A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles
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- ISBN13: 9780465002054
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Product Description
Controversies in politics arise from many sources, but the conflicts that suffer for generations or centuries show a remarkably consistent pattern. In this classic work, Thomas Sowell analyzes the two competing visions that shape our debates about the scenery of reason, justice, equality, and power: the “constrained” vision, which sees human scenery as unchanging and selfish, and the “unconstrained” vision, in which human scenery is malleable and perfectible. He describes how these two radically opposed views have manifested themselves in the political controversies of the past two centuries, including such contemporary issues as welfare reform, social justice, and crime. Updated to include sweeping political changes since its first publication in 1987, this revised edition of A Conflict of Visions offers a convincing case that ethical and policy disputes circle around the disparity between both outlooks.
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This book’s value is in it’s exploration of the history of political philosophy. It explores the thoughts that have been offered but in a way less obvious and to the point as Francione’s HOW TO SAVE AMERICA AND THE WORLD.
It is a excellent reference book if you wish to study the various viewpoints on political matters. But it lacks the logical examination of the reasons behind many of persons views. Also it is redundant in many areas and could have been much shorter. I establish myself apt bored and had to scan rather than read many parts
Reader’s Rating: 3 / 5
I am at a loss of words about how troubling I find this book and the thoughts conveyed herein. First, Sowell in this book promises to construct and teach to the reader a simple mental contrivance that allows the reader to lower a vast, nuanced, complex world of thoughts to a single, double heuristic contrivance that is simple enough that a precocious 12 year ancient could learn it. This is the literary political theory equivalent of watching Sean Hannity or Glenn Beck on television. This is a book about how to learn to see the world in black and white, us and them, liberal and conservative, utopian and tragic. It gives the reader a set of simple tools that are powerful in that they can be applied to most of history and political and social theory. It is a reductionist dualism that is at the heart of contemporary Republican politics in the United States of America and that defines the zeitgeist of the post-1994 Republican Party in American politics. If you like your political theory sophisticated and intelligent, you will be disappointed in this. But if you want to learn tricks for winning shouting matches defending Republican talking points on blogs and internet political message boards, this book will be a powerful tool in your belt.
Reader’s Rating: 2 / 5
It’s hit or miss with Mr. Sowell, but that is the scenery with most things. That aside, I reflect some of his books (such as Black Rednecks…) are compelling and useful debate-fuel, this one falls flat. Like anyone adhering to a point political mindset (and he does – his brilliance is that he can hide it well, though I would question his objectivity) he believes himself to be right – it’s indicated in word usage whenever he touches on the “traditional” left/right debate, etc. The basic premise is, wonderfully, a reiteration of the title. Ideological Origins of Political Struggles? It sounds like a desperately pretentious college paper written by an undergrad looking for Political Science recognition. Imagine that politics – which, if you judge Hanna Arendt’s thesis on the theme as outlined in On Revolution, is the process of human interaction and debate – has ideological origins? Astounding, truly. I could have never place that sort of logic together on my own. You’ll have to pardon my sarcasm – the book is well written and thoughtful – but it told me something I already knew. I’ve seen a lot of Sowell’s work in lists that are “vital” to every US citizen, but after reading this, my opinion of him is lessened to some extent.
Reader’s Rating: 3 / 5
It is possible to judge that humans can progress, even radically progress lacking believing in idealistic ungrounded fairy tales. We stand today on the verge of equipment capable of changing the very scenery of what it means to be human. So an analysis limited to the the immutable limitations of human beings on the one hand or denying any such limitations on the additional is a bit limited. What is needed is a moving moment by moment realism as to the current limits while effective to overcome as many of persons limits as possible. It is not an either-or.
And what of man as heroic rather than man as flawed anyway?
Reader’s Rating: 3 / 5
As with most primarily analytical books, this tome lacks synthesis. Sowell is so enamored of the fake dichotomy he erects between liberals and conservatives that he forces many thinkers into one category or the additional, when of course no one view of human scenery is entirely constrained or unconstrained.
Humanity is an amalgam of potentials and limitations. None but the most loony of liberals ascribe to the perfectibility of man, just as none but the most hardened of conservatives views man as entirely lacking altruistic motives.
Sowell qualifies his categorizations to some extent, of course, but many readers will simply pigeonhole a particular writer and then reflexively embrace or dismiss his thoughts. Yet some of the discarded thoughts will be valuable and some of the adopted ones poorly supported.
More useful are books that — rather than building sweeping generalization and tempting the reader to place himself or herself in one camp or the additional — require readers to follow philosophical and political threads to logical and observable conclusions.
Reader’s Rating: 3 / 5