Join us on a literary world trip!
Add this book to bookshelf
Grey
Write a new comment Default profile 50px
Grey
Subscribe to read the full book or read the first pages for free!
All characters reduced
The Promise of American Life - cover

The Promise of American Life

Herbert David Croly

Publisher: DigiCat

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Summary

In "The Promise of American Life," Herbert David Croly presents a compelling analysis of American democracy and its promise of equality and opportunity for all citizens. Written in the early 20th century, the book employs a vigorous and polemical style that reflects the Progressive Era's fervent ideals. Croly critiques contemporary individualism, arguing that true American progress hinges on the integration of individual aspirations with collective welfare. His rhetorical prowess illuminates the social and political challenges of his time while advocating for a reimagined political philosophy that supports robust democracy through active government intervention. Herbert David Croly, an influential figure in American political thought and a co-founder of The New Republic, was deeply immersed in the political landscapes of his era. His experiences as a journalist and reformer informed his understanding of the disillusionment with capitalist individualism and the necessity for a more centralized approach to governance. By synthesizing diverse intellectual traditions, Croly sought to articulate a vision that would resonate with the American public and inspire future generations. "The Promise of American Life" is essential reading for anyone interested in the evolution of American political thought and the complexities of democracy. Croly's insights challenge readers to reflect on the balance between individual rights and communal responsibilities, making it a profound contribution to contemporary discussions on American identity and governance.
Available since: 05/28/2022.
Print length: 388 pages.

Other books that might interest you

  • Vietnam War The: The History of America’s Most Controversial War - cover

    Vietnam War The: The History of...

    Editors Charles River

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    The Vietnam War could have been called a comedy of errors if the consequences weren’t so deadly and tragic. In 1951, while war was raging in Korea, the United States began signing defense pacts with nations in the Pacific, intending to create alliances that would contain the spread of Communism. As the Korean War was winding down, America joined the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, pledging to defend several nations in the region from Communist aggression. One of those nations was South Vietnam.  
    	Before the Vietnam War, most Americans would have been hard pressed to locate Vietnam on a map. South Vietnamese President Diệm’s regime was extremely unpopular, and war broke out between Communist North Vietnam and South Vietnam around the end of the 1950s. Kennedy’s administration tried to prop up the South Vietnamese with training and assistance, but the South Vietnamese military was feeble. A month before his death, Kennedy signed a presidential directive withdrawing 1,000 American personnel, and shortly after Kennedy’s assassination, new President Lyndon B. Johnson reversed course, instead opting to expand American assistance to South Vietnam. 
    	The post-analysis of war is a complicated and process that benefits from hindsight, and the involvement of the United States in Vietnam over about a decade was no exception. Never formally declared as a “war,” the Vietnam War was not fought in clean lines or with clear missions. Viewers of the evening news listening to the “box score” of killed and wounded each night had at best a hazy notion of what was happening a world away in Southeast Asia. If anything, their leaders were both attentive to reelection and on a certain level were themselves unsure of what was truly taking place. A military draft that sent over 50,000 American soldiers to their deaths was triggered by a resolution sought by President Lyndon B. Johnson in a decision to contain communism in a distant Asian land. 
    Show book
  • Deep Reading - Practices to Subvert the Vices of Our Distracted Hostile and Consumeristic Age - cover

    Deep Reading - Practices to...

    Rachel B. Griffis, Julie Ooms,...

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Arlin G. Meyer Book Award Winner 
     
    Christianity Today 2025 Book Award Finalist (Culture, Poetry, and the Arts) 
     
    "Show[s] how deep reading habits help us manage distraction and bring about individual and communal flourishing."--Christianity Today 
     
    This book helps readers develop practices that will result in deep, formative, and faithful reading so they can contribute to the flourishing of their communities and cultivate their own spiritual and intellectual depth.  
     
    The authors present reading as a remedy for three prevalent cultural vices--distraction, hostility, and consumerism--that impact the possibility of formative reading. Informed by James K. A. Smith's work on "the spiritual power of habit," Deep Reading provides resources for engaging in formative and culturally subversive reading practices that teach readers how to resist vices, love virtue, and desire the good. 
     
    Rather than emphasizing the spiritual benefits of reading specific texts such as Dante's Divine Comedy or Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the authors focus on the practice of reading itself. They examine practices many teachers, students, and avid readers employ--such as reading lists, reading logs, and discussion--and demonstrate how such practices can be more effectively and intentionally harnessed to result in deep reading. The practices apply to any work that is meant to be read deeply.
    Show book
  • Meroitic Kingdom - Forgotten Kingdom of the Nile's Black Pharaohs - cover

    Meroitic Kingdom - Forgotten...

