Abraham Lincoln, Philosopher Statesman
Autor Joseph R. Fornierien Limba Engleză Paperback – 17 apr 2020
2015 ISHS Superior Achievement Award
What constitutes Lincoln’s political greatness as a statesman? As a great leader, he saved the Union, presided over the end of slavery, and helped to pave the way for an interracial democracy. His great speeches provide enduring wisdom about human equality, democracy, free labor, and free society. Joseph R. Fornieri contends that Lincoln’s political genius is best understood in terms of a philosophical statesmanship that united greatness of thought and action, one that combined theory and practice. This philosophical statesmanship, Fornieri argues, can best be understood in terms of six dimensions of political leadership: wisdom, prudence, duty, magnanimity, rhetoric, and patriotism. Drawing on insights from history, politics, and philosophy, Fornieri tackles the question of how Lincoln’s statesmanship displayed each of these crucial elements.
Providing an accessible framework for understanding Lincoln’s statesmanship, this thoughtful study examines the sixteenth president’s political leadership in terms of the traditional moral vision of statecraft as understood by epic political philosophers such as Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas. Fornieri contends that Lincoln’s character is best understood in terms of Aquinas’s understanding of magnanimity or greatness of soul, the crowning virtue of statesmanship. True political greatness, as embodied by Lincoln, involves both humility and sacrificial service for the common good. The enduring wisdom and timeless teachings of these great thinkers, Fornieri shows, can lead to a deeper appreciation of statesmanship and of its embodiment in Abraham Lincoln.
With the great philosophers and books of western civilization as his guide, Fornieri demonstrates the important contribution of normative political philosophy to an understanding of our sixteenth president. Informed by political theory that draws on the classics in revealing the timelessness of Lincoln’s example, his interdisciplinary study offers profound insights for anyone interested in the nature of leadership, statesmanship, political philosophy, political ethics, political history, and constitutional law.
What constitutes Lincoln’s political greatness as a statesman? As a great leader, he saved the Union, presided over the end of slavery, and helped to pave the way for an interracial democracy. His great speeches provide enduring wisdom about human equality, democracy, free labor, and free society. Joseph R. Fornieri contends that Lincoln’s political genius is best understood in terms of a philosophical statesmanship that united greatness of thought and action, one that combined theory and practice. This philosophical statesmanship, Fornieri argues, can best be understood in terms of six dimensions of political leadership: wisdom, prudence, duty, magnanimity, rhetoric, and patriotism. Drawing on insights from history, politics, and philosophy, Fornieri tackles the question of how Lincoln’s statesmanship displayed each of these crucial elements.
Providing an accessible framework for understanding Lincoln’s statesmanship, this thoughtful study examines the sixteenth president’s political leadership in terms of the traditional moral vision of statecraft as understood by epic political philosophers such as Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas. Fornieri contends that Lincoln’s character is best understood in terms of Aquinas’s understanding of magnanimity or greatness of soul, the crowning virtue of statesmanship. True political greatness, as embodied by Lincoln, involves both humility and sacrificial service for the common good. The enduring wisdom and timeless teachings of these great thinkers, Fornieri shows, can lead to a deeper appreciation of statesmanship and of its embodiment in Abraham Lincoln.
With the great philosophers and books of western civilization as his guide, Fornieri demonstrates the important contribution of normative political philosophy to an understanding of our sixteenth president. Informed by political theory that draws on the classics in revealing the timelessness of Lincoln’s example, his interdisciplinary study offers profound insights for anyone interested in the nature of leadership, statesmanship, political philosophy, political ethics, political history, and constitutional law.
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Specificații
ISBN-13: 9780809330591
ISBN-10: 0809330598
Pagini: 250
Ilustrații: 20
Dimensiuni: 152 x 229 x 20 mm
Greutate: 0.37 kg
Editura: Southern Illinois University Press
Colecția Southern Illinois University Press
ISBN-10: 0809330598
Pagini: 250
Ilustrații: 20
Dimensiuni: 152 x 229 x 20 mm
Greutate: 0.37 kg
Editura: Southern Illinois University Press
Colecția Southern Illinois University Press
Notă biografică
Joseph R. Fornieri is a professor of political science at the Rochester Institute of Technology and the director of the Center for Statesmanship, Law, and Liberty. He is the author or editor of five books, including Abraham Lincoln’s Political Faith and, with Sara Vaughn Gabbard, Lincoln’s America.
Extras
PREFACE
What makes Lincoln great? The answer to this question inevitably depends on the Nature or character of greatness and the corresponding standard used to judge it. What typifies political greatness as such, and, to what extent does a particular leader embody this standard? Does great-ness include goodness?
