A Thousand Small Sanities: The Moral Adventure of Liberalism is a non-fiction book about liberalism written by American writer Adam Gopnik.[1] It was published by Basic Books on May 14, 2019, to mixed reviews.
 First edition | |
| Author | Adam Gopnik |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Political science, Liberalism |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Set in | Politics of 2019 |
| Publisher | Basic Books |
Publication date | May 14, 2019 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print, CD, E-book |
| Pages | 249 or 272 |
| ISBN | 9781541699359 |
| OCLC | 1051137376 |
Summary
editThe premise of the book is that liberalism and liberals are under attack, from both the right and the left.[1] It argues that liberalism is more than "political centrism or the idea of free markets" and thus is an overarching concern for "positive, inclusive changes at all social and political levels,"[2] through which Gopnik attempts to clarify the definition of "liberalism".[3]
Themes
editThe book explores concepts surrounding liberalism, pragmatism, humanism, and conservatism.[4] After covering the roots of liberalism and conservatism, the book discusses historical people that are deemed liberal in the present, but who were not deemed liberals in their own time, avoiding popular liberal references of 17-18th century Western philosophers and Founding Fathers in favor of figures such as Harriet Taylor, Frederick Douglass, Emma Goldman, Bayard Rustin, George Eliot, and E. D. Morel, among others.[5]
Gopnik also argues for incremental, inclusive liberalism, and that engaging in the "extremes of the far-left" will attempt "to define liberty for everyone"—an attitude he argues has historically resulted in the formation of totalitarian regimes.[5][6] The book attempts to steer Democrats away from 2020-era progressive policies and towards a liberalism that is "sensible, skeptical, cautious, reformist, and moderate—a path to centrist "political safety" between the so-called extremes of the left and the right.[3]
Reception
editDavid Sessions [7] criticized the book heavily in his review for The New Republic, stating that, "A Thousand Small Sanities is not about politics but about feelings toward politics," and that the book, "lacked a fundamental understanding of political & economic power."[8] Gabino Iglesias on the other hand praised the book in his review for the National Public Radio, calling it a "Sophie's World [for] politically engaged adults," for its capacity to simplify 'complex concepts,' [2] but acknowledged that it had inherently polarizing aspects that made it, "impossible to engage with on only one level, or to agree or disagree with [in] entirety."
References
edit- ^ a b "Buy A Thousand Small Sanities: The Moral Adventure of Liberalism Book Online at Low Prices in India | A Thousand Small Sanities: The Moral Adventure of Liberalism Reviews & Ratings - Amazon.in". www.amazon.in. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
Not since the early twentieth century has liberalism, and liberals, been under such relentless attack, from both right and left. The crisis of democracy in our era has produced a crisis of faith in liberal institutions and, even worse, in liberal thought.
- ^ a b
Iglesias, Gabino (May 15, 2019). "...A Lesson In Understanding Liberalism". National Public Radio. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
The brilliance of that book came from Gaarder's ability to make complicated concepts easier for young minds to digest. Adam Gopnik's A Thousand Small Sanities: The Moral Adventure of Liberalism does the same thing with liberalism — but for politically engaged adults.
- ^ a b Bell, David A. (June 12, 2019). "Lost Bearings: Adam Gopnik and the search for a 21st-century liberalism". The Nation. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- ^ Humanist, The (2019-07-02). "A Thousand Small Sanities: The Moral Adventure of Liberalism". TheHumanist.com. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
- ^ a b Frum, David (May 14, 2019). "In Defense of Liberalism". The New York Times. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- ^ Sessions, David (May 6, 2019). "The Emptiness of Adam Gopnik's Liberalism". The New Republic. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- ^ "The Emptiness of Adam Gopnik's Liberalism". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
- ^ "The Emptiness of Adam Gopnik's Liberalism". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
We might not have expected much more from Gopnik, but A Thousand Small Sanities' aimless joyride of free-associated clichés and its stubborn refusal to look at reality may indicate more broadly how little the American establishment has learned since the turn of the century.
External links
edit- A Thousand Small Sanities. Publisher's website. August 2019.