In 1973, Wilson Carey Mc Williams (1933–2005) published The Idea of Fraternity in America, a groundbreaking book that argued for an alternative to America’s dominant philosophy of liberalism. This alternative tradition emphasized that community and fraternal bonds were as vital to the process of maintaining political liberty as was individual liberty. Mc Williams expanded on this idea throughout his prolific career as a teacher, writer, and activist, promoting a unique definition of American democracy. In The Democratic Soul: A Wilson Carey Mc Williams Reader, editors Patrick J. Deneen and Susan J. Mc Williams, daughter of the famed intellectual, have assembled key essays, articles, reviews, and lectures that trace Mc Williams’s evolution as a scholar and explain his often controversial views on education, religion, and literature. The book also showcases his thoughts and opinions on prominent twentieth-century figures such as George Orwell and Leo Strauss. The first comprehensive volume of Wilson Carey Mc Williams’ collected writings, The Democratic Soul will be welcomed by scholars of political science and American political thought as a long-overdue contribution to the field.
Tentang Penulis
Susan J. Mc Williams is assistant professor of politics at Pomona College. She is the author of numerous articles published in journals and edited volumes. She lives in Claremont, California.