The History of Political Thought in the 20th Century 2

In the book ‘The History of Political Thought in the 20th Century 2’ by Hossein Bashiriyeh, which is the second volume of this series, the topics of ‘Liberalism and Conservatism’ are analyzed. This work has been reprinted multiple times due to the importance of the topics discussed and the high quality of its content. It is highly recommended for anyone interested in gaining a fundamental understanding of the concepts of ‘Liberalism and Conservatism.’ In the first part of the book, Hossein Bashiriyeh introduces the historical and intellectual context of Liberalism in this century and then presents the earlier generation of liberal democrats of the 20th century. He further examines significant issues considered by some of the greatest theorists and thinkers of the 20th century. For instance, he closely examines Karl Popper’s philosophy and scientific methods, following his debates on revolutionary ideologies and historical particularism. After presenting Popper’s defense of democracy and the open society, he moves on to Friedrich Hayek and compares him with Popper. Additionally, topics such as Isaiah Berlin’s political philosophy, various aspects of justice from John Rawls, totalitarianism and revolution from Hannah Arendt, and freedom in the Liberalism section are explored. Regarding Conservatism, the meaning, principles, stages, and types are introduced alongside the earlier generation of conservatives. Then, subjects such as critiques of social sciences and modern political philosophy, aspects of experience, dominance of rationalism, compatibility and incompatibility of religion and modernity in the West, hermeneutics, and postmodernism are discussed.