Forty years ago Louis Hartz surveyed American political thought in
his classic "The Liberal Tradition in America." He concluded that
American politics was based on a broad liberal consensus made
possible by a unique American historical experience, a thesis that
seemed to minimize the role of political conflict.Today, with
conflict on the rise and with much of liberalism in disarray, James
P. Young revisits these questions to reevaluate Hartz's
interpretation of American politics. Young's treatment of key
movements in our history, especially Puritanism and republicanism's
early contribution to the Revolution and the Constitution,
demonstrates in the spirit of Dewey and others that the liberal
tradition is richer and more complex than Hartz and most
contemporary theorists have allowed.The breadth of Young's account
is unrivaled. "Reconsidering American Liberalism" gives voice not
just to Locke, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, Lincoln, and Dewey but
also to Rawls, Shklar, Kateb, Wolin, and Walzer. In addition to
broad discussions of all the major figures in over 300 years of
political thought--with Lincoln looming particularly large--Young
touches upon modern feminism and conservatism, multiculturalism,
postmodernism, rights-based liberalism, and social democracy. Out
of these contemporary materials Young synthesizes a new position, a
smarter and tougher liberalism not just forged from historical
materials but reshaped in the rough and tumble of contemporary
thought and politics.This exceptionally timely study is both a
powerful survey of the whole of U.S. political thought and a
trenchant critique of contemporary political debates. At a time of
acrimony and confusion in our national politics, Young enables us
to see that salvaging a viable future depends upon our
understanding how we have reached this point.Never without his own
opinions, Young is scrupulously fair to the widest range of
thinkers and marvelously clear in getting to the heart of their
ideas. Although his book is a substantial contribution to political
theory and the history of ideas, it is always accessible and lively
enough for the informed general reader. It is essential reading for
anyone who cares about the future of U.S. political thought or,
indeed, about the future of the country itself.
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