The American Intellectual Tradition, Vol. II: 1865 to the Present

by David A. Hollinger (Editor), Charles Capper

Revised and updated, the sixth edition of this now standard two-volume anthology brings together some of the most historically significant writings in American intellectual history. Uniquely comprehensive, The American Intellectual Tradition includes classic works in philosophy, religion,
social theory, political thought, economics, psychology, and cultural and literary criticism. Organized chronologically into thematic sections, the two volumes trace the evolution of American intellectual writing and thinking from its origins in Puritan beliefs to the most recent essays on diversity
and postmodernity. Pedagogical features include introductions and headnotes to the selections, updated bibliographic material throughout, and detailed chronologies at the end of each book. Addressing such highly contested subjects as race, class, gender, aesthetics, political religion, and the role
of the United States in the world, The American Intellectual Tradition , Sixth Edition, is invaluable for undergraduate courses in intellectual history. It is also an excellent supplement for graduate seminars and classes in American history, American studies, and American literature.

Volumes I and II now offer new selections from Charles Chauncy, Lester Frank Ward, Joseph Wood Krutch, David Lilienthal, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Peter Drucker, Ayn Rand, Wilfred Cantwell Smith, Harold John Ockenaga, C. Wright Mills, Harold Cruse, John Rawls, Catherine Mackinnon, Sam Harris, and
Stewart Brand. The sixth edition also offers updated and expanded commentary and citations in the introductions and headnotes.

Genres: History, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Anthologies, Religion, Literature, American History

688 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Preston Hotchkis Professor of History (Emeritus)
University of California at Berkeley

One of the pre-eminent intellectual historians in and of the United States.

Past President of the Organization of American Historians (2010-2011); Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; former Guggenheim Fellow, Fellow of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, a Member of the Institute for Advanced Study, and Harmsworth Professor of the University of Oxford.

Reviews

[Dan Gorman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anthology of diverse sources from American literature, philosophy, politics, religion, and higher education. Major topics include foundationalist versus antifoundationalist concepts of the world, the nature of a literary canon, governance in the United States, and the applications of economics and social science to politics.

[Karl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another 100%. Pointless rambling nonsense book.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is simple: well-edited excerpts from the most important thinkers of the post-1865 era in American thought. After World War II, its selections become less defensible, but for the most fecund period of American intellectual history, the century from 1865 to 1965, it is pretty hard to beat it for a small volume with the principal texts, well-edited.

[Max Havlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of essays and parts of readings that explore the several different intellectual movements in the 20th century. Definitely not a light read but a great reference book with writers ranging in political ideas from William James to Ayn Rand.

[Brittany Werges · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute must read for anyone who wants to understand the history of America. Perfectly edited, a treasure for historians.