Ethics of Modernity

Richard MYnch is professor of sociology at the University of Bamberg, Germany.

An important endeavor to provide a grand narrative of the trajectory of modernity, in the vein of the sociological master of us all, Weber. This book will be useful in courses looking for recent sociological ventures in comparative-historical analysis, especially if one is looking for an informed Weberian antidote to postmodern or even antimodern nihilism, or to a narrative that priviliges the economic or the political at the expense of the religio-cultural.

• Chapter 1 Introduction: The Western Culture of Instrumental ActivismPart 2 Ethics and the World: A Comparative ViewChapter 3 MagicChapter 4 Archaic ReligionChapter 5 Ethical Religion I: The Problem of TheodicyChapter 6 Ethical Religion II: The Path to SalvationChapter 7 Types of Relating Ethics to the WorldChapter 8 Structural Settings Shaping the Relationship between Ethics and WorldChapter 9 Different Patterns of Relating Ethics to the World within Western Culture: Britain, France, Germany, and AmericaPart 10 From Ancient Judaism to Ascetic ProtestantismChapter 11 IntroductionChapter 12 Ethical Penetration of the World: Ancient JudaismChapter 13 From Ethno-Religious Particularism to the Universal Church: The Teachings of Jesus Christ, the Pauline Mission, Early Catholicism, and the Gregorian Ecclesiastical ReformsChapter 14 From Traditionalistic Culture to Modern Culture: The Medieval City and ScholasticismChapter 15 The Last Attempt at Reconciling Ethics and the World: St Thomas Acquinas' Organic Social EthicsChapter 16 The Mutual Penetration of Religious Ethics and World: Ascetic ProtestantismChapter 17 Modernization as Ethical TransformationPart 18 Britain: Tradition and ReformChapter 19 IntroductionChapter 20 The Position of Religion in Society: Orthodox Anglicanism and Heterodox PuritanismChapter 21 Agents of Modernization: Lawyers and Entrepreneurs in the Common Law TraditionChapter 22 Inclusion of Ethics in the Project of Modernization: Moderate Extension of Rights through RepresentationChapter 23 Social Change: The Interplay Between Tradition and ModernityPart 24 France: Routine and RevolutionChapter 25 IntroductionChapter 26 The Position of Religion in Society: The Alliance between the Catholic Church and the Absolutist RuleChapter 27 Agents of Modernization: The Administrative EliteChapter 28 Inclusion of Ethics in the Project of Modernization: Radical Intellectual CriticismChapter 29 Social Change: The Cycle of Routine and RevolutionPart 30 Germany: Conformity and AlienationChapter 31 IntroductionChapter 32 The Position of Religion in Society: The Alliance between Protestant Church and Secular RuleChapter 33 Agents of Modernization: The Cooperation of State and IndustryChapter 34 Inclusion of Ethics in the Project of Modernization: The Gap between Ethics and WorldChapter 35 Social Change: Between Affirmation and RejectionPart 36 America: Continuity and RenewalChapter 37 IntroductionChapter 38 The Position of Religion in Society: The Sacred CovenantChapter 39 Agents of Modernization: Moral, Political, and Economic EntrepreneursChapter 40 Inclusion of Ethics in the Project of Modernization: God's Envoys in the WildernessChapter 41 Social Change: Continuity and RenewalPart 42 Ethics and World: A Comparative Developmental HistoryChapter 43 IntroductionChapter 44 The Western Culture of Instrumental Activism in Comparative ViewChapter 45 From Ancient Judaism to the ReformationChapter 46 Modern Secularized CultureChapter 47 Differentiation of Cultural TraditionsChapter 48 Concluding Remarks