Democratic Humility: Reinhold Niebuhr, Neuroscience, and America's Political Crisis

by Christopher Beem

Overview

American politics is in a state of crisis but it is not clear why. Nor do we know what to do about it. Reinhold Niebuhr helps us understand what is wrong with our politics and research into the workings of the brain confirms his analysis. Call it sin or motivated reasoning and confirmation bias, the bottom line is that all of us are what Niebuhr calls “Children of Light.” We are all vain and self-righteous about our beliefs and values, and far too quick to reject any information that goes against them. The unprecedented rise of talk radio and cable news helps to account for why things are so bad. We all want to hear that our group is smarter and more moral than others. To restore a democracy that functions, we need to understand ourselves better and develop the humility that such knowledge should engender.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781498511438
Publisher:	Lexington Books
Publication date:	06/09/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	200
File size:	802 KB

About the Author

Christopher Beem received his PhD from the University of Chicago Divinity School.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Moderating our Pretensions: Niebuhr on Being Human
Chapter 2: Between Sentimentality and Pessimism: Niebuhr on Democracy
Chapter 3: Neuroscientists for Niebuhr
Chapter 4: Rattlers and Eagles/Democrats and Republicans
Chapter 5: Partisan Infotainment: A New Business Model for the New Media
Chapter 6: Partisan Infotainment and Democracy: Not All Bad, Not Half Good
Chapter 7: Weapons and Instruments: Using Government to Fix Government
Chapter 8: Religion: “a constant fount of humility”
Chapter 9: “Guardians of Democracy”: Democratic Humility through Civic Education
Conclusion: Democratic Humility

Editorial Reviews

This learned, engagingly written, and passionate book combines the wise theology of Reinhold Niebhur, recent cognitive science, and evidence about the debased state of American politics to advance a persuasive argument for learning humility. Anyone who wants to improve our democracy should read it.
— Peter Levine, Lincoln Filene Professor, Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, Tufts University

Peter Levine

Anyone concerned about the acrimonious state of our public life will benefit from reading Christopher Beem’s lively and imaginative study, which draws on the work of theologian Reinhold Niebuhr to explain how we got into the current fix, and what we will need to do get out of it. He makes a strong case for a revitalized form of civic education, one designed not merely to teach the facts about American citizenship, but to model and reinforce the virtues of democratic humility in young Americans. Required reading.

Wilfred M. McClay

Anyone concerned about the acrimonious state of our public life will benefit from reading Christopher Beem's lively and imaginative study, which draws on the work of theologian Reinhold Niebuhr to explain how we got into the current fix, and what we will need to do get out of it. He makes a strong case for a revitalized form of civic education, one designed not merely to teach the facts about American citizenship, but to model and reinforce the virtues of democratic humility in young Americans. Required reading.

This learned, engagingly written, and passionate book combines the wise theology of Reinhold Niebhur, recent cognitive science, and evidence about the debased state of American politics to advance a persuasive argument for learning humility. Anyone who wants to improve our democracy should read it.
-- Peter Levine, Lincoln Filene Professor, Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, Tufts University

From the Publisher