    Rolf Hedger

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    The Land of Kush, an ancient and powerful civilization, thrived along the banks of the Nile in what is now Sudan. Situated south of Egypt, Kush was a land of vast deserts, fertile floodplains, and rich natural resources. This region played a crucial role in shaping the history of northeastern Africa, serving as a bridge between central Africa and the Mediterranean world. The rise of the Kingdom of Kush was deeply influenced by its geography, trade networks, and interactions with neighboring civilizations. 
    The Nile River was the lifeline of Kush, providing water for agriculture, transportation, and trade. The river's annual flooding deposited nutrient-rich silt, allowing the Kushites to cultivate crops such as barley, wheat, and sorghum. This agricultural abundance supported growing populations and enabled the kingdom to expand its influence. The vast deserts surrounding Kush acted as natural barriers, protecting the civilization from invasions while also encouraging the development of trade routes that connected Kush to Egypt, the Red Sea, and beyond. 
    Kush's wealth was largely derived from its abundant natural resources, particularly gold, iron, and precious stones. Gold mines in Nubia were among the richest in the ancient world, making Kush a major supplier of gold to Egypt and other civilizations. Ironworking became another defining feature of Kushite industry, allowing the kingdom to produce advanced tools and weapons that strengthened its economy and military. The Kushites also controlled trade routes that transported luxury goods such as ivory, ebony, and incense, further enriching their civilization.
    Show book
  • Manipulation - A Complete Guide To Using Dark Psychology To Manipulate Influence Persuade And Control The Mind: NLP Body Language and How to Analyze People (Vol 2) - cover

    Manipulation - A Complete Guide...

    Adam Schultz

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Highly Effective Techniques to Persuade and Influence Anyone! – Vol. 2 
      
    Manipulation can take many different forms. It can be used as a way of asking for a favor or manipulating others without being aware of it. Essentially, this is a tactic that is used to get someone to do something important. The following audiobook discusses 30 techniques that you can use to help you control somebody properly. While many people will see manipulation as a dishonest act, something that is evil and difficult to counter, manipulation is actually manipulating others to do what you want them to do. Whether you're trying to sell a product, a service, or just get someone to do you a favor, you're going to learn that coercion will help you get those kinds of results. 
    The fact is, we are imperfect human beings. We have some vulnerabilities. And if you research and get to know these vulnerabilities, you're going to have a huge power in your hands. Once you learn the right manipulation techniques, the real ones, it's entirely possible to manipulate other people's thoughts and make them do what you want. 
    Here's what you'll master with this bundle (Vol. 1 and Vol. 2):Using body language to become a fantastic communicatorInterpreting gestures, and subtle signs to analyze othersPersuading people with easeRecognizing when someone is manipulating youDefending yourself from every type of manipulatorDealing with an abusive or manipulative partnerUsing manipulation as a means of persuasionRaising your emotional intelligence and self-awarenessKnowing exactly how to act in any type of social or work situation 
      
    And much more! 
    So, What You're Waiting For, Get Started Today!
    Show book
  • The Constitution of the United States and The Declaration of Independence - cover

    The Constitution of the United...

    Delegates of the Constitutional...

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Experience the founding ideals of America brought to life in The Constitution of the United States and The Declaration of Independence, narrated by Jason McCoy. This audiobook presents the full texts of the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, all amendments, and the Declaration of Independence, delivered with clarity and respect for their historic significance. Jason McCoy’s steady and thoughtful narration makes these timeless documents accessible for listeners of all backgrounds, whether for study, reflection, or inspiration. A vital resource for anyone seeking a deeper connection to the principles that define the United States.
    Show book
  • Banking on Slavery - Financing Southern Expansion in the Antebellum United States - cover

    Banking on Slavery - Financing...

    Sharon Ann Murphy

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    A sobering excavation of how deeply nineteenth-century American banks were entwined with the institution of slavery. 
     
    It’s now widely understood that the fullest expression of nineteenth-century American capitalism was found in the structures of chattel slavery. It’s also understood that almost every other institution and aspect of life then was at least entangled with—and often profited from—slavery’s perpetuation. Yet as Sharon Ann Murphy shows in her powerful and unprecedented book, the centrality of enslaved labor to banking in the antebellum United States is far greater than previously thought. 
      
    Banking on Slavery sheds light on precisely how the financial relationships between banks and slaveholders worked across the nineteenth-century South. Murphy argues that the rapid spread of slavery in the South during the 1820s and ’30s depended significantly upon southern banks’ willingness to financialize enslaved lives, with the use of enslaved individuals as loan collateral proving central to these financial relationships. She makes clear how southern banks were ready—and, in some cases, even eager—to alter time-honored banking practices to meet the needs of slaveholders. In the end, many of these banks sacrificed themselves in their efforts to stabilize the slave economy. Murphy also details how banks and slaveholders transformed enslaved lives from physical bodies into abstract capital assets. Her book provides an essential examination of how our nation’s financial history is more intimately intertwined with the dehumanizing institution of slavery than scholars have previously thought.
    Show book