Alan Woolfolk – författare

Politics of Social Research addresses itself to the question of the behavior appropriate for social scientists conducting research sponsored by or otherwise involving government agencies-our own and those of other countries. The simple patriotism that suggests that social scientists, like other citizens, should not hesitate to put their skills at the service of their government is questioned here and by practitioners. This is partly because of outright disagreement with government policies and partly because of the threat to independence posed by massive government funding. As this book plainly shows, the problems are especially acute for social scientists working abroad, where they are viewed as de facto representatives of American policy while at the same time they must accommodate to the policies of foreign governments.

Philip Rieff earned recognition as one of the most profound social theorists of culture and authority of the twentieth century. Through such works as ""Freud: The Mind of the Moralist and The Triumph of the Therapeutic"", he proved himself an incisive interpreter of Freud and his legacy. His work now culminates with the long-awaited trilogy ""Sacred Order/Social Order"", a three-volume work on social theory and contemporary culture.In volume 2, ""The Crisis of the Officer Class: The Decline of the Tragic Sensibility"", Philip Rieff continues his assault against the deathworks of our modern age. Invoking his theory developed in volume 1, he elaborates on his critique of our current culture as distinguishable only by its rejection of any and all visions of sacred order.