Convictions

by Sidney Hook

""I strongly urge everyone to read this volume of essays. . ." The Educational Forum“Convictions may indeed be interpreted as Sidney Hook's final outlook on the possibilities of a self-determined, dignified, and rational human life, or liberal education, and of a free and intelligently organized society. . . .[it] will be appreciated by anybody with an interest in contemporary social and political philosophy." Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy newsletter“Highly recommended." Library Journal“. . . the collection stands as an accessible and highly readable record of the personal convictions of one of America's most notable social philosophers." American Journal of Theology and Philosophy“His latest collection shows him to have been to the very end a nonpareil marshaler of arguments, as well as an exemplary figure in American intellectual life." Washington Post

310 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1990

About the author

Sidney Hook was an American pragmatic philosopher known for his contributions to public debates. A student of John Dewey, Hook continued to examine the philosophy of history, of education, politics, and of ethics. He was known for his criticisms of totalitarianism (fascism and Marxism–Leninism). A pragmatic social democrat, Hook sometimes cooperated with conservatives, particularly in opposing communism. After WWII, he argued that members of conspiracies, like the Communist Party USA and other Leninist conspiracies, ethically could be barred from holding offices of public trust.