The Lincoln Persuasion: Remaking American Liberalism - Paperback

by J. David Greenstone (Author)

In this, his last work, J. David Greenstone provides an important new analysis of American liberalism and of Lincoln's unique contribution to the nation's political life. Greenstone addresses Louis Hartz's well-known claim that a tradition of liberal consensus has characterized American political life from the time of the founders. Although he acknowledges the force of Hartz's thesis, Greenstone nevertheless finds it inadequate for explaining prominent instances of American political discord, most notably the Civil War.

Originally published in 1993.

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Back Jacket

"This book offers a major reinterpretation of American political ideas. J. David Greenstone recovers the strand of positive liberty, both as fact and as norm, within American liberalism; he shows the inadequencies of the negative liberty perspective in dealing with slavery; and he reinterprets the Lincoln within the positive liberty tradition. The volume is unfailingly thoughtful, gracefully written, and displays the complexity of Greenstone's engagement with political matters."--Michael Rogin, University of California, Berkeley