Human Nature in American Thought: A History

by Merle Curti

The concept of human nature has always been a critically important factor in determining the course of events. At the same time, it has been an elusive & constantly changing concept, interwoven with nearly every aspect of humankind's endeavors.
Here, Merle Curti--after over 40 years of thought & study--presents the first systematic account of changing ideas about human nature in American thought from the 17th century to the present. This is a sweeping work, crossing many fields of inquiry, one of the highest significance to students & scholars in every aspect of American studies. Curti tells the story of the transit of ideas from the Old World to the New, their reception & adaptation in America, the new contributions that intellectuals have made, & the social & other public uses to which changing ideas about human nature have been put in many of the main struggles & developments in American history--issues relating to democracy, patriotism, education, the character of the economic order, sex, gender sex roles & race.
Preface
Traditional ideas in new situations
Puritan views & visions
The American enlightenment
Searching for a balance
The Romantic impulse
The emerging science of human nature
Toward a social interpretation
A cultural view takes shape
Nature versus nurture
Exploring the unconscious
Searches for greater understanding
The behavioral movement
Summing up
Bibliographical Note
Index

Genres: History, Cultural, Philosophy

472 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1980

About the author

Merle Eugene Curti was a leading American historian, who taught many graduate students at Columbia University and the University of Wisconsin, and was a leader in developing the fields of social history and intellectual history.

(wikipedia)