false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167291291m/20186.jpg 20186 2 James C. Scott's research for this book began with an examination of the tensions between state authorities and various "unstable" individuals throughout history, from hunter-gatherer tribes to Gypsies to the homeless. He soon became fascinated, however, by the recurring patterns of failure and authoritarianism in certain social engineering programs aimed at bringing such people fully into the state's fold. Soviet collectivization, the Maoist Great Leap Forward, the precisely planned city of Brasilia--these and other projects around the world, while deeply ambitious, extracted immeasurable tolls on the people they were designed to help. <P> One of the most important common factors that Scott found in these schemes is what he refers to as a high modernist ideology. In simplest terms, it is an extremely firm belief that progress <I>can</I> and <I>will</I> make the world a better place. But "scientific" theories about the betterment of life often fail to take into account "the indispensable role of practical knowledge, informal processes, and improvisation in the face of unpredictability" that Scott views as essential to an effective society. What high modernism lacks is <I>metis</I>, a Greek word which Scott translates as "the knowledge that can only come from practical experience." Although <I>metis</i> is closely related to the concept of "mutuality" found in the anarchist writings of, among others, Kropotkin and Bakunin, Scott is careful to emphasize that he is not advocating the abolition of the state or championing a complete reliance on natural "truth." He merely recognizes that <I>some</I> types of states can initiate programs which jeopardize the well-being of all their subjects. <P> Although the collapse of most socialist governments might lead one to believe that <I>Seeing Like a State</I> is old news, Scott's analysis should prove extremely useful to those considering the effects of global capitalism on local communities. 21381 1998 Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed (The Institution for Social and Policy St) total:152|5:44|4:72|3:27|2:8|1:1| 152 606 270 21 5 1 false false Mon Sep 10 07:15:35 -0700 2007 Sat Nov 10 12:12:48 -0800 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Fri Nov 28 11:06:01 -0800 2008 Fri Nov 28 11:12:27 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Oct 04 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Sep 10 13:15:50 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 04 08:48:39 -0700 2009
It starts with a look at early state attempts to make commerce 'legible,' wi...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Oct 18 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 22 22:42:14 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 18 22:21:35 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sun Jun 10 20:08:25 -0700 2007 Sun Jul 08 22:12:22 -0700 2007 Guns, Germs and Steel, and full-on academia. Too much simplifying to hold a lot of water in the academy, but still too opaque for the masses. The first few chapters of this bo...more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2006 Tue Jun 05 11:40:02 -0700 2007 Tue Jun 05 11:40:44 -0700 2007 more...]]> 0 0 false false Mon Apr 27 11:00:34 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 27 11:01:50 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Wed Jun 17 11:36:03 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 17 11:37:08 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon Aug 24 08:55:29 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 24 08:56:11 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Apr 02 15:18:28 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 02 15:20:22 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Tue Aug 05 16:58:25 -0700 2008 Fri Jan 11 13:46:15 -0800 2008 Tue Aug 05 16:58:25 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Fri Dec 14 08:09:41 -0800 2007 Wed Dec 26 20:36:36 -0800 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat Aug 25 22:38:46 -0700 2007 Tue Jul 24 09:33:25 -0700 2007 Mon Aug 20 07:58:16 -0700 2007 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Fri Jan 25 01:36:00 -0800 2008 Fri Jan 25 01:38:00 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Sun Apr 06 10:31:38 -0700 2008 Sun Apr 06 10:33:25 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Fri Jul 04 18:11:34 -0700 2008 Tue Jun 17 15:54:20 -0700 2008 Fri Jul 04 18:11:34 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Wed Jul 09 16:55:15 -0700 2008 Wed Jul 09 16:55:15 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Tue Sep 15 23:27:48 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 27 12:44:42 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Tue Aug 19 08:20:44 -0700 2008 Tue Aug 19 08:21:07 -0700 2008 5 0 false false Tue Apr 10 16:10:54 -0700 2007 Tue Apr 10 16:11:22 -0700 2007 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=20186