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Henry Adams: The Historian as Political Theorist
Henry Adams has been a neglected figure in recent years. The Education of Henry Adams is widely accepted as a classic of American letters, but his other work is little read except by specialists. His brilliant journalism is out of print, while Mont Saint Michel and Chartres and the novels Democracy and Esther receive little attention. Even the monumental History of the Administrations of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, considered by some to be the greatest history written by any American, seems noticed only by scholars of that period.
James P. Young, author of the highly regarded Reconsidering American Liberalism, seeks to revive interest in the thought of Adams by extracting core ideas from his writings concerning both American political development and the course of world history and then showing their relevance to the contemporary longing for a democratic revival.
In this revisionist study, Young denies that Adams was a reactionary critic of democracy and instead contends that he was an idealistic, though often disappointed, advocate of representative government. Young focuses on Adams's belief that capitalist industrial development during the Gilded Age had debased American ideals and then turns to a careful study of Adams's famous contrast of the unity of medieval society with the fragmentation of modern technological society.
Though fully aware of Adams's concerns about technology, Young rejects the idea that Adams was bitterly opposed to twentieth century developments in that field. He shows that though a liberal democrat with inclinations toward reform, Adams is much too sophisticated to be captured by any simple label.
James P. Young, author of the highly regarded Reconsidering American Liberalism, seeks to revive interest in the thought of Adams by extracting core ideas from his writings concerning both American political development and the course of world history and then showing their relevance to the contemporary longing for a democratic revival.
In this revisionist study, Young denies that Adams was a reactionary critic of democracy and instead contends that he was an idealistic, though often disappointed, advocate of representative government. Young focuses on Adams's belief that capitalist industrial development during the Gilded Age had debased American ideals and then turns to a careful study of Adams's famous contrast of the unity of medieval society with the fragmentation of modern technological society.
Though fully aware of Adams's concerns about technology, Young rejects the idea that Adams was bitterly opposed to twentieth century developments in that field. He shows that though a liberal democrat with inclinations toward reform, Adams is much too sophisticated to be captured by any simple label.
328 pages, Hardcover
First published June 20, 2001
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February 13, 2022
This is a wonderful book that completely analyzes the thought of Henry Adams. He was the great grandson and grandson of Presidents and came from a political dynasty that was important to the growth and development of the American nation. Adams has been criticized for being an anti modernist and had unpopular views on certain subjects. However, Young takes his subject very seriously and does not gloss over Adams' undemocratic beliefs. But, when one looks at Adams' writings, you can see that some of his views are even contemporary today. He is not against technology in itself but worries that it will take over mankind and eventually rule the human race. He sees politicians as corrupt because of all of the influences that grate upon them. In that, he is correct as well but he hopes that the electorate can vote for people who have more purer motives. This is probably a pipedream but it is one that nagged him for years. Adams felt that Christianity had ruined the spiritual qualities of the Madonna. He wrestled with the idea that man may outlive the spiritual forces that he has intended to worship. In the end, Adams wrote one of the most beautiful histories of the United States featuring the Jefferson and Madison administrations. He can be despised at times but he cannot be ignored. Young has written a masterpiece.
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