The Phantom Public
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Summary
Editor's review
Rereading Phantom Public in today's era of information explosion and a complicated public opinion landscape allows one to appreciate all the more its insight across time. The "phantom" predicament Lippmann identified has not disappeared with technological progress; on the contrary, it has become more pronounced amid algorithmic recommendation, information cocoons, and emotionalized communication. The public appears to have unprecedented channels for expression, yet may be further from rational public discussion. The book's discussions of the role of experts, media responsibility, and civic education still carry strong contemporary relevance.
Lin Muyin's translation is fluent and accurate, effectively reproducing Lippmann's concise and tension-filled style, and supplements necessary background notes for Chinese readers. The edition from Shanghai Translation Publishing House is elegantly bound, suitable for collection and repeated reading. This book does not offer simple answers but invites readers into a serious intellectual inquiry—about how we understand democracy and how we view our true capacities and responsibilities as members of the "public." It is suitable for readers who are not satisfied with superficial discussion and are willing to confront the complexities of modern political life.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers interested in political science, communication studies, or sociology who wish to understand classic theories of public opinion research
- Modern citizens concerned with public issues who often reflect on their own role in the public opinion landscape
- Professionals in media, public relations, policy research, and related fields seeking theoretical nourishment
- Readers who enjoy intellectually substantive works and the deep engagement with classic texts
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking light reading or practical skill guides; this book is highly theoretical and requires a degree of concentration
- Readers expecting the book to offer clear solutions or an optimistic outlook; Lippmann's analysis tends toward the calm and even pessimistic
Reading tips
- It is recommended to read Lippmann's Public Opinion first, then this book; the two works echo each other and together form a more complete understanding
- While reading, consider relating the content to current hot-button public opinion events to appreciate the tension between classic theory and reality
- Some concepts and historical background in the book may be unfamiliar; consult relevant notes or supplementary materials as needed, but do not feel compelled to understand everything in one reading
About the publisher
Shanghai Translation Publishing House is a Chinese publisher oriented mainly toward translation and publishing. Its publications cover foreign literature, world classics and classic works, as well as social culture, folk literature and classical poetry. The database contains 2,618 titles, including Never Let Me Go, Les Misérables (2 volumes), Don Quixote (illustrated collector's edition), The Complete Comedies of Molière (4 volumes), The Complete Novels of Kafka (3 volumes), The Collected Works of Dostoevsky (9-volume set), Reason and Persons, and Oedipus Rex (Translation Classics). Its author resources include foreign writers such as Kazuo Ishiguro, Victor Hugo, Cervantes and Molière, as well as translators such as Zheng Kelu, Sun Jiameng, Li Jianwu and Zhang Kun. The publisher has brands such as "Translation Classics Selections" and "Translation Documentary," and emphasizes translated works in foreign literature and the humanities and social sciences, while also publishing bilingual dictionaries and foreign-language educational books. Public information is limited; the above is based on the book information in the database.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 译者序（上）
- 译者序（下）
- 第一部分
- 第一章 幻灭之人
- 第二章 无法实现的理想
- 第三章 代理人与旁观者
- 第四章 公众能做什么
- 第五章 专制的制衡
- 第二部分
- 第六章 亚里士多德之问
- 第七章 问题的本质
- 第八章 社会契约
- 第九章 公众面临的两个问题
- 第十章 公开辩论的主要价值
- 第十一章 有缺陷的规则
- 第十二章 改革的标准
- 第十三章 公众舆论的原则
- 第三部分
- 第十四章 社会归位
- 第十五章 缺位的统治者
- 第十六章 混乱的领域
- 索引
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About the author
Walter Lippmann was an influential twentieth-century American newspaper columnist and political commentator whose writing spanned journalistic commentary and political philosophy, with a lasting focus on public opinion, the workings of democracy, and the basic questions of public life. Chinese readers are most familiar with his three works Public Opinion, The Phantom Public, and The Public Philosophy, which respectively examine how public opinion is formed, the role of the public in a democracy, and the foundations of public philosophy. His prose is clear and restrained, his arguments carefully built, combining a journalist's sense of reality with a thinker's reflectiveness. These works are often classified as social and cultural writing, social science, and philosophy, and remain valuable for understanding the relationship between modern communication, public judgment, and democratic governance. It should be noted that public information about his specific biography is limited, so this introduction focuses on the themes and style of his works.
Lin Muyin is an author for whom limited public information is available. The existing records confirm only two works, The Phantom Public and A Silent Contest: Lippmann and the Cold War, with common categories of social science and history reading. Judging from the titles and categories, her writing interests center on public opinion, public perception, and the intellectual and international confrontations of the Cold War era, especially issues surrounding the American political commentator Walter Lippmann. The Phantom Public relates to the work published under Lippmann's name, while A Silent Contest: Lippmann and the Cold War places the figure within the Cold War context, suggesting a writing approach that uses individuals as threads into institutions, public opinion, and political thought. Her works tend toward informative reading for those interested in journalism and communication, the history of political thought, and international relations, with an emphasis on organizing issues and explaining background. Because reliable records of birth and death dates, nationality, education, and professional experience are unavailable, this profile makes no inferences and presents her writing only through the works in the database.
