Book Description by Oneworld Publications

Liah Greenfeld’s books on nationalism indtigated a major paradigm shift and almost instantly made her the world’s leading authority on the subject. with wide-ranging implications across the breadth of the humanities, she is renowned for arguing that nationalism is the main cultural foundation of modern society and economy.

In Nationalism and the Mind, the only published collection of Greenfeld’s essays in English, the reader can trace the evolution of Greenfeld’s thought, culminating in her cutting-edge analysis of the relationship between nationalism, culture and the human mind. Arranged chronologically, and with an insightful introduction by one of her former students, it provides a fascinating resource for anyone wishing to acquaint themselves with one of the most original thinkers of the current period.

Examining her thoughts not only on nationalism, but also literature, philosophy, psychology and much aside, this compendium of essays is greater than the sum of its parts. Uniting disparate disciplines into a coherent perspective in philosophical anthropology, Greenfeld provides a comprehensive theory of human nature that will influence social science for year to come.

Table of Contents

1. Reflections on Two Charismas

2. Russian Formalist Sociology of Literature: A Sociologist’s Perspective

3. Science and National Greatness in Seventeenth-Century England

4. Nationalism and Modernity

5. The Modern Religion?

6. Praxis Pietatis: A Tribute to Edward Shils

7. The Political Significance of Culture

8. Science and Literature as Social Institutions

9. An Invitation to a Dialogue: A Comment on Neuroscience and Culture

10. Nationalism and Modern Economy: Communing with the Spirit of Max Weber

11. Nationalism and the Mind

Index