E Pluribus Unum? Liberalism and the Search for Civility in America

E Pluribus Unum? Liberalism and the Search for Civility in America PDF Author: Jeannemarie Curran Halleck
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Courtesy -- Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages :

Get Book Here

Book Description
This paper explores issues of civility in liberal democracy, and in particular, how civility and civic engagement must be regenerated in order to forward the democratic ideals of equal rights, citizen equality and collective self-government in a meaningful way. Liberal democracy presupposes a level of civility in order to uphold standards of individual liberty and freedom, however as a theory it fails to compel citizens to support levels of mutual respect. An etymological exploration of the term civility introduces the work of puritan theologian Roger Williams, whose early writings on individual liberty as well as the role of civility and civic engagement can inform popular conversations about civility in modern democracy. This leads to an analysis of Rawlsian liberalism, where Rawls seeks to construct a robust civil society by tying individual duty of civility to an idealization of citizenship. Final analysis explores the possibility of a modern civil liberalism, as influenced by Roger Williams. A liberal civil realm must recognize the mutual reliance between individual freedom and a collective common good; this will compel citizens to choose to preserve the freedom of all citizens through civil engagement and dialogue. This ideal shares important intersections with Jürgen Habermas' theory of deliberative democracy, but Williams' replaces Habermas' notion of higher-level intersubjectivity with an appeal to individual freedom of conscience. By doing so, the preservation of individual freedom of conscience requires citizen-commitment to an active and engaged civil sphere, making the ideal of civility richer than that of Habermas' theory. Replacing the duty of civility with a commitment to the preservation and protection of individual liberty through civil dialogue is the best way to rescue modern liberal democracy from its current state of incivility, which threatens the liberty and freedom of citizens and undermines the collective common good.

E Pluribus Unum? Liberalism and the Search for Civility in America

E Pluribus Unum? Liberalism and the Search for Civility in America PDF Author: Jeannemarie Curran Halleck
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Courtesy -- Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages :

Get Book Here

Book Description
This paper explores issues of civility in liberal democracy, and in particular, how civility and civic engagement must be regenerated in order to forward the democratic ideals of equal rights, citizen equality and collective self-government in a meaningful way. Liberal democracy presupposes a level of civility in order to uphold standards of individual liberty and freedom, however as a theory it fails to compel citizens to support levels of mutual respect. An etymological exploration of the term civility introduces the work of puritan theologian Roger Williams, whose early writings on individual liberty as well as the role of civility and civic engagement can inform popular conversations about civility in modern democracy. This leads to an analysis of Rawlsian liberalism, where Rawls seeks to construct a robust civil society by tying individual duty of civility to an idealization of citizenship. Final analysis explores the possibility of a modern civil liberalism, as influenced by Roger Williams. A liberal civil realm must recognize the mutual reliance between individual freedom and a collective common good; this will compel citizens to choose to preserve the freedom of all citizens through civil engagement and dialogue. This ideal shares important intersections with Jürgen Habermas' theory of deliberative democracy, but Williams' replaces Habermas' notion of higher-level intersubjectivity with an appeal to individual freedom of conscience. By doing so, the preservation of individual freedom of conscience requires citizen-commitment to an active and engaged civil sphere, making the ideal of civility richer than that of Habermas' theory. Replacing the duty of civility with a commitment to the preservation and protection of individual liberty through civil dialogue is the best way to rescue modern liberal democracy from its current state of incivility, which threatens the liberty and freedom of citizens and undermines the collective common good.

