Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Liberty or Justice for All?: A Conversation across the American Centuries
    Liberty or Justice for All?: A Conversation across the American Centuries
    Liberty or Justice for All?: A Conversation across the American Centuries
    Ebook257 pages3 hours

    Liberty or Justice for All?: A Conversation across the American Centuries

    By Charles Deutsch

    ()

    Switch to audiobook
    Read preview

    About this ebook

    A riveting story of faith, politics, and ideas, Liberty or Justice for All? brings to life four of America’s greatest thinkers, whose dialogue across the ages has never been more relevant. The book traces a striking pattern—the vexed relationship of individual liberty to inclusive social justice—in an elaborate fabric, woven over more than three centuries of American history.

    Philip F. Gura begins his nimble tale with Jonathan Edwards, a fiery preacher who insisted that God would reward those who embraced social cooperation. One generation later, the Founding Fathers grounded their own project of civic renewal in rights and freedom. But if every citizen is guaranteed life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, does this mean America is a nation where the individual reigns supreme?

    America’s young democracy soon found its prophet in Ralph Waldo Emerson, who preached a gospel of self-reliance, small government, and self-improvement. But with the coming of the Civil War, Emerson’s triumphant individual became a cog in a vast war machine. Radical technological transformations convinced the psychologist-turned-philosopher William James that the self was more fragmented and fragile than Emerson believed. He found virtue in pluralism and diversity, seeing selfishness as the cardinal sin. Two world wars and several failed revolutions later, John Rawls, shaken by the divisions of Vietnam, sought to establish a new secular foundation for social cooperation. Over time, we have sought to hold these opposing value systems in delicate balance, promising both liberty and justice for all.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherUniversity of Georgia Press
    Release dateJan 15, 2023
    ISBN9780820363103
    Author

    Charles Deutsch

    PHILIP F. GURA is the William S. Newman Distinguished Professor of American Literature and Culture at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His many books include Truth’s Ragged Edge: The Rise of the American Novel and American Transcendentalism: A History, which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. He lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

    Read more from Charles Deutsch

    Related to Liberty or Justice for All?

    Related ebooks

    Philosophy For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Freedom of Thought

      Mar 4, 2019

      Oxford University Press, 220 pp., $18.95 REAL PRESIDENTS READ BOOKS. When the Library of Congress was destroyed in the War of 1812, the former president Thomas Jefferson offered his collection to replace it, commenting that “I do not know that it co

      4 min read

    • Article

      Blame It All On John Locke?

      Jul 17, 2020

      Blame It All On John Locke?
      14 min read

    • Article

      Robert C. Koehler: Politically correct racism

      Jun 17, 2021

      “The United States is a nation founded on both an ideal and a lie.” I offer these words of Nikole Hannah-Jones, whose 2019 essay is part of the New York Times Magazine’s “1619 Project,” to the Heritage Foundation and the horde of Republican politicia

      4 min read

    • Article

      A Klansman’s Horrific Reign

      Aug 15, 2023

      A Klansman’s Horrific Reign
      12 min read

    • Article

      Is the American Idea Doomed?

      Oct 10, 2017

      Is the American Idea Doomed?
      7 min read

    • Article

      Rejecting The Culture Of Hate

      Jul 4, 2020

      Rejecting The Culture Of Hate
      3 min read

    • Article

      Robert C. Koehler: The Truth May Hurt, But We Still Have To Face It

      Sep 28, 2023

      If the right gets its way, maybe in a decade or two, the United States will be free of its slave-owning past. All gone – gone with the wind. It’s just not taught anymore. Yeah, we had a civil war – about “states’ rights” – and then we moved on: We co

      3 min read

    • Article

      Q&A with William G. Thomas III, author of ‘A Question of Freedom’

      Jan 4, 2021

      In the United States, enslaved people and their families used court systems to fight for their freedom. Here's a look at some notable examples.

      2 min read

    • Article

      Abraham Lincoln’s Warning

      Jul 4, 2018

      Abraham Lincoln’s Warning
      4 min read

    • Article

      America Without God

      Mar 10, 2021

      America Without God
      8 min read

    • Article

      Letters

      Sep 1, 2020

      Letters
      5 min read

    • Article

      Dissecting the Democrats

      Nov 1, 2022

      Dissecting the Democrats
      10 min read

    • Article

      Republics Large and Small

      Aug 4, 2021

      In the beginning, the American Revolution was about liberty. To the Americans, as to their ideological mentors, the radical English Whigs, liberty was the antithesis and eternal antagonist of power. Power meant simply control over the lives of one’s

      19 min read

    • Article

      30 Books in 30 Days: Blackacre and White Rage

      Mar 14, 2017

      In the 30 Books in 30 Days series leading up to the March 16 announcement of the 2016 National Book Critics Circle Award winners, NBCC board members review the 30 finalists. Today, read Tess Taylor on poetry finalist Monica Youn’s Blackacre (Graywolf

      6 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Liberty or Justice for All?

