Water and power [[electronic resource] ] : the conflict over Los Angeles' water supply in the Owens Valley / / William L. Kahrl

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910777948103321
• Autore: Kahrl William L. <1946->
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: Berkeley, : University of California Press, 1982
• ISBN: 1-282-38298-5; 9786612382987; 0-520-90741-8
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (605 p.)
• Disciplina: 333.91/009794/9
• Soggetti: Water-supply - California - Los Angeles; Water-supply - California - Owens Valley
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Note generali: Description based upon print version of record.
• Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references and index.
• Nota di contenuto: Frontmatter -- Contents -- Preface -- 1. Organizing for Development -- 2. Competing Public Interests -- 3. The Politics of Appropriation -- 4. Forging the Link -- 5. Years of Excess -- 6. The Politics of Exploitation -- 7. Legacy -- 8. The Ties That Bind -- Conclusion -- Maps -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index
• Sommario/riassunto: It is not the purpose of this work to propose a specific format for the settlement of the city's current difficulties with the valley, to resolve the environmental questions associated with Los Angeles's proposed groundwater pumping program, or to promote any cause associated with the developing situation in the Owens Valley. But by performing the essential historical task of separating what happened from what did not, and by distinguishing in this way the choices which have been made from those which have yet to be decided, it is my hope that this effort will help to establish that common basis for understanding which is essential for the debate over specific issues to proceed most effectively. This book, then, is scarcely the last word on the Owens Valley conflict: the final chapter, after all, has yet to be written. The story that has emerged here is at once very different and more troubling than the conventional treatments of the conflict as a simplistic political morality play. Any attempt to deal with so ; controversial a subject, however, is almost certain to spark controversy itself. For that reason, with the exception of a small collection of private letters, this work is constructed entirely from the published documents and other materials available to the general public, anchoring the narrative in sources the reader can consult to trace the line of my argument on any point with which he or she may disagree. In addition, the work as a whole has been reviewed for technical accuracy by officials of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, although the department is in no way responsible for the content of this study or the conclusions drawn from it.

Democratic Temperament : The Legacy of William James / / Joshua I. Miller

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910482007503321
• Autore: Miller Joshua
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: University Press of Kansas, 1997; Lawrence, Kan. : , : Univ. Press of Kansas, , 1997; ©1997
• ISBN: 9780700631131; 0700631135
• Edizione: [1st ed.]
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (XIX, 168 Seiten.)
• Collana: American political thought
• Disciplina: 320/.092
• Soggetti: Political science & theory; Electronic books.
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Nota di contenuto: Intro -- Series Page -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Table of Contents -- Foreword -- Preface to Kansas Open Books Edition -- Preface -- Introduction -- Chapter 1. Models of Action -- Chapter 2. James and Gender -- Chapter 3. Sources of Respect -- Chapter 4. Faith and Doubt: Actions Wellsprings -- Chapter 5. Democratic Teaching -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Suggested Reading -- Index.
• Sommario/riassunto: Nineteenthcentury psychologist and pragmatist philosopher William ; James is rarely considered a political theorist. Renowned as the author of The Principles of Psychology and The Varieties of Religious Experience, James is often viewed as a radical individualist with no interest in politics; yet he was a critic of imperialism and absolutism and an advocate of tolerance, and his writing includes a penetrating analysis of political psychology.This first book by a political theorist devoted exclusively to James's theory argues that political concerns were in fact central to his intellectual work. Joshua Miller links James to the contemporary public dialogue by treating him as a theorist of action and exploring the complexities of that theory. He also relates the philosopher's thought to his own political experiences and observations andby explicating, criticizing, and meditating on Jamesdevelops provocative new ideas about issues facing democracy today.At the heart of the book is James's description of the "democratic temperament," which comprises a willingness to act, the placing of public good ahead of private comfort, generosity toward one's opponents, and mutual respect among citizens of different viewpoints, races, genders, classes, and religions. Miller sees this temperament as a healthy corrective to the meanspiritedness that characterizes so much current political discourse, which is precisely what makes James's insights so relevant to today's political environment. By revealing how James speaks to the paradoxical condition of modern political existencewithdrawal from public life combined with fanatical actionMiller shows how James's views apply to the possibility and problems of reviving participatory democracy in our era.Scholars who have never considered the political aspects of James's work will find in this study a new way of approaching him and of reconsidering radical democracy, while readers unfamiliar with James will find it a highly accessible introduction to a significant aspect of his thought. Democratic Temperament clearly shows that James deserves to be read not only for his recognized genius but also for his fresh and unexpected insights into the possibilities and paradoxes of American democratic political consciousness.