Don't Blame Us

Don't Blame Us PDF Author: Lily Geismer
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780691157238
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 392

Get Book Here

Book Description
"This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the reinvention of American liberalism since the 1960s. "Don't Blame Us" reveals how affluent white suburban professionals moved a new set of material concerns--their own--to the center of public life. Surprising and provocative, this story deserves the widest possible discussion."--Nancy MacLean, author of "Freedom Is Not Enough: The Opening of the American Workplace" ""Don't Blame Us" isolates a crucially important topic and confronts it from a wholly original, richly suggestive perspective. A valuable and original contribution to American political history, the book challenges the master narrative of the rise of the Right and the decline of the liberal coalition, and locates post-New Deal liberalism in particular spatial, institutional, and ideological venues."--Bruce Schulman, Boston University "Geismer recovers an all but forgotten chapter of suburban liberalism in America. "Don't Blame Us" is an unusually ambitious and compelling book that combines a detailed history of local politics in a way that forces a reconceptualization of broader national narratives of political development."--Joseph Crespino, author of "Strom Thurmond's America" and "In Search of Another Country: Mississippi and the Conservative Counterrevolution" ""Don't Blame Us" is a remarkable piece of scholarship that tells an engaging and multifaceted story about suburban political activism and sensibilities. Geismer's work is incredibly valuable for rethinking the trajectory of Democratic politics in the (long) Age of Reagan."--David M. P. Freund, author of "Colored Property: State Policy and White Racial Politics in Suburban America"

Building a Community of Citizens

Building a Community of Citizens PDF Author: Don E. Eberly
Publisher: University Press of America
ISBN: 9780819196149
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 428

Get Book Here

Book Description
Sets forth and examines the challenge of restoring health to society and its democratic institutions.

Authority and Trust in US Culture and Society

Authority and Trust in US Culture and Society PDF Author: Günter Leypoldt
Publisher: transcript Verlag
ISBN: 3839451892
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 283

Get Book Here

Book Description
In the past two decades, a discourse of crisis has emerged about the democratic institutions and political culture of the US: many structures of authority which people had more or less taken for granted are facing a massive public loss of trust. This volume takes an interdisciplinary and historical look at the transformations of authority and trust in the United States. The contributors examine government institutions, political parties, urban neighborhoods, scientific experts, international leadership, religious communities, and literary production. Exploring the nexus between authority and trust is crucial to understand the loss of legitimacy experienced by political, social, and cultural institutions not only in the United States but in Western democracies at large.

Identity

Identity PDF Author: Francis Fukuyama
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN: 0374717486
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 203

Get Book Here

Book Description
The New York Times bestselling author of The Origins of Political Order offers a provocative examination of modern identity politics: its origins, its effects, and what it means for domestic and international affairs of state In 2014, Francis Fukuyama wrote that American institutions were in decay, as the state was progressively captured by powerful interest groups. Two years later, his predictions were borne out by the rise to power of a series of political outsiders whose economic nationalism and authoritarian tendencies threatened to destabilize the entire international order. These populist nationalists seek direct charismatic connection to “the people,” who are usually defined in narrow identity terms that offer an irresistible call to an in-group and exclude large parts of the population as a whole. Demand for recognition of one’s identity is a master concept that unifies much of what is going on in world politics today. The universal recognition on which liberal democracy is based has been increasingly challenged by narrower forms of recognition based on nation, religion, sect, race, ethnicity, or gender, which have resulted in anti-immigrant populism, the upsurge of politicized Islam, the fractious “identity liberalism” of college campuses, and the emergence of white nationalism. Populist nationalism, said to be rooted in economic motivation, actually springs from the demand for recognition and therefore cannot simply be satisfied by economic means. The demand for identity cannot be transcended; we must begin to shape identity in a way that supports rather than undermines democracy. Identity is an urgent and necessary book—a sharp warning that unless we forge a universal understanding of human dignity, we will doom ourselves to continuing conflict.

How the Right Lost Its Mind

How the Right Lost Its Mind PDF Author: Charles J. Sykes
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 1250147212
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 288

Get Book Here

Book Description
"Bracing and immediate." - The Washington Post Once at the center of the American conservative movement, bestselling author and radio host Charles Sykes is a fierce opponent of Donald Trump and the right-wing media that enabled his rise. In How the Right Lost Its Mind, Sykes presents an impassioned, regretful, and deeply thoughtful account of how the American conservative movement came to lose its values. How did a movement that was defined by its belief in limited government, individual liberty, free markets, traditional values, and civility find itself embracing bigotry, political intransigence, demagoguery, and outright falsehood? How the Right Lost its Mind addresses: *Why are so many voters so credulous and immune to factual information reported by responsible media? *Why did conservatives decide to overlook, even embrace, so many of Trump’s outrages, gaffes, conspiracy theories, falsehoods, and smears? *Can conservatives govern? Or are they content merely to rage? *How can the right recover its traditional values and persuade a new generation of their worth?

