A sure sign that Lasch's latest (and, sadly, last) book deserves
wide acclaim is that it will infuriate those who cling to
conventional notions of left and right. Lasch remains as relentless
a critic of liberal progressivism as he is of unfettered
capitalism. In many ways, this sharp and penetrating study
culminates his career as a social critic of the highest order. It's
an articulate challenge to the anti-democratic notions of both
market and statist liberals: Both, in Lasch's view, share an
exalted sense of the professional and managerial class, thereby
diminishing a vital middle class in this country. Throughout his
many books, Lasch (The True and Only Heaven, 1991) notes, from his
early work on liberals and the Russian Revolution through his
biting analysis of self-styled radical intellectuals, he has always
concerned himself with one overarching question: Does democracy
have a future? More so than his earlier, often naysaying books,
this wonderfully vigorous and urgent set of essays makes explicit
Lasch's hope for a renewal of our best democratic values: the civil
arts of public discourse and debate; an educational system that
stresses commonality, not difference; and, quite simply, religion -
one of the best disciplines against professional arrogance. For
Lasch, to accept our inability to master a God-given world is the
first step to a more realistic vision for humanity. The course of
our century, as he argues with great historical nuance, has steered
us from a sense of the "common good." Our public spaces continue to
dwindle, and the language of politics, journalism, and the academy
no longer invites the average person into the argument, as
democracy once promised. The "democratic habits" of "self-reliance,
responsibility, and initiative" have degraded into a mad rush for
social mobility. The common wellsprings for a civil society -
families, neighborhoods, traditions - are now seen as impediments
to financial success or as oppressive representatives of sexism and
racism. This brave piece of social criticism answers Lasch's
critics with a message so simple and obvious, it's sublime. (Kirkus
Reviews)
In this challenging work, Christopher Lasch makes his most
accessible critique yet of what is wrong with the values and
beliefs of America's professional and managerial elites. The
distinguished historian argues that democracy today is threatened
not by the masses, as Jose Ortega y Gasset (The Revolt of the
Masses) had said, but by the elites. These elites - mobile and
increasingly global in outlook - refuse to accept limits or ties to
nation and place. Lasch contends that, as they isolate themselves
in their networks and enclaves, they abandon the middle class,
divide the nation, and betray the idea of a democracy for all
America's citizens. The book is historical writing at its best,
using the past to reveal the roots of our current dilemma. The
author traces how meritocracy - selective elevation into the elite
- gradually replaced the original American democratic ideal of
competence and respect for every man. Among other cultural trends,
he trenchantly criticizes the vogue for self-esteem over
achievement as a false remedy for deeper social problems, and
attacks the superior pseudoradicalism of the academic left.
Brilliantly he reveals why it is no wonder that Americans are
apathetic about their common culture and see no point in arguing
politics or voting. In a powerful final section Lasch traces the
spiritual crisis of democracy. The elites, having jettisoned the
moral and ethical guidelines provided by religion, cling to the
belief that through science they can master their fates and escape
mortal limits. In pursuit of this illusion they have become
infatuated with the global economy. Their revolt, the author warns,
is diminishing what is worthwhile about American life. Thisvolume,
completed just before the author's death, continues in his
tradition of vigorous and original thought and should stir
soul-searching among readers concerned about the future of America
and its democracy.
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