Intellectuals in Action
| Author | : Kevin Mattson |
| Publisher | : Penn State Press |
| Total Pages | : 324 |
| Release | : 2010-11-01 |
| ISBN-10 | : 0271046708 |
| ISBN-13 | : 9780271046709 |
| Rating | : 4/5 (709 Downloads) |
Download or read book Intellectuals in Action written by Kevin Mattson and published by Penn State Press. This book was released on 2010-11-01 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Born in 1966&‚ a generation removed from the counterculture&‚ Kevin Mattson came of political age in the conservative Reagan era. In an effort to understand contemporary political ambivalence and the plight of radicalism today&‚ Mattson looks back to the ideas that informed the protest&‚ social movements&‚ and activism of the 1960s. To accomplish its historical reconstruction&‚ the book combines traditional intellectual biography&—including thorough archival research&—with social history to examine a group of intellectuals whose thinking was crucial in the formulation of New Left political theory. These include C. Wright Mills&‚ the popular radical sociologist; Paul Goodman&‚ a practicing Gestalt therapist and anarcho-pacifist; William Appleman Williams&‚ the historian and famed critic of &"American empire&"; Arnold Kaufman&‚ a &"radical liberal&" who deeply influenced the thinking of the SDS. The book discusses not only their ideas&‚ but also their practices&‚ from writing pamphlets and arranging television debates to forming left-leaning think tanks and organizing teach-ins protesting the Vietnam War. Mattson argues that it is this political engagement balanced with a commitment to truth-telling that is lacking in our own age of postmodern acquiescence. Challenging the standard interpretation of the New Left as inherently in conflict with liberalis&‚ Mattson depicts their relationship as more complicated&‚ pointing to possibilities for a radical liberalism today. Intellectual and social historians&‚ as well as general readers either fascinated by the 1960s protest movements or actively seeking an alternative to our contemporary political malais&‚ will embrace Mattson&’s book and its promise to shed new light on a time period known for both its intriguing conflicts and its enduring consequences.
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