Liberty and the American Idea
Introduction
The Introduction describes the structure and purpose of the book, which is in two parts. It presents the view that an acceptable future can only be conceived, supported and sustained by genuine dialogue among a broad plurality of Americans. Part I surveys a range of ideas and perspectives appearing throughout American history which might be wise for citizens to consider and evaluate. Part II presents a pragmatic strategy for making such dialogue actually possible, and the practical means for overcoming the distrust, antipathy, and incivility that currently abound.
Part I: Concerns and Considerations
Chapter 1
American Crucible
Will this nation survive as the republic envisioned by its founders, or be torn apart by alienation, distrust and enmity? Do we have the fortitude and grit to learn the lessons and embrace the principles that will lead to an authentic American renewal? This book brings together the history of ideas influencing the United States with a strategic proposal designed to bring us through a great testing. Are we willing to rise above our differences to the extent necessary—to build a future we can respect and believe in? This is a severe and demanding proposition. Are we prepared to give America the respect, loyalty and commitment it deserves?
Chapter 2
A Confluence of Crises
In recent decades Americans have experienced growing distrust and a dramatic loss of confidence. This has been accompanied by the bankrupting of the consumer economy, the devastation of working-class communities, and after 2008, the effective ruination of the American middleclass. Additionally, the degradation of the natural environment we depend on for life and prosperity has become obvious and undeniable. Early in the 21st century we have found ourselves confronted by a multiplicity of emerging crises. Awakening to an unprecedented turning point, we are called upon to reconsider our assumptions, our sources of stability, and our relations with one another. Are we capable as citizens of clarifying our sense of identity and refocusing our vision?
Chapter 3
Finding Our Strength
The strength of a nation can only be realized when the individual is free to think independently and act with self-confidence. Commerce depends on dependable policies and consistent governance. Citizen confidence depends on trust. Wise decision-making and problem-solving are only possible with constructive inputs from a diversity of sources. The practical utility of diverse perspectives and experience is illustrated with graphic examples. Why does this contribute to effective and often unexpected solutions? How does disunity and alienation threaten local safety and disrupt national well-being? Here we look at the difficulties and benefits of integrating diversity in a vibrant, productive society.
Chapter 4
Freedom and Order
The Constitutional Convention of 1787 made a determined effort to see the end in the beginning—a vision that has contributed to prosperity and relative stability for more than two hundred years. To some it may appear to have weaknesses at the present time, and these can be discussed rationally in a civil and orderly manner. The Constitution has provided protections for both minorities and majorities which have remained in place despite every upheaval. It provides the necessary order to make constructive change possible, and it clarifies the cooperative discipline required to do so. America stands now at another decisive turning point, confronted by challenging circumstances which call for the same kind of visionary maturity.
Chapter 5
The Will to Freedom
The United States of America was invented at an extraordinary moment of time. The values and ideas that emerged with science and materialism in Europe during the period known as the “Enlightenment” were charged with hopefulness—a vision of rational governance, confidence in the human capacity to master and control nature, and belief in the human will to freedom. In a short time, the optimism that all human problems could be resolved by reason and science alone displaced religion as the dominant “world view”. This radically new thinking came to dominate western culture at precisely the time when the United States was forming its social and political identity. Despite numerous contradictions and inconsistencies, these ideas have had a powerful impact on American identity and character.
Chapter 6
Confronted by the Past
Since the end of the Second World War there have been articulate voices from across the political spectrum arguing that Americans have lost their way. What have they been seeing? And, what have the rest of us been thinking? During this time America has made great strides toward building a more just and inclusive society. Yet, the darker aspects of our past continue to influence civil order today. Materialism, racism, and growing distrust, along with eroding concern for social and economic responsibility, have dominated the past half century. Who are we really, and who do we want to be?
Chapter 7
Freedom and Individualism
For several hundred years the most accepted philosophy of freedom has been that of individualism. Yet the idea of individualism has led social philosophers in widely differing directions—as divergent, in fact, as the extremes of freedom from all government control, to that of the centralized totalitarian State. The 20th century introduced humankind to total war, mass murder, and the instability engendered by unbounded selfish motives. Having entered the 21st century, we are confronted with the consequences of alienation, distrust and disunity. Can autonomous individuality actually come to understand, accept and embrace the demands and responsibilities required by a free and civilized society?
Chapter 8
Justice, Privilege and Rights
The gruesome legacy of the 20th century teaches us lessons that must never be forgotten. Given our present circumstances, I offer the reader several questions to consider: Recent history has demonstrated the ease with which good intentions and utopian visions can lead to tyranny and the crushing of liberty. Have we learned anything from this? Do we understand the danger of imposing unexamined assumptions on other people? How has the presumptiveness of the social sciences contributed to the fear and distrust that troubles us today? And, why have Americans been concerned so obsessively with “rights”?
Part II: The Courage to Build Anew
Chapter 9
Freedom’s Truth: A Pause for Reflection
In this chapter we consider the ground of freedom in the intrinsic order of being, and the daily challenges of conscience and decision-making this presents as we navigate the boundaries of justice and autonomy. What should freedom mean to independent, self-possessed people, especially when living in a fragmented society? How does moral responsibility lead to authentic freedom? Addressing problems responsibly—while respecting the essential underlying order at the foundation of civilized life—can open the way to a future we can respect and believe in.
