The Idea of Fraternity in America

Wilson Carey McWilliams

Description

“A complex, intellectually jarring, and valuable book, one which reveals how early America became her true self as we now know her.” —Kirkus Reviews

The United States is currently experiencing a crisis of citizenship and democracy. For many of us, there is a sense of forlornness caused by losing sight of human connectedness and the bonds of community. Originally published in 1973, and long out of print, The Idea of Fraternity in America is a resonant call to reclaim and restore the communal bonds of democracy by one of the most important political theorists of the twentieth century, Wilson Carey McWilliams.

This sprawling and majestic book offers a comprehensive and original interpretation of the whole range of American historical and political thought, from seventeenth-century White Puritanism to twentieth-century Black American political thought. In one sense, it is a long and sustained reflection on the American political tradition, with side glances at other cultures and other traditions; in another sense, it is an impressive beginning to an original and comprehensive theory of politics, rooted in a new reading of a vast array of relevant sources. Speaking with a prescience unmatched by his contemporaries, McWilliams argues that in order to address the malaise of our modern democracy we must return to an ideal of our past: fraternity, a relation of affection founded on shared values and goals. This 50th anniversary edition, which offers a critique of the liberal tradition and a new social philosophy for the future, contains a new introduction from McWilliams’s daughter, Susan McWilliams Barndt. She writes, “At a time when many Americans are wondering how we got to where we are today . . . this book demonstrates that there is in fact a lot of precedent for what feels so unprecedented in contemporary American politics.”

Preface

Abbreviations

Introduction

1. Clan, Tribe, and City

2. Fraternity and the Myths of Identity

3. Fraternity and Modern Politics

4. The Ambiguous Ideal: Fraternity in America

5. Puritanism: The Covenants of Fraternity

6. John Winthrop: The Statesman

7. The Fruits of the Earth: Cain in New England

8. The American Enlightenment

9. The Jeffersonians

10. The Divided House

11. Emerson and Thoreau: The All and the One

12. Nathaniel Hawthorne: The Citizen

13. Herman Melville: The Pilgrim

14. The Gilded Age

15. Whitman and Bellamy: Nations of Lovers

16. Mark Twain: The Teacher

17. Old Americans and New

18. Generations of the Lost

19. Fearlessness and Fear: The New Deal and After

20. Native Sons

Epilogue: A Note on Generation and Regeneration

Bibliographic Notes

Index

Sujets

• Philosophie
• Philosophie politique
• Éthique et morale
• American Government
• Political
• HISTORY
• POLITICAL SCIENCE
• PHILOSOPHY
• Philosophie et théologie
• USA
• United States of America
• Federal government of the United States
• General officer
• Politics
• General
• United States
• États-Unis

Informations

• Publié par: University of Notre Dame Press
• Date de parution: 01 juin 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780268205331
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 45 Mo

Extrait

            
   

50th Anniversary Edition

Wilson Carey McWilliams

T H E I D E A OF F R AT E R N I T Y IN  A M E R I C A

with a new Introduction by Susan McWilliams Barndt University of Notre Dame Press Notre Dame, Indiana

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Copyîght © 2023 Susàn McWîllîàs Bànt

All Rîghts REsEE

PublîshE în thE UnîtE StàtEs of AEîcà

Fîst Eîtîon publîshE în 1973 by thE UnîEsîty of Càlîfonîà PEss

Lîbày of CongEss Contol NubE 2023931525

ïSBN 978-0-268-20534-8 (Hàbàck) ïSBN 978-0-268-20535-5 (PàpEbàck) ïSBN 978-0-268-20533-1 (WEbPDF)

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C O N T E N T S

 Preface ix  Abbreviations xiii  Introduction to the Fiftieth Anniversary Edition xv  Introduction I. Clan, Tribe, and City Between Worlds  Souls and Secrets  Politics and Fraternity  Lessons and Legacies II. Fraternity and the Myths of Identity Eros and Community  e Dying Animal  My Brother, My Enemy  Sciences and Sentiments  “e secret sits . . .” III. Fraternity and Modern Politics Aliens and Strangers  Resistance  Generation  Recognition IV. e Ambiguous Ideal: Fraternity in America Inheritances  e Homes of the Homeless  Wanderer’s Star  Misleaders and Guides V. Puritanism: e Covenants of Fraternity “is nation, under God . . .”  “e fault of dullness is within us . . .”  “No neglect of means . . .”  “Without despising life . . .”  “Integral and conservant causes ... “

vi         VI.Winthrop: e Statesman John  “More than nature demands . . .”  Citizens and Magistrates  Profession and Action  Promise and Peril  Roger Williams and Anti-Politics  Puritan Statecraft: e Legacy VII. e Fruits of the Earth: Cain in New England   “Say not, I am a child . . .”   Camels and Needles   John Wise: Statecraft Revisited  Edwards: “God must be near . . .” VIII. e American Enlightenment   Old and New   Heredity: e Bonds of Race   Environment: e Brotherhood of Place   e Brotherhood of Man  Politics as Mechanics  Taming the Great Beast  James Wilson: e Moral Instinct   Wilson: e City and the World  IX. e Jeersonians  “Limited to a narrow space . . .”  Awakenings and Architects  “We are all Republicans . . .”  Jeerson: “e Great Principles . . .”  “e plain common sense . . .”  “e hopes of the world . . .” X. e Divided House  Excelsior  Romance and Transcendence  “Brothers will you meet me. . . ?”  Old Romans, New Liberals  Cries of Race and Clan   White Hopes, Dark Presences   Battlecries of Freedom 

       vii XI. Emerson and oreau: e All and the One America's Philosopher  Living in the All  Each Man a State  Time and Eternity  e Radical in Politics  “Something military . . .” XII. Nathaniel Hawthorne: e Citizen  Puritanism Revisited  Blackness  Veils and Masks  One Twenty-Millionth of a Sovereign  e Symptom of Brotherhood XIII. Herman Melville: e Pilgrim  “A monstrous allegory . . .”  “A poor unit . . .”  e Innocents  Dwelling Among Brethren  “Sitting up with a corpse . . .” XIV. e Gilded Age  “Tenting tonight . . .”  “e bitch-goddess . . .”  Progress and Poverty  Protest and Portent  “Against the ways of Tubal Cain . . .”  Lloyd: Populist Militant XV. Whitman and Bellamy: Nations of Lovers  e Song of Myself  e Base of All Metaphysics  e City Invincible  Big Brother  “Striving to be absorbed . . . XVI. Mark Twain: e Teacher  “Never tell the naked truth . . .”  “e chief . . . delight of God”  “You have only to nd the rst friend . . .”  “We were comrades and not comrades . . .”  “Take the . . . relics and weave . . . romance”  “It’s aphilosophy, you see . . .”

viii       XVII. Old Americans and New  Born in Arcadia  “e buzzing universe . . .”  In His Steps  “Make the world safe . . .”  New Americans, Old Memories  “My God, it’s Flaherty!”  Huns at the Gate XVIII. Generations of the Lost  e Parting Ways  “A night of dark intent . . .”  e Redhead  e Philosopher XIX. Fearlessness and Fear: e New Deal and After  Excitement Amid Despair  Shuing the Deck  E Pluribus . . . XX. Native Sons  rough a glass, darkly . . .  In His Hands  Sinn Fein  Rights and Revolutions  Priest and Prophet Epilogue: A Note on Generation and Regeneration  Bibliographic Notes  Index




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