American Incarnation The Individual, the Nation, and the Continent |
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Author:
| Jehlen, Myra |
ISBN: | 978-0-674-18121-2 |
Publication Date: | Oct 2013 |
Publisher: | Harvard University Press
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Book Format: | Hardback |
List Price: | USD $65.00 |
Book Description:
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In exploring the origins and character of the American liberal tradition, Jehlen begins with the proposition that the decisive factor that shaped the European settlers' idea of "America" or the "American" was material rather than conceptual--it was the physical fact of the land. European settlers came to a continent on which they had no history, bringing the ideology of liberal individualism, which they projected onto the land itself. They believed the continent proclaimed that...
More DescriptionIn exploring the origins and character of the American liberal tradition, Jehlen begins with the proposition that the decisive factor that shaped the European settlers' idea of "America" or the "American" was material rather than conceptual--it was the physical fact of the land. European settlers came to a continent on which they had no history, bringing the ideology of liberal individualism, which they projected onto the land itself. They believed the continent proclaimed that individuals were born in nature and freely made their own society.