ABSTRACT

Part dialogue, part debate between Howard Schneiderman and a small number of social theorists, Engagement and Disengagement represents the culmination of a life’s work in social theory. On the one hand, it is about cohesive social, cultural, and intellectual forces, such as authority, community, status, and the sacred, that tie us together, and on the other hand, about forces such as alienation, politics, and economic warfare that pull us apart. With a blend of humanism and social science, Engagement and Disengagement highlight this two-culture solution to understanding social and cultural history.

chapter |16 pages

Introduction

Authority, Leadership, and Egalitarianism

chapter 1|14 pages

Authority and Legitimacy

chapter 2|14 pages

Charisma and Authority

chapter 3|15 pages

Authority Patterns in Colonial New England

chapter 4|9 pages

The American Dream

chapter 5|15 pages

Political Clubs, Parties, and Radicalism

chapter 7|19 pages

Liberalism and the Democratic Spirit

chapter 8|14 pages

Talent, Wealth, and Power

chapter 9|15 pages

Success and Leadership

chapter 10|18 pages

Class and Authority in the Oval Office

chapter 11|20 pages

The Horatio Alger Myth and the Supreme Court

chapter 13|7 pages

Stress, Crisis, and Psychohistory

chapter 14|26 pages

Hindrances to Good Citizenship

chapter 15|20 pages

Legislating Social and Political Mores

chapter 16|15 pages

Pacifism and Utopian Thought

chapter 17|9 pages

Authority versus Conviction