In her award-winning book Team of Rivals, Doris Kearns Goodwin attributes Lincoln’s “political genius” to his “success in dealing with the strong egos of the men in his cabinet.” His example reveals “that in the hands of a truly great politician the qualities we generally associate with decency and morality—kindness, sensitivity, compassion, honesty, and empathy—can also be impressive political resources.” Granted that interpersonal skills and managerial abilities were part of Lincoln’s great-ness, his “political genius” cannot be explained in terms of these qualities alone. While Goodwin richly and eloquently details the story of how Lincoln managed his cabinet, her historical narrative does not provide (nor intend to provide) a conceptual framework to identify and evaluate statesmanship as such. This more theoretical aim requires a philosophical account of the Nature or the essence of statesmanship as the marriage of wisdom and power. It necessarily involves a comprehensive inquiry about the function, purpose, and ends of the political art. Such an account of political greatness provides a reliable means of comparison between a true statesman and a mere politician or even a tyrant.
What kind of political leadership best characterizes Lincoln then? Was he a pragmatist, like Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who shunned theoretical inquiry and pursued policies in an experimental trial-and-error manner while evading questions of ultimate meaning? Was he a realist, like Germany’s Bismarck, who believed that the issues of the day were decided by “blood and iron?” Was he an idealist, like some of the abolitionists and social reformers of the time, whose dedication to abstract moral claims overrode all other political considerations, including the limits of public opinion and the rule of law? Was he a revolutionary who supplanted the founding through a “Second American Revolution,” or was he strictly a conservative leader who preserved the status quo ante?
The purpose of this work is to reveal Lincoln’s “political genius” in terms of the traditional moral vision of statesmanship or statecraft as understood by the epic political philosophers Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas, and to do so in an accessible manner. It is my contention that the sixteenth president was a philosopher statesman in whom political thought and action were united. His political greatness combined both theoretical and practical wisdom as those virtues were so clearly and profoundly understood by Aristotle and Aquinas. His speeches contain perennial wisdom about human nature, politics, and democracy. He saved the Union, presided over the end of slavery, and helped give birth to an interracial democracy. I further contend that Lincoln’s character is best understood in terms of Aquinas’s view of magnanimity or greatness of soul, the crowning virtue of statesmanship. True political greatness, according to Aquinas, involves both humility and sacrifice for the common good.
The more theoretical aim of this work does not require proof that Lincoln had read either Aristotle or Aquinas. It does, however, require one’s openness to the possibility of timeless truths about human nature and politics. Indeed, Lincoln himself took for granted the belief in an un-changing human nature that served as the basis of philosophical wisdom about politics. After winning a hard fought election in 1864, he declared: “Human-nature will not change. In any future great national trial, compared with the men of this, we shall have as weak, and as strong; as silly and as wise; as bad and good. Let us, therefore, study the incidents of this, as philosophy to learn wisdom from, and none of them as wrongs to be revenged” (emphasis added). If human nature does not change, as Lincoln believed, then it behooves us to investigate the enduring wisdom of those great minds throughout history who understood it so clearly and profoundly.
By relying on the epic thinkers and books of Western civilization as my guide, I also seek to show the important contribution of normative political philosophy to an understanding of our sixteenth president. This contribution can be summarized in terms of its textual method, its Socratic approach, and its normative evaluation of politics.
The method or modus operandi of the political philosopher involves a close textual analysis of primary sources. This is done in an effort to understand authors as they understand themselves rather than interpreting them through the ideological lens of race, class, or gender. While I rely primarily on Lincoln’s speeches and writings in support of my interpretation, my thinking on the subject has also benefited and built on the outstanding contributions of many fine Lincoln scholars in the various fields of history, literature, and political science. I recognize and engage this secondary literature where it both corroborates and challenges my own interpretation.
In addition to the original sources and secondary literature, my approach as a political philosopher further consults the great books and thinkers in Western political thought for the enduring wisdom about politics and human nature. Throughout I make reference to great minds like Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Kant, and Nietzsche. In so doing, I have attempted to explain in an accessible manner to both experts and non-experts alike how their teachings relate to Lincoln.
Whereas the primary method of the historian is to present a faithful chronology of the past, the political philosopher investigates norms or standards for judging and evaluating politics. In assessing statesmanship, political philosophy takes seriously claims about the reasonableness, universality, and validity of norms like wisdom, prudence, and magnanimity. It is my hope that this work may further in some small way the revival of statesmanship in both theory and practice in our time.
[end of excerpt]
What makes Lincoln great? The answer to this question inevitably depends on the Nature or character of greatness and the corresponding standard used to judge it. What typifies political greatness as such, and, to what extent does a particular leader embody this standard? Does great-ness include goodness?
In her award-winning book Team of Rivals, Doris Kearns Goodwin attributes Lincoln’s “political genius” to his “success in dealing with the strong egos of the men in his cabinet.” His example reveals “that in the hands of a truly great politician the qualities we generally associate with decency and morality—kindness, sensitivity, compassion, honesty, and empathy—can also be impressive political resources.” Granted that interpersonal skills and managerial abilities were part of Lincoln’s great-ness, his “political genius” cannot be explained in terms of these qualities alone. While Goodwin richly and eloquently details the story of how Lincoln managed his cabinet, her historical narrative does not provide (nor intend to provide) a conceptual framework to identify and evaluate statesmanship as such. This more theoretical aim requires a philosophical account of the Nature or the essence of statesmanship as the marriage of wisdom and power. It necessarily involves a comprehensive inquiry about the function, purpose, and ends of the political art. Such an account of political greatness provides a reliable means of comparison between a true statesman and a mere politician or even a tyrant.
