The Reinvention of Politics: Rethinking Modernity in the Global Social Order

In this book, Beck offers us an interesting alternative to typlical postmodern thought and theory. He elaborates on Giddens' concept of «reflexive modernity», treating it as the state of flux in which we presently live. This transitional phase between industrial modernity and the next modernity is marked by the radicalization of modernity, the integration of risk into the social "order" as well as the fall of the welfare state and the uncertainty that follows it. Beck also analyses social and political tendencies angainst reflexive modernity as well as its effects on the political systems in the western world. Beck's analysis is, for the most part, clear and consise, save for chapter 4 where he examines possible outcomes for the next modernity (a little to philosophical for my taste). The remainng chapters define reflexive modernity (chap. 1), counter-modernization (chap. 2), sub-politics (chap. 3) and the effects of reflexive modernization on the (western) political system (chap. 5). The book ends on another (overly) philosophical examination of the role of doubt.