What do you think?
Dictatorship of Virtue: Multiculturalism & the Battle for America's Future
Multiculturalism - along with its synonym "diversity" - has radically different meanings for two large segments of the American people. The conflict between these groups is now the source of bitter and widespread controversy and confrontation. It has become the issue in the last decade of the twentieth century.
Dictatorship of Virtue is a passionate, provocative, and rigorously documented examination of multiculturalism - its noble roots and the abuses and excesses perpetrated in its name.
To its advocates, multiculturalism is simply an intense effort to include in the mainstream of American life groups of people who have been excluded or marginalized in the past. These advocates argue that the essentially European identity that has dominated American life until now must make room for other identities; "inclusion" is key.
To its critics, multiculturalism means in practice the opposite of what it means in they see it as a new, easily reproducible boilerplate of received ideas and unexamined assumptions that insists on adherence - with truth and fairness often falling victim to the demands of ethnic or racial self-esteem.
Richard Bernstein takes us to the front lines of this war for America's intellectual battles over school curricula, local legislation, college reading lists, censorship and freedom of expression, and "sexist" language. He explores the burgeoning industry of "diversity training," the inroads of questionable scholarship, and the fates of men and women victimized by political correctness.
While applauding the true meaning of multiculturalism - equality of opportunity and social justice - Bernstein fears that there is a pulling away from certain cultural norms, adherence to which traditionally has enabled Americans to board the great engine of upward social mobility. Multiculturalism, that universe of good intentions born of the civil rights movement and deriving from principles all good people hold dear, has too often become a dictatorship of virtue. What this means for our society and what we can do about it is brilliantly and lucidly presented in a book that will stand as an important contribution to the great debate of the nineties - and beyond.
Dictatorship of Virtue is a passionate, provocative, and rigorously documented examination of multiculturalism - its noble roots and the abuses and excesses perpetrated in its name.
To its advocates, multiculturalism is simply an intense effort to include in the mainstream of American life groups of people who have been excluded or marginalized in the past. These advocates argue that the essentially European identity that has dominated American life until now must make room for other identities; "inclusion" is key.
To its critics, multiculturalism means in practice the opposite of what it means in they see it as a new, easily reproducible boilerplate of received ideas and unexamined assumptions that insists on adherence - with truth and fairness often falling victim to the demands of ethnic or racial self-esteem.
Richard Bernstein takes us to the front lines of this war for America's intellectual battles over school curricula, local legislation, college reading lists, censorship and freedom of expression, and "sexist" language. He explores the burgeoning industry of "diversity training," the inroads of questionable scholarship, and the fates of men and women victimized by political correctness.
While applauding the true meaning of multiculturalism - equality of opportunity and social justice - Bernstein fears that there is a pulling away from certain cultural norms, adherence to which traditionally has enabled Americans to board the great engine of upward social mobility. Multiculturalism, that universe of good intentions born of the civil rights movement and deriving from principles all good people hold dear, has too often become a dictatorship of virtue. What this means for our society and what we can do about it is brilliantly and lucidly presented in a book that will stand as an important contribution to the great debate of the nineties - and beyond.
367 pages, Hardcover
First published August 23, 1994
About the author
Richard Bernstein
43 books30 followersRichard Paul Bernstein was an American journalist, columnist, and author. He wrote the Letter from America column for the International Herald Tribune. He was a book critic at The New York Times and a foreign correspondent for both Time magazine and The New York Times in Europe and Asia.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 25, 2010
Richard Bernstein makes some strong points regarding the zealousness of multiculturalism inside and outside the academy. But despite 350+ pages of densely worded text, he presents scant evidence as to why multicultural studies has failed. There are cases in which young people do seem like they are denied a quality education (I'm thinking of the chapter on the Minn. school). But while the case of Intro Writing course E-306 at UT-Austin was well covered, in general, is it so wrong that university students learn about diverse cultures and modalities of thinking?
Bernstein has a knack of taking a few situations and extracting generalizations based on them. In the Brookline Public Schools case, he props up the AP European History course, at the time being debated amongst departments and school boards and parents as to whether it should be discontinued, as an examplar of challenging, in-depth learning. But he is wrong in assuming that an AP World History course would not be held to the same standard.
