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237th out of 568 books
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750 voters
The Irony of American History
Forged during the tumultuous but triumphant postwar years when America came of ageas a world power, The Irony of American History is more relevant now than ever before. Cited by politicians as diverse as Hillary Clinton and John McCain, Niebuhr’s masterpiece on the incongruity between personal ideals and political reality is both an indictment of American moral complacency...more
Paperback, 174 pages
Published
July 1st 1985
by Scribner Book Company
(first published 1952)
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I already had on file a quote from Reinhold Niebuhr when I came across The Irony of American History (University of Chicago Press, $17.00) in a spring catalog, so my interest was already piqued. Sagely seizing on that interest, my venerable sales rep Henry J. Hubert sent me a copy to review. I'm glad I chose to order it before I reviewed it, because I can add it to our staff picks shelf immediately.
This is a timely reissue of a book originally published in 1952. Due to Barack Obama identifying N...more
This is a timely reissue of a book originally published in 1952. Due to Barack Obama identifying N...more
"Our moral perils are not those of conscious malice or the explicit lust for power. They are the perils which can be understood only if we realize the ironic tendency of virtues to turn into vices when too complacently relied upon; and of power to become vexatious if the wisdom which directs it is trusted too confidently. The ironic element in American history can be overcome, in short, only if American idealism comes to terms with the limits of all human striving, the fragmentatiness of all hum...more
To be honest, this book is so densely constructed that I think I'd have to re-read it two or three times to pull out the full nuance of Niebuhr's argument. He was writing to a post World War II audience struggling with the Cold War realities of what came to be known later as Mutually Assured Destruction. His use of irony is rooted in the fact that it was many of the USA's strengths that were also its points of greatest weakness. He goes to great pains to show that the communist approach of "bles...more
I heard about this book on a local MPR radio program. It was written in 1952 and recently republished largely because of praise from President Obama. The introduction by BU International Studies professor Andrew Bacevich calls it "the most important book ever written on U.S. foreign policy." (!) I don't know about that, but it certainly deepened my thinking. At first glance it seems dated, since large swaths of it are spent analyzing and distinguishing between American "bourgeois" culture and So...more
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Its hard to think of an American philosopher who’s stock is ridding higher (even setting aside that its hard to think of another American philosopher trading higher than Enron). Neibuhr’s Irony was cited as a favorite philosophical text by both political parties and makes up the pantheon of Very Serious Persons citations. However, on its own terms, it’s not clear why all political stripes should embrace this book as a guiding light. Neibuhr is not trying to write a guide to proper rule or power...more
Niebuhr wrote in the mid 1900's when the US had public intellectuals, I think last one of those we've had was Susan Sontag. Anyway, Niebuhr wrote about religion and it's effect on American society. In this book which was written around 1950 when the U.S. and Russia were engaged in the Cold War, Niebuhr talks about the moral use of power and that we should not make too much of virtue when confronting communism. (American are real idiots in overestimating our own goodness and our subsequent entitl...more
A classic and a must-read for anyone interested in politics or the history of the 20th & 21st centuries. Especially valuable for its critiques of dogmatism and intellectual hubris, whether of the right, left, or middle. The Irony of the title refers to the ill effects that ironically proceed from moral self-certainty, in the absence of awareness that "man is both creator and creature" of history, cannot dictate its course, and should not be too sure he knows the divine will, whether the divi...more
One of the recurring themes in the histories of men and nations is the idea that we can do what no one else has done because of our better [morals, understanding of history, philosophy, intelligence etc.:] (chose one). It's an almost mathematically precise pattern that we seem doomed to repeat. The verbal approximation it is: idealism leads to hubris leads to vice leads to downfall. Rinse an repeat. Niebuhr incisively confronts this historical pattern as it existed in America and the world in th...more
Fascinating book about the fact that America has stumbled into responsibility. It's 55 years old and still holds up extremely well. His unique "ironic" analysis holds up extremely well today, especially regarding spreading democracy through violence and how America has managed to substitute economic growth for real social equity. Now, America may have lost its ability to dodge social unrest through growth, making this clear (though too overtly Christian for my taste) examination of America's his...more
Even though I owe this book tremendous debt for introducing me to the concept of Irony in historical analysis, I nonetheless felt that Neibhur's scholarship was shoddy at best and plagiarized at worst. The last chapter specially falls apart, both logically and organizationally. For example, he never really explains why the Christian concept of the poor and meager, who are so high in God's eyes, doesn't apply to poor countries. I might have given this book a four, had I not held Neibhur in such a...more
Not really sure what to say about this book. The philosophy in here does a great job debunking American exceptionalism.
