I just got my copy of Jean-Francois Revel's book Last Exit to Utopia, which was just translated. I've only just begun, but I thought I'd share what I'm reading as I go along.
From the preface, by Anthony Daniels:
M. Revel's book is, as ever, rich in ideas. He points out that liberal democracy is not an ideology in the sense that Marxism or any other form of utopian political thought is an ideology; liberal democracy does not hold out the hope of a denouement of history in which all human contradictions are resolved, no conflicts can arise and everyone is ceaselessly-andone might almost add remorselessly-happy. It assumes that conflicts, difficulties, problems and dissatisfactions are inescapable characteristics of the human condition, and that the best that can be hoped for is compromise without slaughter, brining with it some faint hope, though not the certainty, of progress. There is no blueprint. (xxi)
On to the first chapter!
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