He is also naive in thinking that scholars of ethnic studies are so monolithic in their teaching and research as to solely be teaching (and researching) "victimization" and "identity." Had Bernstein applied some of the more rigorous work ethic he espouses so readily, he would have done more reading on a wider range of writings. Like any other field, multicultural scholars work in various forms and showcase a wide range of quality within that body of work. And what of scholars who are able to expound intelligently on both Plato and Achebe? And how about some good ol' textual analysis of the controversial textbook at the core of UT's freshman writing course scandal?
This issue is so big that it merits more discussion, but I do recommend readers read through as much of this as they can and, in as individuals, come to their own conclusions.
Bernstein has a knack of taking a few situations and extracting generalizations based on them. In the Brookline Public Schools case, he props up the AP European History course, at the time being debated amongst departments and school boards and parents as to whether it should be discontinued, as an examplar of challenging, in-depth learning. But he is wrong in assuming that an AP World History course would not be held to the same standard.
He is also naive in thinking that scholars of ethnic studies are so monolithic in their teaching and research as to solely be teaching (and researching) "victimization" and "identity." Had Bernstein applied some of the more rigorous work ethic he espouses so readily, he would have done more reading on a wider range of writings. Like any other field, multicultural scholars work in various forms and showcase a wide range of quality within that body of work. And what of scholars who are able to expound intelligently on both Plato and Achebe? And how about some good ol' textual analysis of the controversial textbook at the core of UT's freshman writing course scandal?
This issue is so big that it merits more discussion, but I do recommend readers read through as much of this as they can and, in as individuals, come to their own conclusions.
October 5, 2007
This was an assigned reading in an American Studies survey course that I once took. As far as I could tell, the thesis animating the course was that the pragmatism of Peirce, James, and Dewey had been perverted over several decades into the gooey bullshit of relativism and "political correctness." I don't know about that, but if the American intellect is in jeopardy, I'm inclined to look elsewhere when assigning blame, and, besides, it's clear that any victims of political correctness have a vast and well-funded support network at their disposal.
This book, which has the air of a New York Times Magazine article puffed into book length, was probably the most credible thing the professor could find on the topic, but it came as a cruel anticlimax after a semester of Santayana, Peirce, DuBois, King, and Niebhur; which is to say that this book isn't exactly aimed for the canon. It does reveal that members of the UT Austin English department used to stage flag-burnings at their faculty parties, something they never did in the classroom no matter how much we asked.
This book, which has the air of a New York Times Magazine article puffed into book length, was probably the most credible thing the professor could find on the topic, but it came as a cruel anticlimax after a semester of Santayana, Peirce, DuBois, King, and Niebhur; which is to say that this book isn't exactly aimed for the canon. It does reveal that members of the UT Austin English department used to stage flag-burnings at their faculty parties, something they never did in the classroom no matter how much we asked.
September 21, 2012
The author of this book does a great job of illumination the reality of multiculturalism. Multiculturalism is not what it appears. It is not about lots of different cultures living side by side supposedly in harmony and unity (which NEVER happens). It is in reality another 'ism' a politically driven ideology whose true agenda is control and power. The 'virtue' is seen in supporting this concept at every level of life; personal and public. To speak out against it is to be a racist, bigot etc. "Multiculturalism makes people afraid to say what they think and what they feel." "It rewrites history, cultivates aggrievements, a claim of victimization, excessive fussy self-pitying." "Multiculturalists have made a religion of difference, exalt race, ethnicity and sex as the sole components of identity." The author explores this topic with great detail and insight and it truly is an eye opening book. Such is the extent of multiculturalism in America it has produced a brainwashing curriculum at university level and young people are punished for stepping out of line with 'diversity training'. That a democratic nation like America could become the bastion of this 'ism' is shocking. It shows that no country is free from this kind of manipulation and thought control. People need to read a book like this to see the truth about what is going on and reject it for what it is!
January 8, 2020
(2020) This is an excellent book to read, if you want to find out the history of our current Politically-Correct consciousness and behavior. The author does a thorough study of the origins of the PC movement, in the political Multiculturalism movement of the early '90's. (2024) I read it again four years later and I upgrade it from 4 stars to 5 stars!
February 24, 2009
More on the culture wars.
August 22, 2009
Read this in 1995 when first published. It has turned out to be prophetic.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews