33rd out of 180 books
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108 voters
Moral Man and Immoral Society: A Study in Ethics and Politics
"Moral Man and Immoral Society" is Reinhold Niebuhr's important early study in ethics and politics. Forthright and realistic, it discusses the inevitability of social conflict, the brutal behavior of human collectives of every sort, the inability of rationalists and social scientists to even imagine the realities of collective power, and, ultimately, how individual moralit...more
Paperback, 284 pages
Published
January 1st 2002
by Westminster John Knox Press
(first published 1932)
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What Niebuhr is selling* with this bad boy from 1932: It pains me to have to say this, but it's Cluebat time for all you arm-linked and well-intentioned but tunnel-of-love-visioned LOLcat lightweights, awash in pacifist dreams and tiptoeing about waiting for the Kingdom of God to answer all of your pinned-and-needled hopes. That happy realm lies in the occluded future; the present is anointed in Original Sin. It's a dark, hard, cold world, the more so as we lose ourselves within the collective—a...more
The following is part of my writeup on Moral Man and Immoral Society from my undergraduate thesis on John Dewey:
In Moral Man and Immoral Society, Niebuhr claims that Dewey underestimates the place of coercion and violence in human interactions. Niebuhr doubted that the social sciences could follow the natural sciences through experimentalism, since they were tied so carefully to various biases and predilections. From his perspective, interest-free social science was an oxymoron.
In his 1932 e...more
In Moral Man and Immoral Society, Niebuhr claims that Dewey underestimates the place of coercion and violence in human interactions. Niebuhr doubted that the social sciences could follow the natural sciences through experimentalism, since they were tied so carefully to various biases and predilections. From his perspective, interest-free social science was an oxymoron.
In his 1932 e...more
“Moral Man and Immoral Society”, by Reinhold Neibhur, was published during the years of the Great Depression. In this work, Reinhold asserts the requirement of politics in the fight for social justice because of the depravity of human nature, that is, the arrogance of human beings. Neibur sees the flaws of the mind when it comes to solving social injustice by moral and wise means, “since reason is always the servant of interest in a social situation”. This is his judgment of liberal Christian do...more
There were some good points raised in this book – but for the most part I find the style overly verbose - an overuse of words. I agree with the main prognosis of the individual (good) arrayed against society (conformist – evil). There are a lot of obvious statements – like society being resistant to change.
I feel the proletariat is romanticized – who will be their leader – to be a leader one must raise above the proletariat level. In Hitler’s rise to power he was supported by all levels of socie...more
I feel the proletariat is romanticized – who will be their leader – to be a leader one must raise above the proletariat level. In Hitler’s rise to power he was supported by all levels of socie...more
This is Niebuhr at his finest (though most dense and packed with stream-of-consciousness). Insights into human nature, society, the influences on our choices from moral, ethical, spiritual, religious, political, economic and social perspectives, etc., are plentiful. The prose is tough - and, in truth, at points, impenetrable - but ultimately the cost is worth it to access so many critical guidelines for more effective individual and collective living.
Among the incredibly abundant piercing insigh...more
Among the incredibly abundant piercing insigh...more
A worthy read from the perspective of its influence, not from the perspective of pleasure (it long and difficult). Even though most people have never heard his name, it is difficult to overestimate how much impact this man's political/ethical theory has influenced American thought and policy. His basic thesis is that in spite of whatever moral achievement can be accomplished in an individual life or intimate relationships, it is impossible when it comes to human collectives/societies. The collec...more
I loved H. Richard Niebuhr's "Christ and Culture," so I decided to pick up this book written by his brother. Reinhold Niebuhr taught for many years at Union Theological Seminary in New York in the areas of ethics, theology, and political philosophy. The ethics and the political aspects are front and center as seen by the subtitle of the work. However, the theological aspect is kept to a minimum only appearing in glimpses by means of "religion," "Christianity," as well as other words. Nevertheles...more
A great book, but one you'll want to dig into for long stretches as it's pretty dense (every other sentence seems like a premise for another book). My primary takeaway is that governments are incapable of behaving on moral parity with individuals, and that they should not, and that looking to them to do so is a futile endeavor that misses the point of effective government.
Current events and what they've revealed about our own expectations regarding how our government should react and behave indi...more
Current events and what they've revealed about our own expectations regarding how our government should react and behave indi...more
A difficult book but essential reading for anyone wanting to engage in the conversation about how to effect improvement in the human condition. He judges society and any corporate body to be patently incapable of making moral decisions. In light of recent events, I don't know that any American today would disagree with him.
It's also nice to be reminded of a time when religious thinkers had nuanced intellectual positions. I'm sure these thinkers exist today, but the only opinions I hear from rel...more
It's also nice to be reminded of a time when religious thinkers had nuanced intellectual positions. I'm sure these thinkers exist today, but the only opinions I hear from rel...more
Can't recall where I saw the reference. Think it was Russell maybe. But it was certainly a glowing ref of a man to read, from an atheist.
