Studies in Contemporary German Social Thought Thomas McCarthy, General Editor Todor W. Adorn, Assit Epitemology: A Metcrtiqne “Theodor W. Adowno, Prime " KarhOuo Ape, Undersmingand Explanation t Tancendenal: Pragmatic Ponpecace Richard J. Berscin et Habermas ad Modernity inst Bish, Nea Laon Panay Diy Ernst ich Fe rape of Hope Est Bch The Urpin Bsn of Arend Later: Sted Bway Tian Blumer. The Gent of te Copemuan World Hin Blumen. The Leginay of he ser Age Fans Hlumenber. Work ow Mah elt Dubie, Thor ond Poi Sade onthe Dec lopment of Crical Tico John Forester editor, ie Theory and Pale Life David Fess Papmonts of Mody Theo of Mader h the Nor of Somat, Rrciter on Besponm Hans-Georg Gadaner Phlvphad Aprensehps Hans-Georg Galimer, Reso nthe ge of Sten Jurgen Haberman, The Piosophl Dison of Maman Tecve Eecares "teen Haber Pisopi-otta hls Sirgen Habermas nots Obearons oh "Pe Spal hction ofthe Age’ Mane fone Mud Contemporary Resocminatio of te Fought Reinhart ovals Citigu and Cp Eugcument avd the Pathogen of Sto Sty Reinhart Kose, Fates Pa On the Sent of Herc Tine Hove Marans Hegel's Onelgy tnd the Theory of Hoarty Clio Ge Conran of te Wel suse Chas Oe, Doargnied Captain: Contenporay Troon: of Work ad ence, Action, ant Fenders Tes: Toward « Tovlogy Ie Fonh Relat Esa othe Philosophy of abe Ae Schmit, Hoy and Seca tm Esa om Hepa: Mast and Siac Theone of History Dennis Sch The Uagy ofthe rte Hegel Mrideger ad the tener 9f Phicwphy car Schmit, The Cra of Parhameary Deora ‘Lari Sonny Poles! Romane a Thea Fo Chapter a the Concept of Sovereign The Ober Sade th Sua! Once) of Fase Heseguy See, nd Baber Gay Sith ediog, On Wales npn Ciel Eye and Restle Tint Toundha, el Concionsne dS Decrmiation Mink Warns isce soe Poll Thaaghe lav Pour, Joachim Rin, Hegel an Cael Seis, Poi ‘Michael Theuanisen, Critique and Crisis Enlightenment and the Pathogenesis of Modern Society REINHART KOSELLECK ‘The MIT Press Cantbridge, MassachusettsFirst MIT Pees « This Engh transition @) 1988 Recg Publisters Lid ie, Eine Studi er Pato der bingetichen Wele by Verlag Kael Alber Gi, Preibung/Murich, West German 989 Verlag Kal Alber Crib Hl Originally published as Ki» I sighs ese No part this book maybe roredaced in an form or by Contents permission in writing fom the pubs Livy of Congres Cxalogingin-Pulcon Dat Kosei, Rear Foreword Victor Gonrevitch Paahayencts of Modern Sectey Preface to the English Edition Cais in contenparary German i Hough Introduction Fat of ek cd Ri Bioguh Part |The Political Structure of Absolutism as the Incades index 1 Policlscence—History, 2, Enlightenment. 3, Divine ght of kings. History—Phiknophy Precondi mn of Enlightenment 1, The Absolutist State, Raison d’Ftat and the Tiles Me Series, JAS Koss 1988 320.09 159 Emergence of the Apolitical Sphere (Barclay, ISUN'O 262 11127 & ’Aubigne) 2. Hobbesian Rationality and the Origins of Prins in Gres Britain Enlightenment 3. The Exclusion of Natural Law Morality from International Polities and the Concept of War between States as a Precondition of Moral Progress Part IL The Self-Image of the Enlightenment Thinkers as a Response to their Situation within the Absolutist State 4. Locke’s Law of Private Censure and its Significance for the Emergence of the Bourgeoisie 5. The Creation of Indirect Countervailing Powers and the Arcanum of Politics 6. The Proliferation of Indirect Power and the Schism of Morals and Politics 41 fa 767. The Political Function of the Lodges and the Plans of the Illuminati 8. The Process of Criticism (Schiller, Simon, Bayle, Voltaire, Diderot and the Encyclopédie, Kant) Part III Cris 9. ‘The Philosophy of Progress and its Prognosis of Revolution and Philosophy of History 10. The Recognition of the Crisis and the Emergence of a Moral Totalism as a Response to Political Absolutism (Turgor) 11. Crisis, Consciousness and Historical Construstion (Rousseau, Diderot, Raynal, Paine) Excursus graphy Indexes 36 98 Foreword Professor Koselleck’s learned and influential study remains as ab- sorbing today as it was when first published, nearly thirty years ago, under the title Kritik und Krise. is good to have it available at last. in English In Professor Koselleck’s view the modern understanding of poli- tics, and hence modern political practice, has become dangerously depoliticised. The basic differences between the political realm proper and other public but non-political realms, have become blurred. At the same time visions of eventually escaping the hard constraints of politics distort the real altern Professor Koselleck traces this malady — to use his own metaphor — to the changing status of political authority in the age of Absolutism and Enlightenment, the period that stretches from the Peace of Utrecht to the waning years of the ancien régime, from the major writings of Hobbes 10 those of Rousseau and Raynal. His thesis, reduced to a formula, is that during that period the widening breach, in fact and in theory, between State and society, and between politics and ethics, inevitably led to the challenge — the critique — and the eventual subversion — the crisis — of the political by the social, cultural and moral realms The specifically modern order which was established by the middle of the seventeenth century redistributed the public space into two sharply separate domains: that of politcal authority proper, the prince or State; and the striedly subordinate domain of the sub- jects, the domain which at about that time came to be known as society. In Professor Koselleck’s view this ordering of sovereign and subject is given its clearest theoretical formulation by Hobbes. ives here and now