Chapter 10
The Individual in Society
Here we survey the historic role of communities as the foundation of human civilization. Local communities provide order, safety and stability to human societies and their citizens. A fully functional community supports the development of personal identity and self-respect, which are as essential to civilized order as they are to the individual. The means for developing ourselves intellectually and finding purpose in life are provided by the diverse associations available in a healthy civil society. In community we find a sense of belonging through engagement, responsibility, and constructive action. We have the choice as individuals to simply yield to that which confronts us, or to step forward as autonomous, resourceful and responsible adult persons. The clash of differing opinions and conflicting values is explored here as a natural and constructive condition.
Chapter 11
First Principles
Necessary principles and precepts for creating functional communities and for strengthening social and economic vitality are reviewed here. These include, 1) the role of virtues and values in a free society, especially those identified as essential by the American founders; 2) the need to transition from the superficialities of materialism and mass society to authentic engagement with interpersonal relationships; and 3) a concept identified here as ‘constructive action’, which can guide a rational approach to conflict. We live at a fragile time when instabilities and uncertainties threaten to pitch us into the darkness of extremism and chaos. Safety and stability will depend on the acceptance of principles and practices that actually work. It will be ordinary citizens, determined and courageous, who hold the line where fear and reason part.
Trust and Authenticity
Authentic community is built on the values of loyalty, dependability and trust. It is for this reason community has long been the seat of civilization. The essential reality or identity of a human being is not to be found in isolation. The bonds we have with our generation and our society are fundamental. Yet, as elemental as these bonds may be, even these can only be fully realized, experienced, in the engaged interaction of relationships. And the treasure of genuine relationships can only open itself to us if we allow it into our lives. Here we explore the true meaning of authenticity in human experience, and our ability to create and sustain trust in authentic relationships.
Chapter 13
A Door in the Wall
It can be hard to imagine working effectively with persons from differing cultures or who have views that are in conflict with our own. Many of us find the prospect uncomfortable or even offensive. The objective proposed here is to find acceptable means for making potentially difficult working relationships possible with minimal stress, even as we maintain our dignity, our personal values, and our self-confidence. Utilizing a proven approach known as ‘conflict transformation’, we will consider the functional dynamics of politicized conflict and social alienation. A pragmatic approach is offered which recognizes the basis for truth in the life experience and perceptions of those who differ from us. We will seek to identify common ground upon which to ensure safety, organize collaboration, and grow productive activity.
Conflict and Community
The challenge we face in dispelling distrust calls for genuine dialogue and a willingness to engage in functional working relationships. Otherwise, nothing will be possible. The question before us is whether, and to what extent, we are willing to make the effort required for this undertaking. I will not ask you to change your opinions, but rather to simply investigate the roots of your assumptions. This is a private challenge and personal responsibility. I ask only for thoughtful investigation and a possible reorientation which, in your judgment, supports constructive purpose and the greater good. As demanding as it may appear, initiating the creation of a new community is a project with clearly defined principles and understandable means. A reasonable path forward is offered here for Americans ready to accept responsibility for local security and community building.
Chapter 15
Consultation and Decision-making
Tools for managing decision-making and navigating diverse points of view are provided here. Guidelines are provided for communities and small groups. We must learn to leverage our differences rather than bow to them. Our purpose is to organize and utilize diverse ideas and perspectives to generate previously unrecognized solutions. Constructive consultation requires that we listen with the intention of understanding rather than with the intention of debating. A process is explained that generates far more comprehensive and effective outcomes than can be produced either by consensus decision-making or by voting. Guidelines are provided to support effective utility and constructive action. Tools are included for planning, problem-solving, and organization-building which transcend interpersonal differences.
Chapter 16
A Quiet Leadership
Never before has the future been so dependent on the responsible action of individual citizens. We are ordinary human beings, yet each is called upon for personal courage, thoughtful initiative, and gentle leadership. A new way of thinking is offered here and practical guidelines are provided for initiating action and sustaining your vision and purpose. Shared leadership will join personal initiative with respect and sensitivity for the people and conditions we encounter. Several concerns are highlighted for your thoughtful consideration. The commitment of every citizen is needed—to persevere despite negativity and confusion as we step forward into the future.
Chapter 17
On Responsibility
It has long been recognized that liberty cannot exist without responsibility. This chapter and the next are definitive summations of the two most essential concepts in the book, responsibility and trust. The nature of responsibility involves the intimate interaction of the personal and the social. We cannot escape our place in society. Responsibility is guided by trustworthiness and defined by dependability. This is equally true of interactive relationships between individuals, among groups, and in communities. Responsibility depends on balanced perceptions of the social reality we live in. Institutional responsibility, which is implicit in civil order and implied in our covenant with good governance, would be impossible without individual responsibility.
Chapter 18
On Trust
The deterioration of social order in America has been shaped by the steady deterioration of trust over many decades. This is not simply a symptom; it lies at the heart of our difficulties. Trust is essential to the integrity and well-being of every society, and trustworthiness its first requirement. Without trust no family or community or nation can survive. At the present extraordinary turning point in American history, we are confronted with a broken society in which trust has been degraded and its meaning lost. This is a wound which, if not adequately addressed, can foreshadow civilizational collapse.
Chapter 19
The path forward is not to be found in traditional thinking. We must determine to see with our own eyes and to think with our own minds, without unquestioning dependence on the views of others. The rocky road ahead can be understood and navigated by each of us, wherever we are and at any time. Challenging, yet rational and pragmatic, the strategy offered on these pages provides practical means for securing order while ensuring freedom and protecting personal integrity.
Appendix: Bibliography.
Liberty and the American Idea 