He's certainy got several axes to grind, but he grinds them pretty well. Seems to start out in his intro as a strident Marxist, but settles down into a more measured axe grinders tone later on.
His main thesis is that man is moral at an individual level, but that the force of the crowd leads to immorality, to some degree. You don't have to agree with what he's s...more
He's certainy got several axes to grind, but he grinds them pretty well. Seems to start out in his intro as a strident Marxist, but settles down into a more measured axe grinders tone later on.
His main thesis is that man is moral at an individual level, but that the force of the crowd leads to immorality, to some degree. You don't have to agree with what he's s...more
The final book in a series of theoretical readings I did at the beginning of this year. Niebuhr's thoughts on human moral behavior in groups was challenging both in style and content. Stylistically, the book is very dense, and contains long segments in which the author dwells on a certain idea that's somewhat tangential. Content-wise, the thesis of the book is that humans tend to act selfishly/immorally in groups when interacting with other groups, which contradicts my basic beliefs about human...more
"THERE ARE IDIOTS. Look around." --Larry Summers
Economics, in its standard formulation, assumes rational markets, built from a base of rational actors. Summers, though a sexist jerk, was absolutely right to question that assumption, at least for purposes of dealing with real markets. Which brings us to Niebuhr. Moral Man, his 1932 bombshell, assesses the place of ethics, reason, religion, and persuasion in human societies. Niebuhr is as forceful as Summers, somewhat less of a sexist jerk, and fo...more
Economics, in its standard formulation, assumes rational markets, built from a base of rational actors. Summers, though a sexist jerk, was absolutely right to question that assumption, at least for purposes of dealing with real markets. Which brings us to Niebuhr. Moral Man, his 1932 bombshell, assesses the place of ethics, reason, religion, and persuasion in human societies. Niebuhr is as forceful as Summers, somewhat less of a sexist jerk, and fo...more
The final chapter was focused on what I was hoping to read all along, looking at how we reconcile ethics with politics and idealism with realism, without ignoring either. The previous 9 chapters were certainly thought-provoking, however. It was interesting, too, to come across the completely unexpected reference to Moral Man, Immoral Society in Paulo Freire's and Miles Horton's spoken book, We Make the Road by Walking: Conversations on Education and Social Change. This put a lot of what Niebuhr...more
May 10, 2010
Peter Namtvedt
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
masochists
A Socialist’s Ruminations about Altruism
A Review of Reinhold Niebuhr's Moral Man and Immoral Society: A Study in Ethics and Politics, New York, Scribner’s, 1932. 277 pages, $11.95
Let me first briefly state what this book is about: liberals are mistaken in thinking that individuals and society behave in the same ways and that solutions to moral problems should be the same for both. You can learn a different view here from a Christian and Marxist perspective.
Background
Before getting into details a...more
A Review of Reinhold Niebuhr's Moral Man and Immoral Society: A Study in Ethics and Politics, New York, Scribner’s, 1932. 277 pages, $11.95
Let me first briefly state what this book is about: liberals are mistaken in thinking that individuals and society behave in the same ways and that solutions to moral problems should be the same for both. You can learn a different view here from a Christian and Marxist perspective.
Background
Before getting into details a...more
One of the most influencing books on my thought on human nature. I'm not sure the book itself can be considered one of the greats, but it spoke to me in a way that resonated with my way of thinking more than other more classic texts have. Both a Christian theologian and an intellectual fluent in classical philosophy, Niebuhr's elaboration on human nature and its interaction with society brought together many different ideas and opinions I myself had been grappling with for some time. It crushes...more
There is a lot in this book, and much of it is hardheaded, cool, and practical. While certain themes are repeated throughout, it seemed like every page had some new and provocative insight that challenged preconceived notions (he criticizes Gandhi at one point, and fairly, I might add). And though the book seems dated, I thought its age allowed the reader to judge the accuracy of some of Niebuhr's claims about, what was then, the future. Even then, this book has lost none of its relevance.
Read when I was in graduate school I have recently rediscovered this book and keep going back to it again and again because of the wisdom published in 1932 even before WWII. Many of these thoughts are so modern and applicable to the understanding of our present day world. Needs to be read again and again.
Complete review here: http://curtisknowsnothing.blogspot.co...
Mar 17, 2010
Lawrence
is currently reading it
Book group book.
Mar 22, 2013
pjr8888
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to pjr8888 by:
St Patrick's Seminary
1960
Very interesting and skeptical view of individual vs. group morality, and would be very useful for one attempting to enact positive change in society.
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U.S. theologian. The son of an evangelical minister, he studied at Eden Theological Seminary and Yale Divinity School. He was ordained in the Evangelical Synod of North America in 1915 and served as pastor of Bethel Evangelical Church in Detroit, Mich., until 1928. His years in that industrial city made him a critic of capitalism and an advocate of socialism. From 1928 to 1960 he taught at New Yor...more
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That's a weird thing to say. I like it.
May 06, 2012 07:54pm
May 07, 2012 04:40am