With The Good Society, Bellah and his co-authors propose a new response to the country's growing social ills as America moves its domestic, economic, and social crises to the top of the political agenda. Acknowledging that we all live in and through institutions—family, school, community, corporation, religious group, the nation—they show how we can and must take responsibility for making these institutions work, and thereby take responsibility for ourselves. The authors argue that a shared understanding of the common good can lead to a truly effective democracy and that public discourse and debate about our national problems must be renewed and enriched.

“The Good Society is not only thought-provoking but also deeply moving....This book should be widely read, discussed, and argued about in public. It is the beginning of a conversation that must continue and expand.”—Utne Reader

“Wise . . . often passionate . . . offers informed criticism of the large-scale institutions which most Americans find too complex to comprehend.” —Newsweek

“An important book. If it succeeds in sparking a new public discussion of where are society is going, it will have served its purpose.” —The Christian Science Monitor
Acknowledgments

Introduction: We Live Through Institutions

Chapter 1: Making Sense of It

Chapter 2: The Rise and Fall of the American Century

Chapter 3: The Political Economy: Marker and Work

Chapter 4: Government, Law, and Politics

Chapter 5: Education: Technical and Moral

Chapter 6: The Public Church

Chapter 7: America in the World

Conclusion: Democracy Means Paying Attention

Appendix: Institutions in Sociology and Public Philosophy
Notes
Index
Robert N. Bellah was Elliott Professor of Sociology Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. His books include Habits of the Heart, Religion in Human Evolution, and The Good Society. IHe received the US National Humanities Medal in 2000 by President Clinton. He died in 2013, at the age of 86. View titles by Robert Bellah
Richard Madsen received his MA and PhD in sociology from Harvard University. He was co-director of a Ford Foundation project to advance the cause of academic sociology in China and has written twelve books on Chinese and American culture and relations. He is a distinguished professor of sociology at the University of California, San Diego. View titles by Richard Madsen
Steven M. Tipton received his BA from Stanford University and his PhD from Harvard. He is a senior fellow at Emory University’s Center for the Study of Law and Religion and was the director of Emory’s Graduate Division of Religion from 1998 to 2003. View titles by Steve Tipton
William Sullivan holds a BA from Harvard College and a doctorate from the Centre of Amerindian, Latin American and Caribbean Studies at the University of St. Andrews. He lives in Massachusetts. View titles by William Sullivan
Ann Swidler received her BA from Harvard in 1966 and her PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1975. She was a recipient of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship in 1982 and in 2013 was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is most famous for her work in cultural sociology and for her much-cited article "Culture in Action: Symbols and Strategies." View titles by Ann Swidler

About

In 1985, the authors’ bestselling Habits of the Heart redefined the terms of America’s debate about individualism and social commitment. With The Good Society, Bellah and his co-authors propose a new response to the country's growing social ills as America moves its domestic, economic, and social crises to the top of the political agenda. Acknowledging that we all live in and through institutions—family, school, community, corporation, religious group, the nation—they show how we can and must take responsibility for making these institutions work, and thereby take responsibility for ourselves. The authors argue that a shared understanding of the common good can lead to a truly effective democracy and that public discourse and debate about our national problems must be renewed and enriched.

“The Good Society is not only thought-provoking but also deeply moving....This book should be widely read, discussed, and argued about in public. It is the beginning of a conversation that must continue and expand.”—Utne Reader

“Wise . . . often passionate . . . offers informed criticism of the large-scale institutions which most Americans find too complex to comprehend.” —Newsweek

“An important book. If it succeeds in sparking a new public discussion of where are society is going, it will have served its purpose.” —The Christian Science Monitor

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction: We Live Through Institutions

Chapter 1: Making Sense of It

Chapter 2: The Rise and Fall of the American Century

Chapter 3: The Political Economy: Marker and Work

Chapter 4: Government, Law, and Politics

Chapter 5: Education: Technical and Moral

Chapter 6: The Public Church

Chapter 7: America in the World

Conclusion: Democracy Means Paying Attention

Appendix: Institutions in Sociology and Public Philosophy
Notes
Index

Author

Robert N. Bellah was Elliott Professor of Sociology Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. His books include Habits of the Heart, Religion in Human Evolution, and The Good Society. IHe received the US National Humanities Medal in 2000 by President Clinton. He died in 2013, at the age of 86. View titles by Robert Bellah
Richard Madsen received his MA and PhD in sociology from Harvard University. He was co-director of a Ford Foundation project to advance the cause of academic sociology in China and has written twelve books on Chinese and American culture and relations. He is a distinguished professor of sociology at the University of California, San Diego. View titles by Richard Madsen
Steven M. Tipton received his BA from Stanford University and his PhD from Harvard. He is a senior fellow at Emory University’s Center for the Study of Law and Religion and was the director of Emory’s Graduate Division of Religion from 1998 to 2003. View titles by Steve Tipton
William Sullivan holds a BA from Harvard College and a doctorate from the Centre of Amerindian, Latin American and Caribbean Studies at the University of St. Andrews. He lives in Massachusetts. View titles by William Sullivan
Ann Swidler received her BA from Harvard in 1966 and her PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1975. She was a recipient of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship in 1982 and in 2013 was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is most famous for her work in cultural sociology and for her much-cited article "Culture in Action: Symbols and Strategies." View titles by Ann Swidler

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