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Liberty or Justice for All? - Charles Deutsch

      0Fcbook_preview_excerpt.html|˒F寠kEEf!QE,I&ETq1 #J#BQ+7L->=Ӌ֧KsD&Y6ceb~x}\?dO},?} gU#^>{yi׷Y?Ϫ.dCqSV6{u4x?[[}k]Wݓ"Ԯ վ2YًP: +ܕUɵ۴}[|9!>-ː?,?O9iJWeˮ֪Wk:|w\Uv5ڷ~7ywmut󝣸S8޹/.޵[|>%djC-q} mU<4]Yxu7Cwez}l.4̓_v!Ss2x_6xo$;/j UP݋6t]\Qߣؓ)%LaY{OUYoX.`S>>B2=ֺpeq>;oV=?ztJm;t׭f' hNd!oa[8usiJɏ$[Ň9Ϯ^_~:xyݹݣo,_}-/Izu x ֋g/܎ngo`wxڷ_YӇ\jׂL 0oT^}s_{NLDAV>éw|yW~u ɾ\zB4= 9I/Cn>j U_2+fÔe>}PfXmoM@]op?'M( ^#fbgd4k t<=s0ą.[aؚA͵'7ڒ3VZ# mbtt=p%d1y˃Zt&`NgZO $XsޘsWrE`nH0p/ۺq.R]Fub@~nO%~d<9ZZh"lS0Yl%}wۓ O~8EmC{ c gHxc<M] eGEvM>  YQ0]kd.+ZިW THP춠y5aKKXS/) -2R4ļNJg^lZu "ʱ8 .C &ӡ-jObJΏƅo葵)%Jfpp/0C| xgu>>&QNQ]i7BtH /{h,X:ŘցHc ]"gc *񮽆Fpߴ \l?$ z[z p* ^Vߒu5wz$r8JgI+0">iі+sY kn7(X3>bphGfDT6<ᢁfbDrgϓKa058Z@pW lu­aԦ痩Oi4{9 ,i#m"s--we{  Z?y c6,)$yߥG Yf}/K/>? rz3Ipi3edz:&@y_C%:,^,kGv s=:ؤ]TVH{7Dؽwz"# 28d"`nْ5e/̰G2$8'EL+yd@R9s+=p~Xعo1Mv_ٚd?"VIy`#A [ZhXZ@sHh4 nq(' $!`A;gF(m"Nq h5 E,1Q8ԅ'JV9 hArn;J5[]u]Q{})%b&FӘ v(J$ߔ~iKPp%OB#E; O?? MH ϟeh)gF V݈,ɗvpA5!2,9lS (<H!!AMhe O$f%&!_N1OB'ke&UUl; OU .@#r]i,] ?Jq:*lb.Ho* f)r ~d_U!Pe-20\[ XBe1qiZd0,FqC[ 㣸`~(gALO$uy\D Ie c*Y>Dx  -U G#FA뒥9#B"JSoqF#F00? L38Bj_!H{ F#PJSfR:"Ed+!|mHؽp؁hӧvKFs׮.~@Y +Se?A{OI gYAՙ;{bmt1$"ʆv1>'Y0ʬPMP%Tլ&hW7_Peq2"IDt>:Ղ 4  ֳ K %%^d%ڃ (@ ?K>\b lC0s_sD,7E#\ u8z^zw;2]*̮rWxK.:tߏߤdCDe@ PXС_:ߐMwu Rky"q ӳ4>{ #c6&-zj@ ҂613?~*ܻhbF!8^ԲyV8#ZƂN׋1:2_*FF&% -.?P"Tyk.T`=Ϲq2+-M|vf [5p *dr aXg7FOktƿvp,0k6z# {o񑘑 Y-B.ۄPuvd!b 'ci>`f Q )-B5< hţŎnmG ^MA!1L * mxKC$3a9%۠}P% o+аҋvk'm[L8 xH[#VnV& "1B!S Z"mU|Nl~v8ș\l\Z} v Eְ3vY]c wj@whbڥ̀NG+(t>rs3% b%vafdIx)1A `Xh a>d 2LZq0 c5ؘ 'qg9EB&fÔq`8{K +R~6=7S N-;XHt{, XkLCA7c5W%kޗ&hi#CSVX,oiB٬k@{H[KƠz8hr(&A3LhqFi>}6n.V~ ܪJ}5$j+:N.