The Americas in Early Modern Political Theory

States of Nature and Aboriginality

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Politics, History & Theory, Government
Cover of the book The Americas in Early Modern Political Theory by Stephanie B. Martens, Palgrave Macmillan US
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Stephanie B. Martens ISBN: 9781137519993
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan US Publication: May 31, 2016
Imprint: Palgrave Macmillan Language: English
Author: Stephanie B. Martens
ISBN: 9781137519993
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan US
Publication: May 31, 2016
Imprint: Palgrave Macmillan
Language: English

This book examines early modern social contract theories within European representations of the Americas in the 16th and 17th century.  Despite addressing the Americas only marginally, social contract theories transformed American social imaginaries prevalent at the time into Aboriginality, allowing for the emergence of the idea of civilization and the possibility for diverse discourses of Aboriginalism leading to excluding and discriminatory forms of subjectivity, citizenship, and politics.  What appears then is a form of Aboriginalism pitting the American/Aboriginal other against the nascent idea of civilization.  The legacy of this political construction of difference is essential to contemporary politics in settler societies.  The author shows the intellectual processes behind this assignation and its role in modern political theory, still bearing consequences today.  The way one conceives of citizenship and sovereignty underlies some of the difficulties settler societies have in accommodating Indigenous claims for recognition and self-government.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This book examines early modern social contract theories within European representations of the Americas in the 16th and 17th century.  Despite addressing the Americas only marginally, social contract theories transformed American social imaginaries prevalent at the time into Aboriginality, allowing for the emergence of the idea of civilization and the possibility for diverse discourses of Aboriginalism leading to excluding and discriminatory forms of subjectivity, citizenship, and politics.  What appears then is a form of Aboriginalism pitting the American/Aboriginal other against the nascent idea of civilization.  The legacy of this political construction of difference is essential to contemporary politics in settler societies.  The author shows the intellectual processes behind this assignation and its role in modern political theory, still bearing consequences today.  The way one conceives of citizenship and sovereignty underlies some of the difficulties settler societies have in accommodating Indigenous claims for recognition and self-government.

More books from Palgrave Macmillan US

Cover of the book China and India in Central Asia by Stephanie B. Martens
Cover of the book Post-Soviet Literature and the Search for a Russian Identity by Stephanie B. Martens
Cover of the book Inequality, Poverty and Precarity in Contemporary American Culture by Stephanie B. Martens
Cover of the book Colonialism, Han, and the Transformative Spirit by Stephanie B. Martens
Cover of the book Public Discourses of Contemporary China by Stephanie B. Martens
Cover of the book Charles Bukowski, King of the Underground by Stephanie B. Martens
Cover of the book Italian Modernities by Stephanie B. Martens
Cover of the book Imaging Religion in Film by Stephanie B. Martens
Cover of the book Towards a Postsecular International Politics by Stephanie B. Martens
Cover of the book Transgender and Intersex: Theoretical, Practical, and Artistic Perspectives by Stephanie B. Martens
Cover of the book Public Policy Challenges Facing Higher Education in the American West by Stephanie B. Martens
Cover of the book Civil Society and Governance in China by Stephanie B. Martens
Cover of the book Being, Relation, and the Re-worlding of Intentionality by Stephanie B. Martens
Cover of the book The Grenada Revolution in the Caribbean Present by Stephanie B. Martens
Cover of the book The Nuclear Age in Popular Media by Stephanie B. Martens
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy