In this inaugural volume of the Alexis de Tocqueville Lectures,
political scientist James Ceaser traces the way certain ideas,
including nature, history, and religion--which he calls
foundational ideas--have been understood and used by statesmen and
public intellectuals over the course of American history, from the
Puritans to the current day. Ceaser treats these ideas not as pure
concepts of philosophy or theology, but rather as elements of
political discourse that provide the ground or ultimate appeal for
other political ideas, such as liberty or equality. At times, they
have critically influenced the course of American political
development, offering various opportunities and constraints for
political leaders. Ceaser traces the histories of these ideas and
their relation to other ideas, to practices, and to the fortunes of
successive partisan regimes.
Three critical commentators--historian Jack Rakove and
political theorists Nancy Rosenblum and Rogers Smith--challenge
Ceaser's arguments in several ways. They suggest that other ideas
may be considered foundational, and they prod him to clarify
further how foundational ideas work politically. Ceaser responds
with vigor, and the result is a spirited debate about large and
enduring questions in American politics.
General
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