Liberalism and Republicanism in the Historical Imagination

Download or read book Liberalism and Republicanism in the Historical Imagination written by Joyce Appleby and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 1992 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author claims that liberal assumptions color everything American, from ideas about human nature to fears about big government. Not the dreaded "L" word of the 1988 presidential campaign; liberalism in its historical context emerged from the modern faith in free inquiry, natural rights, economic liberty, and democratic government. The author contrasts this view with classical republicanism--ornate, aristocratic, prescriptive, and concerned with the common good. The two concepts, as the author shows, posed choices in their day and in ours, specifically in addressing the complex relations between individual and community, personal liberty and the common good, aspiration and practical wisdom.