The American Tradition Clarence B Carson Books
Download As PDF : The American Tradition Clarence B Carson Books
Preface This book is intended for those who believe or are open to the proposition that there was, or is, an American tradition. It is an attempt to set forth the main characteristics and tenets of that tradition. My position, in contrast to some who have written about it, is it is possible to discern the definite patterns of an American tradition in history, that it was not something so intangible that it can be vaguely described as pragmatic, experimental, and democratic. Indeed, such characterizations are notions about Americans and their history, not solidly founded in evidence and the penetration of the superfice which shields us from American history. Instead, the tradition was concretely embodied in institutions and articulated in practices. The following terms call attention to its main outline constitutionalism, government by law, representative government, federalism, individualism, equality, voluntarism, free trade, private property, natural rights, internationalism, moral order in the universe, thrift, industry, and competition. Leopold is delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. This means that we have checked every single page in every title, making it highly unlikely that any material imperfections – such as poor picture quality, blurred or missing text - remain. When our staff observed such imperfections in the original work, these have either been repaired, or the title has been excluded from the Leopold Classic Library catalogue. As part of our on-going commitment to delivering value to the reader, within the book we have also provided you with a link to a website, where you may download a digital version of this work for free. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience. If you would like to learn more about the Leopold Classic Library collection please visit our website at www.leopoldclassiclibrary.com
The American Tradition Clarence B Carson Books
A great book. One that is kept on a special shelf reserved for love of country.Would highly recommend the book for anyone just getting started in learning about our country or anyone who has years of learning.
Product details
|
Tags : The American Tradition [Clarence B. Carson] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Preface This book is intended for those who believe or are open to the proposition that there was, or is,Clarence B. Carson,The American Tradition,Leopold Classic Library,B01DQO3GU2,HISTORY United States General,Classic fiction
People also read other books :
- Star Bores The Prequel edition by Steve Skidmore Steve Barlow Humor Entertainment eBooks
- The Power of Your Subconscious Mind Impact Books With linked Table of Contents edition by Joseph Murphy Religion Spirituality eBooks
- Some Aspects of Rabbinic Theology S Schechter 9781117712390 Books
- New Sunday Holy Day Liturgies Year B FIor McCarthy 9781905604159 Books
- Celestre Song Strong Heart Open Spirit edition by Danni Roan Religion Spirituality eBooks
The American Tradition Clarence B Carson Books Reviews
It isn't enough to say Clarence B. Carson's book should be required reading by every american. This book should be read and re-read on a consistent basis. Reading this book ennables one not only to love being an american, but, more importantly, to confidently stand up against those who would tarnish the principles we enjoy.
"Those who have gone far toward deifying majority rule and popular government as ends in themselves may think they have found allies in the Founders... [They are] wrong." - Clarence B. Carson
Clarence Carson's *The American Tradition* is an attempt by the author to counteract the efforts made by modern intellectuals to innoculate American students against an understanding of their country's true essence. For the basic ideas of the Founding Fathers, Carson argues, "did not just slip away because of defective memory", but as a result of the concerted efforts of modern liberals at "undermining, distorting, obscuring and defaming the American tradition".
By "tradition" Carson means "a body of beliefs, customs, habits, ways of doing things which are handed down from generation to generation" (p22), originating in the convergence of popular practices, just as a trail in a forest is shaped by repeated use. This he contrasts with ideologies, which are exhaustive models of reality, originated by intellectuals and generally imposed by force on the rest of the population.
Using these two concepts, the author divides America's history into three stages the colonial era, during which an authoritarian tradition prevailed; the late 18th and 19th centuries, which were characterized by the emergence and preservation of a tradition of freedom; and the late 19th and 20th centuries, during which collectivists ideologies systematically displaced the specifically American ideals, resulting in the statist onslaughts of the thirties and sixties, and the modern socio-democratic status quo.
"Lest we forget", Carson attempts to salvage the original American tradition of freedom, discarding the anti-concept of "democracy" and the treacherous identification of Americanism with "pragmatism", and reviving such crucial notions as the Higher Law; Republican government; federalism; individualism; political equality; individual rights; voluntarism; and internationalism - all of which together represent the core of the American tradition.
Even though I do not completely agree with the author's analysis (I think that he underestimates the role of intellectuals in shaping the classical liberal tradition, for instance; and I found his discussions on "rights and responsibilities" dangerously close to justifying conscription), I believe this book should be read by all Americans today, especially those who have not yet realized how far their country's founding principles have been betrayed by its intellectuals and political leaders for several generations. To quote Carson, what such people "do not perceive is the illusory character of what is said to be preserved and the very real uses of power which have been introduced."
Virtually all the chapters abound in penetrating insights, but I particularly loved the last one, where Carson tries to identify the mistakes that were made by the Founders when drafting the Constitution, reminding me of the similar work being done by Judge Narragansett at the end of *Atlas Shrugged*. But while Ayn Rand's fictional character identified contradictions in the document and added at least one crucial clause, the flaws Carson points out are mostly errors in formulation, which left the Constitution open to subversion by misinterpretation.
The similarities between Carson's and Ayn Rand's views are striking, all the more so as Carson is a Protestant with a rather negative opinion of Rand as a philosopher. I wonder just how much influence she had on him. In his *Swimming Against the Tide*, his volume of "Memoirs and Selected Writings", he expressed his opinion of Rand as a "great artist" and an able defender of the Free Market, but rejected both her atheism and her defense of rational egoism (which he misconstrued.) But whatever their differences in metaphysics and ethics, their analyses of political, economic and intellectual trends are extraordinarily convergent, making Carson's books a welcome addition to any Objectivist library.
Dr. Carson, who passed away in 2003, deserves to be much better known among lovers of freedom. His case for the American tradition that undergirded our Constitutional order is made with gemlike logic and effortless eloquence. In particular, the essay "To Agree To Disagree," near to the end of the book, makes plain not only how the tradition functioned to ensure public harmony among persons of divergent convictions, but also what we have lost as we've allowed the tradition to be effaced and discarded
"Effective disagreement means not doing what one does not want to do as well as saying what he wants to say. What is from one angle the welfare state is from another the compulsory state. Let me submit a bill of particulars. Children are forced to go to school. Americans are forced to pay taxes to support foreign aid, forced to support the Peace Corps, forced to make loans to the United Nations, forced to contribute to the building of hospitals, forced to serve in the armed forces. Employers are forced to submit to arbitration with labor leaders. Laborers are forced to accept the majority decision. Employers are forced to pay minimum wages, or go out of business. But it is not even certain that they will be permitted by the courts to go out of business. Railroads are forced to charge established rates and to continue services which may have become uneconomical. Many Americans are forced to pay Social Security. Farmers are forced to operate according to the restrictions voted by a majority of those involved. The list could be extended, but surely the point has been made."
Before this book was published in 1964, there was nothing like it. It is possible that there will never be anything to equal it. Rest in peace, Dr. Carson.
A great book. One that is kept on a special shelf reserved for love of country.
Would highly recommend the book for anyone just getting started in learning about our country or anyone who has years of learning.
0 Response to "[HOG]≡ Descargar The American Tradition Clarence B Carson Books"
Post a Comment