America the Virtuous: The Crisis of Democracy and the Quest for EmpireClaes G. Ryn Routledge, 05.07.2017 - 234 Seiten Urged on by a powerful ideological and political movement, George W. Bush committed the United States to a quest for empire. American values and principles were universal, he asserted, and should guide the transformation of the world. Claes Ryn sees this drive for virtuous empire as the triumph of forces that in the last several decades acquired decisive influence in both the American parties, the foreign policy establishment, and the media.Public intellectuals like William Bennett, Charles Krauthammer, William Kristol, Michael Novak, Richard Perle, and Norman Podhoretz argued that the United States was an exceptional nation and should bring "democracy," "freedom," and "capitalism" to countries not yet enjoying them. Ryn finds the ideology of American empire strongly reminiscent of the French Jacobinism of the eighteenth century. He describes the drive for armed world hegemony as part of a larger ideological whole that both expresses and aggravates a crisis of democracy and, more generally, of American and Western civilization. America the Virtuous sees the new Jacobinism as symptomatic of America shedding an older sense of the need for restraints on power. Checks provided by the US Constitution have been greatly weakened with the erosion of traditional moral and other culture. |
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Seite 3
... become tyrannical and ruthless. For that reason, it has been a central purpose of civilization to domesticate and moderate it. Greek culture, as represented by the Theban dramas of Sophocles, warned against that most dangerous of all ...
... become tyrannical and ruthless. For that reason, it has been a central purpose of civilization to domesticate and moderate it. Greek culture, as represented by the Theban dramas of Sophocles, warned against that most dangerous of all ...
Seite 5
... joining the cause. A conceited view of self is becoming more and more common that animates a quest for political-ideological empire. This view contrasts sharply with the humility and self-limitation of an older American Prologue 5.
... joining the cause. A conceited view of self is becoming more and more common that animates a quest for political-ideological empire. This view contrasts sharply with the humility and self-limitation of an older American Prologue 5.
Seite 6
... becoming rare in leading political circles. All but gone as well is the old notion, set forth in a 1630 sermon by John Winthrop, governor of the Massachusetts Bay Company, that America should be like a “city on a hill,”7 try to become a ...
... becoming rare in leading political circles. All but gone as well is the old notion, set forth in a 1630 sermon by John Winthrop, governor of the Massachusetts Bay Company, that America should be like a “city on a hill,”7 try to become a ...
Seite 8
... become more faithful to its own principles, but as these are defined by the ideology. What is required is a redefinition of the United States as inherited from the American and Western past and as conceived by the Framers of the ...
... become more faithful to its own principles, but as these are defined by the ideology. What is required is a redefinition of the United States as inherited from the American and Western past and as conceived by the Framers of the ...
Seite 9
... become aware of the nature of this quest for global hegemony. The eleventh hour may be upon us. The forces of virtuous empire are wielding enormous power, and yet the ideology that informs its efforts is only very imperfectly known to ...
... become aware of the nature of this quest for global hegemony. The eleventh hour may be upon us. The forces of virtuous empire are wielding enormous power, and yet the ideology that informs its efforts is only very imperfectly known to ...
Inhalt
1 | |
1 The Crisis of Western Civilization and the Rise of Jacobinism | 15 |
2 The New Jacobinism | 25 |
3 Creative Traditionalism or Radicalism? | 43 |
Plebiscitary or Constitutional? | 49 |
5 Contrasting Forms of Morality and Society | 55 |
6 Aristocratic and AntiAristocratic Democracy | 59 |
7 The Father of Democratism | 71 |
11 Democracy in Peril | 97 |
12 The New Jacobins and American Democracy | 111 |
13 Democracy for the World | 123 |
14 Jacobin Capitalism | 145 |
15 Equality | 155 |
16 A Center that Cannot Hold | 165 |
17 Responsible Nationhood | 177 |
A New Moral Realism | 189 |
8 Love of Ones Own and Love of the Common | 77 |
A Philosophical Interlude | 83 |
10 Pluralistic Political Morality | 89 |
Index | 213 |
Andere Ausgaben - Alle anzeigen
America the Virtuous: The Crisis of Democracy and the Quest for Empire Claes G. Ryn Eingeschränkte Leseprobe - 2017 |
America the Virtuous: The Crisis of Democracy and the Quest for Empire Claes G. Ryn Eingeschränkte Leseprobe - 2011 |
America the Virtuous: The Crisis of Democracy and the Quest for Empire Claes G. Ryn Eingeschränkte Leseprobe - 2003 |
Häufige Begriffe und Wortgruppen
abstract American appear assertive assumed become beliefs Bloom called capitalism cause central Christian circumstances civilization Closing common conservatives consider Constitution continue created criticism cultural danger defend democracy democratism desire direction discussion distinction diversity dominate elites empire equality especially example existence follow force foreign policy Founding Framers freedom French give groups historical human ideas ideology important individuals influence institutions intellectual interests Jacobins kind leading less liberals lives major means ment military mind moral nature neo-Jacobin opportunity origins particular person philosophical political popular possible practical present president principles problems question radical reason recognize regard regimes represented require respect responsibility role Rousseau rule sense shaped social society standards strong thinking thought tion traditional understand United universal values virtue virtuous Washington West Western Western civilization wish