
American Labyrinth
Intellectual History for Complicated Times
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Narrated by:
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Marc Szewczyk
About this listen
Intellectual history has never been more relevant and more important to public life in the United States. In complicated and confounding times, people look for the principles that drive action and the foundations that support national ideals. American Labyrinth demonstrates the power of intellectual history to illuminate our public life and examine our ideological assumptions.
This volume of essays brings together 19 influential intellectual historians to contribute original thoughts on topics of widespread interest. Raymond Haberski, Jr. and Andrew Hartman asked a group of nimble, sharp scholars to respond to a simple question: How might the resources of intellectual history help shed light on contemporary issues with historical resonance?
The answers - all rigorous, original, and challenging - are as eclectic in approach and temperament as the authors are different in their interests and methods.
Taken together, the essays of American Labyrinth illustrate how intellectual historians operating in many different registers at once - and ranging from the theoretical to the political - can provide telling insights for understanding a public sphere fraught with conflict.
In order to understand why people are ready to fight over cultural symbols and political positions, we must have insight into how ideas organize, enliven, and define our lives. Ultimately, as Haberski and Hartman show in this volume, the best route through our contemporary American labyrinth is the path that traces our practical and lived ideas.
The book is published by Cornell University Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.
"This lively collection offers shrewd analyses of the rich variety of intellectual life in America, past and present." (Richard H. King, University of Nottingham)
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What listeners say about American Labyrinth
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- Wesley Bishop
- 04-14-20
Excellent Collection of Essays
Excellent collection of essays. The authors of this book represent some of the most committed and well known figures of American Intellectual History and the collection deals with topics ranging from liberalism, pragmatism, context in historical research, African American atheism, and much more. Highly recommend this book for history teachers looking to assign specific readings on a variety of topics for classes.
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- Rebecca Graham
- 02-05-20
It’s a must-read
Must-read for US intellectual history. Especially enjoyed essays on gender, race, and current academia. Audible recording was great, too!
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- Jennie
- 02-02-20
Terrible
This book has no real meaning linked to it, continuously citing volumes and using elusive terminology which consequently results in meaningless jargon. Don’t waste your time. If you are looking to expand your perspective, I highly recommend seeking elsewhere.
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