Sidney Hook was een pragmatisch filosoof, bekend om zijn bijdragen aan het publieke debat. Als leerling van John Dewey verdiepte Hook zich in de filosofie van geschiedenis, onderwijs, politiek en ethiek. Hij stond bekend om zijn kritiek op totalitaire ideologieën, zoals fascisme en marxisme-leninisme. Als pragmatisch sociaaldemocraat werkte hij soms samen met conservatieven, met name in hun gezamenlijke verzet tegen het communisme. Na de Tweede Wereldoorlog beargumenteerde hij dat leden van samenzweringen, zoals de Communistische Partij van de VS en andere leninistische groeperingen, ethisch gezien uit openbare functies geweerd konden worden.
Twenty-five of Hook's most incisive essays in political philosophy discuss pragmatism and naturalism, Marx and Marxism, Democratic theory and practice, and the defense of a free society.
The book offers a penetrating analysis of modern education, emphasizing the importance of critical thinking and logical clarity. Sidney Hook critiques current attempts to reorganize higher education, revealing underlying fallacies and advocating for a rational approach. Esteemed reviewers highlight its comprehensive insights and exceptional logical rigor, positioning it as essential reading for those seeking to understand contemporary educational challenges. With a focus on sanity and clarity, Hook's work stands out for its intellectual depth and incisive examination of educational issues.
The Address, Twelve Early Responses, Six Later Reflections
When Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn gave the commencement address at Harvard University in 1978, many Americans expected to hear their country praised by this celebrated refugee from a totalitarian state. Instead they heard some sharply critical views of their legal system, their press, their popular culture, and even their national will. The forthright and controversial speech makes up Part One of this book. A sampling of the avalanche of comment that followed it is included in Part Two. In Part Three, six thoughtful scholars reflect on the ideas and judgments expressed by the great Russian writer.