Late Modern Political Thought

LATE MODERN POLITICAL THOUGHT

"The Enlightenment...advocated rationality as a means to establish an authoritative system of ethics, aesthetics, and knowledge. The intellectual leaders of this movement regarded themselves as courageous and elite, and regarded their purpose as leading the world toward progress and out of a long period of doubtful tradition, full of irrationality, superstition, and tyranny...This movement also provided a framework for the American and French Revolutions, as well as leading to the rise of capitalism and the birth of socialism...." (from Wikipedia.com)

...First, late modern approaches are strongly marked by attention to social theory, the intellectual project centered on problems of modern rationality. Second, conceptions of political knowledge are closely linked to conceptions of organization (and the fear of disorganization). Earlier emphases on justice and authority are overshadowed by questions about the intelligence of political rule. (from Bard College description for course, Late Modern Political Theory: Knowledge and Organization, Professor David Kettler)