I enjoyed how he focused not only on the inconsistencies of Marxism but also that we as Americans like to master the historical process. We have no sense that certain factors enter history totally unexpectedly, and instead try to foresee everything. In a great quote, he says a weaker America has a better ability to do that as opposed to a powerful America because we grow arroga...more
I enjoyed how he focused not only on the inconsistencies of Marxism but also that we as Americans like to master the historical process. We have no sense that certain factors enter history totally unexpectedly, and instead try to foresee everything. In a great quote, he says a weaker America has a better ability to do that as opposed to a powerful America because we grow arroga...more
Short Review: This is an oddly relevant book considering it was written in 1952 and based on lectures given in 1949 and 1951. Niebuhr is talking about the constraints of American foreign policy. In particular he is talking about the rise of communism but many of the principals are still relevant in our modern world with the non-state terrorist actors and the relatively minor dictators like North Korea. Obama has trumpeted his love of Niebuhr and that may have turned off some foreign policy conse...more
A couple things to say about this fairly short book, which was written by an extremely poignant political, religious, and moral thinker:
-It has very effective anti-Communist thoughts (it was written right at the beginning of the Cold War, when Stalin was still in power). It hits on many of the ideology's contradictions. This is not to make it sound like Niebuhr is any sort of anti-Leftist hawk--he's much more nuanced than all that.
-The most important idea in this book is an explication of the ir...more
-It has very effective anti-Communist thoughts (it was written right at the beginning of the Cold War, when Stalin was still in power). It hits on many of the ideology's contradictions. This is not to make it sound like Niebuhr is any sort of anti-Leftist hawk--he's much more nuanced than all that.
-The most important idea in this book is an explication of the ir...more
Niebuhr outlines the great ironies of American history, which are: the persistent sin of American Exceptionalism, the indecipherability of history, the false allure of simple solutions, and the failure to appreciate the limits of power (I stole that summary from the intro).
While most of the book is a diatribe against Communism, it still resists glorifying American democracy. Published in 1952, Niebuhr's judgments on American aggression raise his profile to that of a prophet. His realism sent me...more
While most of the book is a diatribe against Communism, it still resists glorifying American democracy. Published in 1952, Niebuhr's judgments on American aggression raise his profile to that of a prophet. His realism sent me...more
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After having read "Moral Man and Immoral Society", I was perhaps a bit disappointed that the main ideas of the 2 books were so similar. "Moral Man..." struck me in a way few books had before; my one criticism of that book was that he seems just a bit too enamored of Marx's ideas and too often frames the world through the lens of Marxist thinking (ie proletariats vs. burgeois, etc). "Irony" annoys me even more so on this front.
Also, given the title of this book, perhaps my expectations of the boo...more
Also, given the title of this book, perhaps my expectations of the boo...more
Jul 13, 2008
Tara Betts
added it
I think the last two chapters summarized what Niebuhr is getting at. I originally heard about it when I was watching an episode of "Bill Moyers' Journal" and his guest was theologist James Cone. Cone has written extensively about black liberation theology. Niebuhr is one of the thinkers that Cone assigns to his students, and he is apparently a philosopher noted and quoted by the likes of recent presidential candidates, including Hillary Clinton, John McCain and the notable blurb from Barack Obam...more
In The Irony of American History, Reinhold Niebuhr compares the American ideology to actual American history and finds that what we believe and say is an ironic contrast to what we actually do. As a part of this examination of the irony of American history, I find Niebuhr's critique of the rationalist view of man, whether it is of the liberal school (classical or otherwise) or the Marxist school, to be particularly relevant. In an age where we presume that we can determine or manage the destiny...more
When an author is recommended by the President of the United States, a respected academic, and the manager of the NY Mets, it's hard to resist the compulsion to read them. I'm very glad I did. Niebuhr is excellent with what is still a refreshing and pertinent view of humanity and the USA.