}+5)L'Q(BLjZ[OEd;` X㻪k z̭Zb#O]/!YߺkkF&o*-i`Rfۚ7ppfGFi\Q1ΛC8>&BVE{ ZzjSwVUL kz DN1g#UXdi*ixNDSC٩J[܄ hQ 1[da"6ߪ ecΛ~)^iF |-d( MTΕ>*cؐITj$#e򾐓BOjC*F)&.ZVˏRQD0)zU75 U ~5'z|ڗ?8X8xJ -4D#rbd/hVVf"Dw=uh5yz1FeDՁe k@ H3;, !xL! KBxüg2j6,CQҏy)ߊy̋'%1>2pjjC%UfUj5=o|y,'4N8##v-9nZ0o"/F*.)XmUIKS؂Wy{Bl8y' ò5PECڨz{&rrǰ>ڼ@ɮZQeqGd̃X]l>6D_qs 6CD/nT0^8 LVY#zX~HRq'>іSvXv*>fG ɂ/rET,)Ӟz|ԈB T7߬z=^1+,)1b-J=2Ҭ8'؏Kj Ej4_sZbSIe읲v. q:.eCeMjfҜHi܊7q:^x8(c͏PrVGS 3bjg;GBimv)* o+¬_Z n$Gu&l9xd4X:͚y.4,NX8;|hT*2Ml՜F\9uG{AC/w:=~vRǙllujbϴrjXüng2o Bjp<Ο2RA>2"tla>]86҅,~3ٚxWQCw8 /4u&')OU)?Ք+Wfe)`85Q;w;DjkpUr F% * SA[Vh X=GKchfИ +YSX\쎘"JٞǪ3/*7-Vޱt:6/-͢Ո@{Xg>phLle(͡zF%T6Ih}|Kd!7!ؓհGqlXGo6|0/<,ƙt_E+USN~9S6Yc0O]PqSQAM^1;ZDV_;)BSզ55aP*qʸ\`q$\L]s*ő7kS̳Ֆ ,g֜^mUMIz+P+>GOX>*g}lkC3)D'+#!Kun $}UoVQ* Tj<0۞z ݪd iaX \˱!nDHƤlfE+IYTi}k~E$$i>D]*b z#0[ig%IM$UV*J g51g,wcLv\7Fn%,U~܂'LEbe}qؔY,aݴr@30/e%6our8q>a#lLfc7Po8hW*ط~v nh6ջ"u>[X[ٍU/|KE/Ed"{r-4K_hOh4WRsMӿxۉAp`dlR-d>U4EKAMuf&!Kcf}&RmE !]uF\%Km]te1UTQYV?73$]</x/\{M] eV#to^iJ&VK4m";@9ojsnd5#Ojcv$F= : _V^dc* H S?ˋ"ƈ -! *.v\"b· ͡ Jbݸ;bRclhTB"TTF6T9"}4gYtPq-2vcrMR3yL!8Ỹ6κ [NTzU;ƊȖZT&F)cMSM $hu2]nug(3@)$!mzzGvt(x}, sMc84.)R?ZǏM',^V ∞#sDS%hnѮwYE8!h8ds#Ňf\s~4Q[YE;W`PtjawV ѷ X-pLlʮu 3)(wyȲM `K/qVYF"S.ghcj!2VRb{*n̘q1Z;Z1oLƉx#h_hVH3N2];Ղ,5ʭL3 =vQOT'\0K m[er$uT!=W|dùX7>i6!W]V:$"/D"6&K*M+22uZB|uu/6ɉ,|].f0+ƴeG9p )\W-sjÙM*'" Xo@5$$~8ύ1'/x G#ĈfEm뼎x/7I ô%v|Ѱm+!w&N"s%$/;^C-agc2u9 X:ޞYDnU*B+윰oMBbR":yT=l2;2`w7`N8F p4%zP-ƬR=ǯxe+ τV̆>lق\TutZ/ skxu$`ʹ.Wك{{e.=~ HJ g}짒'q]XE5^sUF҈@dXK|i"-Zȸ.y p&rOˊ?ԆVe[[,d~&r2.k"Qrqʽoqz?Nlh5%V^>b,'>/%n%T:/+)v (0: vRE/As#TSG̪agHfʺvXā8]Ql %}!f*;)nshf絷c,7=`#B]SukZv,ǀۏ{8winweaejILºKpQg{B¼ʳ"d90'Y*V/o#ӏ$% r 68 u|7K^Q7q#Aoٵ醭FI4k1)2aKs"a"Ѕ &em0 tѯ9EGE#Ac]CvTӎȗnsiZ,*Μe,rPH,1dVf`8oe_}͵R@V
      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1