ABSTRACT
Carl Becker was a Liberal paradox. A lifelong liberal, Becker's faith in the rational capacities of human beings was considerably shaken by the advent of Einsteinian relativity, the increasing mechanization of everyday life, and numerous tracts proclaiming "the decline of the West". This paradox in Becker's thought reflects a curious paradox within the liberal tradition itself. Liberalism is not a single, unified ideology, but rather a variegated one, encompassing a wide range of interpretations and deviations. According to Becker, during the eighteenth century scientific knowledge and human understanding came to be seen as the primary driving forces behind history. "Everyman His Own Historian" was essential to Becker's search for a solution to the liberal paradox. The liberal paradox continues to remain firmly embedded in the contours of the American mind. Like Becker and other early twentieth-century liberals, Americans continue to firmly grasp two seemingly contradictory ideas—an unwavering idealism and a grave cynicism.
