The Rhetoric of Reaction - Wikipedia

The Rhetoric of Reaction: Perversity, Futility, Jeopardy is a book by theorist Albert O. Hirschman, which styles the rhetoric of conservatism in opposition ... TheRhetoricofReaction FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia Jumptonavigation Jumptosearch TheRhetoricofReaction:Perversity,Futility,JeopardyAuthorAlbertO.HirschmanCountryUSASubjectCriticismofConservatism—HistoryPublisherTheBelknapPressofHarvardUniversityPressPublicationdate1991PagesPaperback:224p.Hardback:212p.ISBN978-0674768680OCLC21972246DeweyDecimal320.5209LC ClassJA83.H541991 TheRhetoricofReaction:Perversity,Futility,JeopardyisabookbytheoristAlbertO.Hirschman,whichstylestherhetoricofconservatisminoppositiontosocialchangeasconsistingofthreenarratives:perversity,futility,andjeopardy,andthat,further,thesenarrativesaresimplisticandflawed,andcutoffdebate.Afterahistoricalexaminationofhisthesis,hediscussescorrespondingprogressivenarratives,andproposesanewframework. Hirschmantakesasastartingpointtheneoconservativecritiquesofsocialsecurityandothersocialwelfareprograms.RecallingThomasHumphreyMarshall'stheoryofthedevelopmentofcitizenshipintheWestbywhichcivil,political,andsocialdimensionsofcitizenshiparesuccessivelyachieved,Hirschmanillustratestherhetoricofreactionariesthroughcitingargumentsconcerningthreemajorreforms:theFrenchrevolution,movestowarduniversalsuffrageinthe19thand20thcenturies,andtheconcernsoverthewelfarestateinhistime. Contents 1Reactionarynarratives 2Progressivenarratives 3Proposal 4Editions 5References Reactionarynarratives[edit] Hirschmandescribesthereactionarynarrativesthus:[1] Accordingtotheperversitythesis,anypurposiveactiontoimprovesomefeatureofthepolitical,social,oreconomicorderonlyservestoexacerbatetheconditiononewishestoremedy(compare:Unintendedconsequences). Thefutilitythesisholdsthatattemptsatsocialtransformationwillbeunavailing,thattheywillsimplyfailto"makeadent." Finally,thejeopardythesisarguesthatthecostoftheproposedchangeorreformistoohighasitendangerssomeprevious,preciousaccomplishment. Hearguesthattheseare"rhetoricsofintransigence",whichdonotfurtherdebate. Progressivenarratives[edit] Inthefinalchapter,Hirschmandiscussesprogressivenarrativeswhichheregardsassimplisticandflawed. TheSynergyIllusion–theideathatallreformsworktogetherandreinforceeachother,ratherthanbeingcompeting; TheImminentDanger–urgentactionisnecessarytoavoidimminentdanger; HistoryIsonOurSide Compare:“Thearcofhistoryislong,butitbendstowardsjustice,”byMartinLutherKingJr. Proposal[edit] Hirschmanadvocatesinsteadthese"mature"basesfordiscussion: Therearedangersandrisksinbothactionandinaction.Therisksofbothshouldbecanvassed,assessed,andguardedagainsttotheextentpossible. Thebanefulconsequencesofeitheractionorinactioncanneverbeknownwithcertaintybutourreactiontoeitherisaffectedbythetwotypesofalarm-soundingCassandraswithwhomwehavebecomeacquainted. Editions[edit] Hirschman,AlbertO.(1991).TheRhetoricofReaction:Perversity,Futility,Jeopardy.Cambridge,MA:TheBelknapPressofHarvardUniversityPress.ISBN 978-0674768673.(hardback),ISBN 978-0674768680(paperback).Laysummary. References[edit] ^@YungBurkeB0T(16November2021).(Tweet)https://twitter.com/YungBurkeB0T/status/1460408945215000592–viaTwitter.Missingorempty|title=(help) Authoritycontrol:Nationallibraries TheSELIBRid7634402isnotvalid. Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Rhetoric_of_Reaction&oldid=1062373976" Categories:1991non-fictionbooksBelknapPressbooksConservatismHiddencategories:CS1errors:missingtitleCS1errors:bareURLArticleswithfaultySELIBRidentifiers Navigationmenu Personaltools NotloggedinTalkContributionsCreateaccountLogin Namespaces ArticleTalk Variants expanded collapsed Views ReadEditViewhistory More expanded collapsed Search Navigation MainpageContentsCurrenteventsRandomarticleAboutWikipediaContactusDonate Contribute HelpLearntoeditCommunityportalRecentchangesUploadfile Tools WhatlinkshereRelatedchangesUploadfileSpecialpagesPermanentlinkPageinformationCitethispageWikidataitem Print/export DownloadasPDFPrintableversion Languages FrançaisSvenska中文 Editlinks