Thinking Through Transition

It is not easy for historians to apply their methods to a period that does not yet have a clear end" - the first sentence in the book reveals the challenge that a new generation of scholars took at writing an intellectual history of post-communist East Central Europe. Post-communism can be understood both as a period of scarcity and preponderance of ideas, the dramatic eclipsing of the dissident legacy--as well as the older political traditions--and the rise of technocratic and post-political governance. Eighteen essays by authors from the region discuss how major domains of political thought (liberalism, conservatism, the Left, populism and memory politics) have been fairing in the respective countries. The studies, grounded in empirical research sensitive to local contexts, propose a history of adaptations, entanglements, and unintended consequences. Key words 1. Europe, Eastern--Politics and government--1989- 2. Europe, Central--Politics and government--1989- 3. Europe, Eastern--Intellectual life--1989- 4. Europe, Central--Intellectual life. 5. Political science--Europe, Eastern--History. 6. Political science--Europe, Central--History. 7. Post-communism--Europe, Eastern--History. 8. Post-communism--Europe, Central--History. 9. Social change--Europe, Eastern--History. 10. Social change--Europe, Central--History.