Making Patriots - Hardcover

Berns, Walter

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0226044378 ISBN 13: 9780226044378

Verlag: University of Chicago Press, 2001

Inhaltsangabe

This is an essay on the paradox of what being a Patriot means in the USA. How is patriotism inculcated in a system that, some argue, is founded on self-interest? Guiding the reader through the history and philosophy of patriotism in a republic, from ancient Greece to contemporary life, Walter Berns considers the unique nature of patriotism in the US as we enter the 21st century. Berns argues that while both public education and the influence of religion once helped to foster a public-minded citizenry, the very idea of patriotism is under attack. The graves at Arlington and Gettysburg - and Omaha Beach in Normandy - all bear witness to the fact that self-interests individuals can become patriots. "Making Patriots" is an exploration of how this was done and how it can be done again.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Walter Berns is the John M. Olin University Professor Emeritus at Georgetown University and resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. His books include In Defense of Liberal Democracy, The First Amendment and the Future of American Democracy, and Taking the Constitution Seriously.

Aus dem Klappentext

Samuel Johnson once called patriotism "the last refuge of scoundrels," but was he right? Recent events, such as the bombing of federal buildings and the formation of threatening militias in the name of patriotism, suggest that he may have been on to something. But the United States has also seen its share of heroes: patriots who, over the course of history, have willingly put their lives at risk for this country and, especially, for its principles. This is even more remarkable given that the United States is founded on the concepts of equality and democracy—tenets that encourage individuality and autonomy far more readily than public spiritedness and self-sacrifice.

Walter Berns's Making Patriots is a stirring and provocative essay on precisely this paradox. How is patriotism inculcated in a system that, some argue, is founded on self-interest? Expertly and intelligibly guiding the reader through the history and philosophy of patriotism in a republic, from the ancient Greeks through contemporary life, Berns considers the unique nature of patriotism in the United States and its precarious position as we enter the twenty-first century. He argues that while both public education and the influence of religion once helped to foster a public-minded citizenry, the very idea of patriotism is currently under attack.

Berns finds the best answers to his questions in the thoughts and words of Abraham Lincoln, who understood perhaps better than anyone what the principles of democracy meant and what price adhering to them may exact. The graves at Arlington and Gettysburg—and Omaha Beach in Normandy—bear witness to the fact that self-interested individuals can become patriots, and Making Patriots is a compelling exploration of how this was done and how it might be done again.

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: University of Chicago Press
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2001
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0226044378
• ISBN 13: 9780226044378
• Einband: Tapa dura
• Anzahl der Seiten: 164
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar