The Crisis of Democratic Theory: Scientific Naturalism and the Problem of Value

by Edward A. Purcell Jr.

Widely acclaimed for its originality and penetration, this award-winning study of American thought in the twentieth century examines the ways in which the spread of pragmatism and scientific naturalism affected developments in philosophy, social science, and law, and traces the effects of these developments on traditional assumptions of democratic theory.

Genres: History, Philosophy

330 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

Reviews

[alexa koe · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book made me feel very dumb, but i think it made my whole class feel that way. it's an incredibly dense intellectual history about the debates over democracy during wwii, but without substantiating any arguments with any real-life examples of consequences of these ideological debates. it's a bunch of university guys arguing with each other about moralism in american politics, which results in an unsatisfying: "the fact that we can even have these debates means that we're not totalitarian, and therefore we can't really be all that bad."

it's interesting, and there's a lot to talk about when considering the changing idea of democracy throughout american history (the debates over absolute moralism vs moral relativism are still happening today, just by politicians on tv instead of academics, though i bet those guys are still yapping too), but the book itself is a lot. there is little basis in real events, no non-academic perspectives (how can you write a whole book on interpretations of democracy and not mention the working class, women, or the civil rights movement???), but it was written in the 70s, so it was a product of its time. maybe someone should update this

[Cathy Faye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really excellent. It should have been on my reading list long ago. The author does a really great job of discussing the intellectual climate of the 1920s to 1940s in relation to science and issues of value, government, and politics. He gives a really great outline of the shift in liberal thought from the pre- to post- war years as scholars struggled to argue for scientific neutrality and pluralism when faced with the social and political events of the 1930s. It sets great context for an understanding of the history of the human sciences in this period, including law, political science, sociology, and psychology.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

investigates the relationship between ethical relativism and democracy. Purcell asks whether a society built on a foundation of relativism can be democratic and whether relativism or a faith in a higher moral truth are more likely to lead to absolutism in practice.