Current studentsExisting staffContact us
 

Adam Ferguson: Radical or conservative?

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorHill, L.
dc.contributor.conferenceAustralasian Political Studies Association Conference (2001 : Brisbane, Qld.)
dc.contributor.editorJohn Wanna,
dc.date.issued2001
dc.description.abstractAdam Ferguson's interest in the decline of civilisations and the concomitant onset of political corruption is linked to his doubts about the benefits of progress and industrial expansion. For this reason, it is commonly suggested that Ferguson's work represents the first sustained critique of capitalism and market society based on the detection of alienation effects and a theory of class exploitation. Marx himself quoted Ferguson approvingly, acknowledging his debt to the latter's insightful critique of modernity and industrial expansion. Yet Ferguson's failure to provide any practical clues as to how corruption could be prevented is at odds with the general tone of his writing; indeed, it has led to charges of inconsistency and moral dereliction on his part. This paper seeks to explain Ferguson's omission by aligning his conservatism with key aspects of his social thought, namely his prior commitments to Stoic-Christianity and the theory of spontaneous generation.
dc.description.urihttp://auspsa.anu.edu.au/proceedings/2001/Political_Theory_Papers_A_J.htm
dc.identifier.citationProceedings of the Australasian Political Studies Association Annual Conference 2001, Parliament House, Brisbane : pp. 37-42
dc.identifier.orcidHill, L. [0000-0002-9098-7800]
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2440/28316
dc.language.isoen
dc.provenanceThe fulltext of this paper is the sixth item within the link provided.
dc.publisherGriffith University
dc.publisher.placehttp://www.gu.edu.au/school/ppp/APSA2001/content2_APSA2001menu.html
dc.rights© 2003 Griffith University
dc.titleAdam Ferguson: Radical or conservative?
dc.typeConference paper
pubs.publication-statusPublished

Files

Collections

Politics publications