Dennis Smith – författare

First published in 1990, Capitalist Democracy on Trial explores the long transatlantic debate on capitalist democracy. It examines the conflicting verdicts of writers and politicians in the USA and Europe. The first section focuses on democracy and the rise of big business. It discusses the views of Tocqueville, Mill, Carnegie, Chamberlain, Bryce, Ostrogorski, Veblen and Hobson. The second section covers capitalism and the rise of ‘big government’. The writers represented are Laski, Lasswell, Hayek, Schumpeter, Galbraith, Friedman, Miliband, Brittan, Piven, and Cloward. Using a historical and comparative framework Dennis Smith argues that the transatlantic debate on capitalist democracy has passed through three phases. By World War I the early nineteenth century ideology of ‘participation’ had been replaced by a conception of capitalist democracy as ‘manipulation’. Between the wars this was superseded by an ideology of ‘regulation’. Then the drift has been towards the need for ‘conservation’. His systematic approach demonstrate the dynamics of an unfolding debate and combines theoretical insight with clarity of exposition. This book will be an invaluable text for students of political science, sociology, social theory, and the history of political economy.

First published in 1990, Capitalist Democracy on Trial explores the long transatlantic debate on capitalist democracy. It examines the conflicting verdicts of writers and politicians in the USA and Europe. The first section focuses on democracy and the rise of big business. It discusses the views of Tocqueville, Mill, Carnegie, Chamberlain, Bryce, Ostrogorski, Veblen and Hobson. The second section covers capitalism and the rise of ‘big government’. The writers represented are Laski, Lasswell, Hayek, Schumpeter, Galbraith, Friedman, Miliband, Brittan, Piven, and Cloward. Using a historical and comparative framework Dennis Smith argues that the transatlantic debate on capitalist democracy has passed through three phases. By World War I the early nineteenth century ideology of ‘participation’ had been replaced by a conception of capitalist democracy as ‘manipulation’. Between the wars this was superseded by an ideology of ‘regulation’. Then the drift has been towards the need for ‘conservation’. His systematic approach demonstrate the dynamics of an unfolding debate and combines theoretical insight with clarity of exposition. This book will be an invaluable text for students of political science, sociology, social theory, and the history of political economy.

First published in 1982, this study explores the dynamics of class formation during the vital decades between 1830 and 1914, when a rising urban industrial order was developing in complex interdependence with a declining rural agrarian order.

The book follows the divergent paths of two cities - Birmingham and Sheffield – in their social development. These paths reflect the complex process of conflict and compromise as the ‘old’ order was gradually replaced by the ‘new’. It studies in detail many aspects of social life that were affected by these changes such as education, public administration, political structures, public administration, religion, the professions, popular culture and family.

This book will be of interest to those studying Victorian history and sociology.

First published in 1982, this study explores the dynamics of class formation during the vital decades between 1830 and 1914, when a rising urban industrial order was developing in complex interdependence with a declining rural agrarian order.

The book follows the divergent paths of two cities - Birmingham and Sheffield – in their social development. These paths reflect the complex process of conflict and compromise as the ‘old’ order was gradually replaced by the ‘new’. It studies in detail many aspects of social life that were affected by these changes such as education, public administration, political structures, public administration, religion, the professions, popular culture and family.

This book will be of interest to those studying Victorian history and sociology.

Civilized Rebels compares in depth four very well-known literary and political figures, who all opposed arrogant regimes and became prisoners. Through comparative biographies of Oscar Wilde, Jean Améry, Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi, it explores the long-term process of the retreat of the West from global power since the late nineteenth century, relating this to the decline and fall of the British Empire and the trauma surrounding Brexit. Drawing on rich empirical materials to examine themes of forced displacement, war, poverty, imprisonment and the threat of humiliation, the book reveals how these highly civilized rebels penetrated their opponents’ mind-sets, while also providing a sophisticated analysis of how their struggles fitted into the larger world picture. Methodologically and theoretically innovative, and written in a lively and accessible style, Civilized Rebels will appeal to scholars across a range of disciplines, with interests in globalization, historical international relations, postcolonial and subaltern studies, comparative biographical studies, European studies, the sociology of emotions and historical sociology.

Civilized Rebels compares in depth four very well-known literary and political figures, who all opposed arrogant regimes and became prisoners. Through comparative biographies of Oscar Wilde, Jean Améry, Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi, it explores the long-term process of the retreat of the West from global power since the late nineteenth century, relating this to the decline and fall of the British Empire and the trauma surrounding Brexit. Drawing on rich empirical materials to examine themes of forced displacement, war, poverty, imprisonment and the threat of humiliation, the book reveals how these highly civilized rebels penetrated their opponents’ mind-sets, while also providing a sophisticated analysis of how their struggles fitted into the larger world picture. Methodologically and theoretically innovative, and written in a lively and accessible style, Civilized Rebels will appeal to scholars across a range of disciplines, with interests in globalization, historical international relations, postcolonial and subaltern studies, comparative biographical studies, European studies, the sociology of emotions and historical sociology.

This title was first published in 1983. Throughout this present book author states his objective will be to elicit Moore’s approach to the question he regards as central: how may historical knowledge be used by men and women in order to comprehend and master their destiny within the limits of their moral and rational development and the stage of evolution reached by the societies and the global order to which they belong? This study is divided into four parts. In the first part an account of the text of Social Origins will be followed by, on the one hand, an analysis of the political and intellectual context in which it appeared and, on the other hand, a survey of reviews. In the second part attention will be paid to the development of Moore’s theoretical approach. In the third part the major political and historical studies will be analysed. Soviet Politics and Social Origins will be discussed first. In the fourth part Moore’s approach to historical analysis and political theory will be contrasted with those of a number of his contemporaries. Finally, Moore’s work will be related to the concerns of critical theory and the project of ‘restructuring’ social and political theory espoused by Richard Bernstein.

This title was first published in 1983. Throughout this present book author states his objective will be to elicit Moore’s approach to the question he regards as central: how may historical knowledge be used by men and women in order to comprehend and master their destiny within the limits of their moral and rational development and the stage of evolution reached by the societies and the global order to which they belong? This study is divided into four parts. In the first part an account of the text of Social Origins will be followed by, on the one hand, an analysis of the political and intellectual context in which it appeared and, on the other hand, a survey of reviews. In the second part attention will be paid to the development of Moore’s theoretical approach. In the third part the major political and historical studies will be analysed. Soviet Politics and Social Origins will be discussed first. In the fourth part Moore’s approach to historical analysis and political theory will be contrasted with those of a number of his contemporaries. Finally, Moore’s work will be related to the concerns of critical theory and the project of ‘restructuring’ social and political theory espoused by Richard Bernstein.