One flaw, Niebuhr is a lot better on generalities and when looking at the USA, and Europe than when he describes Asian countries. His descriptions of the differences between western and eastern cultures are awk...more
One flaw, Niebuhr is a lot better on generalities and when looking at the USA, and Europe than when he describes Asian countries. His descriptions of the differences between western and eastern cultures are awk...more
I see why Obama says this is one of his favorite philosophers. Profound insights on individual and national vice, virtues, potentialities, and limits. Every American ought to read this - his insights on individuals and nations are timeless. Great stuff - in sum; excessive reliance on technology, wealth and power leads to an self-righteousness that prevents the contrition, humility and love we need to deal with complex problems. Also great insights on our place in history.
Astounding in it's prescience. The danger of failing to heed Niebuhr's prophetic words is as great today, if not greater, than when he wrote in the opening years of the Cold War. Like then we are today faced with a fanatical enemy convinced of the eternal rightness of his struggle, the existential threat is an equally self-righteous destructive tendency from within our own ranks, a reflexive hatred from the far Right. His economic analysis of internal dynamics of rich and poor within the Western...more
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ohdeargoodness. this book is now among my top five ever books! to think that i've only just read it. well, better late than never. and i am sure i will be re-reading if not actually memorizing it. i am a "political" animal but also high-strung and emotional, so as a political devotee i seriously need a solid foundation of reasonable thinking as a solid foundation before setting out (yet again) for political arenas.
Though written soon after WWII, this book is uncannily pertinent to today. Neibuhr illustrates how arrogance, hypocrisy and self-deception make for bad decision-making. With humility, candor and clarity he shows how troublesome issues, while not always solvable, can at least be improved. His intertwining of spiritual values with his historical, political and economic insights rank him close to C. S. Lewis.
Catching up on my NYRB reading last night, I came across a review of this book (in group review, with new books by Bacevich and Taub re limits of American power, by Brian Urquhart). I vaguely knew of Niebuhr by theological reputation (as I recall, MLK Jr. mentions him in "Letter from B'ham Jail"), but I didn't know he was such a perceptive (and it seems prescient) observer of American politics and foreign affairs.
An indication of how far to the right our country has gone is that when I first encountered Niebuhr 35 years ago he was considered a conservative now his is being lauded by what the wing nuts are calling a socialist president.
In spite of that he has some interesting insights into the American situation in the world. A little dated on the edges but still relevant at the core.
A serious Christian perspective on the irony of America's pre-eminent place in the international community. Where he wrote...more
In spite of that he has some interesting insights into the American situation in the world. A little dated on the edges but still relevant at the core.
A serious Christian perspective on the irony of America's pre-eminent place in the international community. Where he wrote...more
What can be said? As relevant today as it was at the height of the cold war. Niebuhr's strongest argument is the ironic situation in which the very idealism of America could prove to be its undoing. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the American experience over the past 60 years.
I'll be returning to this book again and again. Niebuhr uses wit, perception, and brutal honesty to see through the self-delusion of politics. His thesis is that only by retaining our senses of humor and humility can we act without being trapped by our senses of righteousness and grievance.
Niebuhr is absolutely necessary to read. Eisenhower called him 'America's conscience' for good reason. His thoughts stoke deep thinking that challenge us to consider who we are and who we want to be as a nation.
Great book. It can get wordy at times but the points he makes about how America views itself and how its power has skewed its views of its role and views of the world are so spot and very relevent for today.
Neibuhr's "The Irony of American History" may have been published in 1952, but its analysis of the conflicting impulses that confront America as a superpower is just as applicable today. Well worth the read.
Here is a lucid explanation of the irony of the US's position as the world's superpower, written in 1952 but amazingly accurate. There were many quotes I highlighted for their prescience.
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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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“Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope.
Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith.
Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore we must be saved by love.
No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as it is from our standpoint. Therefore we must be saved by the final form of love which is forgiveness.”
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48 people liked it
Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith.
Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore we must be saved by love.
No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as it is from our standpoint. Therefore we must be saved by the final form of love which is forgiveness.”
“For man as an historical creature has desires of indeterminate dimensions.”
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2 people liked it
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