Modernity

Peter Wagner is ICREA Research Professor at the University of Barcelona.

‘Modernity as an organizing theoretical-interpretative device has had an untidy and unruly history. No one recognizes this better than Peter Wagner, and no one has done more to unpack, analyse, tame, and repack its meanings and its claims. Modernity extends his previous work significantly, and consolidates his position as simultaneously the most creative and the most sensible of writers of our time on the topic. He is especially to be congratulated for referring to historical and comparative actualities.'Neil Smelser, University of California, Berkeley ‘Peter Wagner's work is simply indispensable to those who wish to conceptualize modernity in a truly global way that challenges the Eurocentrism built into all classical writings on the subject. Wagner is a high theorist but his openness to questions of historical diversity remains exemplary.'Dipesh Chakrabarty, The University of Chicago‘Peter Wagner's developing "world sociology of modernity", outlined in this splendid book, is a major advance in his and our thinking about modernity around the world. The book is also an excellent and very readable summary of the current state of the field.'William Outhwaite, Newcastle University

• PrefacePart IRe-theorizing modernityChapter 1Retrieving modernity's past, understanding modernity's presentChapter 2Changing views of modernity:from convergence and stability to plurality and transformationsChapter 3Successive modernities:crisis, criticism and the idea of progressChapter 4Disentangling the concept of modernity:time, action and problems to be solvedPart IIAnalyzing contemporary modernityChapter 5The link between capitalism and democracy reconsideredChapter 6European and non-European trajectories of modernity comparedChapter 7Violence and justice in global modernity:reflections on South Africa with world-sociological intentChapter 8Towards a world-sociology of modernityReferences