ABSTRACT
The theme of this chapter is a recurrent American desire (beginning with the Puritans) to pursue the good as defined by “purity” (not truth or beauty) and to separate it from “evil.” This is a deeply human complex, with its clearest expression occurring in Manichaeism. It gained such a strong foothold in the United States because 1) we are a new nation founded on ideals and ideas rather than growing organically from tribes rooted in prehistorical times; and 2) we separated church and state, religion and political power, which allowed an unnuanced version of the struggle of opposites to flourish.
