This edited collection brings to light the rare virtues and uncommon merits of Raymond Aron, the main figure of French twentieth-century liberalism. The Companion to Raymond Aron is an essential supplement to Aron's autobiography Mémoires (1984) and main works, exploring the substance of his political, sociological, and philosophical thought.

'This superb collection the first of its kind will guarantee that the name of Raymond Aron will always be remembered when thoughtful people speak of liberalism." - Steven B. Smith, Alfred Cowles Professor of Political Science, Yale University, USA

"Raymond Aron was one of the twentieth century's greatest political thinkers, a defender of prudence and moderation in an age of extremes. Yet the remarkable range of his work covering the philosophy of history, ideological critique, international relations, political economy, and much more can be daunting to new readers. This book provides a perfect gateway, with luminous essays covering every part of the Aronion oeuvre. It also stands on its own as an important contribution to understanding our time." - Brian C. Anderson, Editor of City Journal and author of Raymond Aron (2007) and other books.

"Not a mere collection of essays but a comprehensive study of Raymond Aron, designed to cover all aspects and done by many able hands. In their fashioning Aron proves to be both philosopher and the sort of observer who takes the risk of advising. In doing so Aron made himself the enemy of the French intellectual who was neither." - Harvey Mansfield, Professor of Government, Harvard University, USA and Senior Fellow, the Hoover Institution, USA

"Raymond Aron was always right, and all the better known thinkers of his time such as Heidegger and Sartre were often spectacularly and destructively wrong. Aron's singular gift was an astute kind of moderation that always served liberalism against the misanthropic ideological alternatives. The labor of love that is volume is the best single source for absorbing and assessing his admirably prudent and often courageous thought." - Peter Augustine Lawler, Dana Professor of Political Science, Berry College, USA

Autorentext
Pierre Manent, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, France Nicolas Baverez, ENA, France Jean-Vincent Holeindre, Université Panthéon-Assas - Paris II, France Matthias Oppermann, University of Potsdam, Germany Carlos Gaspar, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal Bryan-Paul Frost, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, USA Joël Mouric, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, France Perrine Simon-Nahum, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, France Giulio De Ligio, Ecoles des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, France Daniel J. Mahoney, Assumption College, USA Serge Audier, Université Paris-Sorbonne - Paris IV, France Serge Paugam, Ecoles des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, France Iain Stewart, Queen Mary, University of London, UK. Pierre Hassner, Centre d'études et de recherches internationales, France Scott Nelson, University of Vienna, Austria Diogo Pires Aurélio, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal Miguel Morgado, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal Aurelian Craiutu, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA Sylvie Mesure, Université Paris-Sorbonne - Paris IV, France Christian Bachelier, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, France

Inhalt

1. Raymond Aron, Philosopher and Freedom Fighter - Life and Works by Nicolas Baverez 2. Aron on War and Strategy - A Framework for Conceptualizing International Relations Today by Jean-Vincent Holeindre 3. In the 'Era of Tyrannies': The International Order from Nazism to the Cold War by Matthias Oppermann 4. Aron and the Cold War - 'Brother Enemies' by Carlos Gaspar 5. Forward to the Past - History and Theory in Aron's Peace and War by Bryan-Paul Frost 6. 'Citizen Clausewitz' - Aron's Clausewitz in Defense of Political Freedom by Joël Mouric 7. Fin de siècle - Aron and the End of the Bipolar System by Carlos Gaspar 8. Raymond Aron and the Notion of History - Taking Part in History by Perrine Simon-Nahum 9. The Question of Political Regime and the Problems of Democracy - Aron and the Tocqueville Alternative by Giulio De Ligio 10. The Totalitarian Negation of Man - Raymond Aron on Ideology and Totalitarianism by Daniel J. Mahoney 11. A Machiavellian Conception of Democracy? - Democracy and Conflict by Serge Audier 12. Revisiting Aron's The Class Struggle - Rereading Fifty Years After by Serge Paugam 13. The Origins of the 'End of Ideology?' - Raymond Aron and Industrial Civilization by Iain Stewart 14. Raymond Aron and Immanuel Kant - Politics between Morality and History by Pierre Hassner 15. Statesmanship and Ethics - Aron, Max Weber, and Politics as a Vocation by Scott Nelson and José Colen 16. Aron and Marxism - The Aronian Interpretation of Marx by Sylvie Mesure 17. 'Moderate Machiavellianism' - Aron, Machiavelli, and the Modern Machiavellians by Diogo Pires Aurélio 18. Montesquieu and Aron on Democracy's Virtues and Vices - The Question of Political Legitimacy by Miguel Morgado 19. Raymond Aron and Alexis de Tocqueville - Political Moderation, Liberty, and the Role of the Intellectual by Aurelian Craiutu 20. Raymond Aron and 'History in the Making' by Christian Bachelier