The Righteous Mind

The Righteous Mind PDF Author: Jonathan Haidt
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 0307455777
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 530

Get Book Here

Book Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The acclaimed social psychologist challenges conventional thinking about morality, politics, and religion in a way that speaks to conservatives and liberals alike—a “landmark contribution to humanity’s understanding of itself” (The New York Times Book Review). Drawing on his twenty-five years of groundbreaking research on moral psychology, Jonathan Haidt shows how moral judgments arise not from reason but from gut feelings. He shows why liberals, conservatives, and libertarians have such different intuitions about right and wrong, and he shows why each side is actually right about many of its central concerns. In this subtle yet accessible book, Haidt gives you the key to understanding the miracle of human cooperation, as well as the curse of our eternal divisions and conflicts. If you’re ready to trade in anger for understanding, read The Righteous Mind.

Managing Cultural Diversity in Asia

Managing Cultural Diversity in Asia PDF Author: Jawad Syed
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: 1849807175
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 567

Get Book Here

Book Description
This Companion provides an authoritative overview of how cultural diversity is managed in Asia. Although the Asian context appears at first sight to be irreconcilably divergent in terms of diversity management approaches, the contributing authors seek to explore thematic and geographical demarcations of the notions of cultural diversity and equality at work. Managing Cultural Diversity in Asia not only examines cultural diversity management in a particular geography but also makes a distinct contribution to the wider theory of managing diversity and equality by revealing the significance of context, time and place in framing policies and practices of management. With empirical and conceptual contributions from eminent scholars from across the Asian continent as well as the Asian diaspora, this volume highlights practices of equality and diversity management in settings across Asia and reveals the key drivers and implications of such practices. This important and path-breaking Companion will be an invaluable resource for both undergraduate and research-based postgraduate students on international and comparative human resource management, employment relations and industrial relations courses.

The Big Sort

The Big Sort PDF Author: Bill Bishop
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 0547525192
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 478

Get Book Here

Book Description
The award-winning journalist reveals the untold story of why America is so culturally and politically divided in this groundbreaking book. Armed with startling demographic data, Bill Bishop demonstrates how Americans have spent decades sorting themselves into alarmingly homogeneous communities—not by region or by state, but by city and neighborhood. With ever-increasing specificity, we choose the communities and media that are compatible with our lifestyles and beliefs. The result is a country that has become so ideologically inbred that people don't know and can't understand those who live just a few miles away. In The Big Sort, Bishop explores how this phenomenon came to be, and its dire implications for our country. He begins with stories about how we live today and then draws on history, economics, and our changing political landscape to create one of the most compelling big-picture accounts of America in recent memory.

The Reunited States of America

The Reunited States of America PDF Author: Mark Gerzon
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ISBN: 1626566607
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 224

Get Book Here

Book Description
“There are lots of reasons to feel bad about national politics. Mark Gerzon provides some well-thought-out, reality-based reasons to feel better.” — James Fallows, National Book Award-winning author of Breaking the News In this era of poisonous partisanship, The Reunited States of America is a lifesaving antidote. At a time when loyalty to party seems to be overpowering love of country, it not only explains how we can bridge the partisan divide but also reveals the untold story of how some of our fellow citizens are already doing it. This book, a manifesto for a movement to reunite America, will help us put a stop to the seemingly endless Left-Right fistfight while honoring the vital role of healthy political debate. Mark Gerzon describes how citizens all over the country—Republicans, Democrats, and independents—are finding common ground on some of the most divisive and difficult issues we face today.