What kind of political leadership best characterizes Lincoln then? Was he a pragmatist, like Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who shunned theoretical inquiry and pursued policies in an experimental trial-and-error manner while evading questions of ultimate meaning? Was he a realist, like Germany’s Bismarck, who believed that the issues of the day were decided by “blood and iron?” Was he an idealist, like some of the abolitionists and social reformers of the time, whose dedication to abstract moral claims overrode all other political considerations, including the limits of public opinion and the rule of law? Was he a revolutionary who supplanted the founding through a “Second American Revolution,” or was he strictly a conservative leader who preserved the status quo ante?
The purpose of this work is to reveal Lincoln’s “political genius” in terms of the traditional moral vision of statesmanship or statecraft as understood by the epic political philosophers Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas, and to do so in an accessible manner. It is my contention that the sixteenth president was a philosopher statesman in whom political thought and action were united. His political greatness combined both theoretical and practical wisdom as those virtues were so clearly and profoundly understood by Aristotle and Aquinas. His speeches contain perennial wisdom about human nature, politics, and democracy. He saved the Union, presided over the end of slavery, and helped give birth to an interracial democracy. I further contend that Lincoln’s character is best understood in terms of Aquinas’s view of magnanimity or greatness of soul, the crowning virtue of statesmanship. True political greatness, according to Aquinas, involves both humility and sacrifice for the common good.
The more theoretical aim of this work does not require proof that Lincoln had read either Aristotle or Aquinas. It does, however, require one’s openness to the possibility of timeless truths about human nature and politics. Indeed, Lincoln himself took for granted the belief in an un-changing human nature that served as the basis of philosophical wisdom about politics. After winning a hard fought election in 1864, he declared: “Human-nature will not change. In any future great national trial, compared with the men of this, we shall have as weak, and as strong; as silly and as wise; as bad and good. Let us, therefore, study the incidents of this, as philosophy to learn wisdom from, and none of them as wrongs to be revenged” (emphasis added). If human nature does not change, as Lincoln believed, then it behooves us to investigate the enduring wisdom of those great minds throughout history who understood it so clearly and profoundly.
By relying on the epic thinkers and books of Western civilization as my guide, I also seek to show the important contribution of normative political philosophy to an understanding of our sixteenth president. This contribution can be summarized in terms of its textual method, its Socratic approach, and its normative evaluation of politics.
The method or modus operandi of the political philosopher involves a close textual analysis of primary sources. This is done in an effort to understand authors as they understand themselves rather than interpreting them through the ideological lens of race, class, or gender. While I rely primarily on Lincoln’s speeches and writings in support of my interpretation, my thinking on the subject has also benefited and built on the outstanding contributions of many fine Lincoln scholars in the various fields of history, literature, and political science. I recognize and engage this secondary literature where it both corroborates and challenges my own interpretation.
In addition to the original sources and secondary literature, my approach as a political philosopher further consults the great books and thinkers in Western political thought for the enduring wisdom about politics and human nature. Throughout I make reference to great minds like Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Kant, and Nietzsche. In so doing, I have attempted to explain in an accessible manner to both experts and non-experts alike how their teachings relate to Lincoln.
Whereas the primary method of the historian is to present a faithful chronology of the past, the political philosopher investigates norms or standards for judging and evaluating politics. In assessing statesmanship, political philosophy takes seriously claims about the reasonableness, universality, and validity of norms like wisdom, prudence, and magnanimity. It is my hope that this work may further in some small way the revival of statesmanship in both theory and practice in our time.
[end of excerpt]
Cuprins
CONTENTS
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Wisdom
2. Prudence
3. Duty
4. Magnanimity
5. Rhetoric
6. Patriotism
Conclusion
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index
Gallery of illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Wisdom
2. Prudence
3. Duty
4. Magnanimity
5. Rhetoric
6. Patriotism
Conclusion
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index
Gallery of illustrations
Recenzii
“In this relatively short and highly readable book, Fornieri argues that Abraham Lincoln was not only a great statesman who combined political effectiveness with moral goodness but also a political philosopher in his own right.”—James Fetter, American Political Thought
“An unwavering defense of the greatness of Lincoln’s character as a statesman and philosopher whose qualities played a crucial role in the outcome of the Civil War.—John C. Briggs, Claremont Review of Books
“An exceptional scholarly treatment. Highly recommended for Lincoln scholars, both professional and avocational.”—David J. Kent, author of Lincoln: The Man who Saved America
“Fornieri has written an excellent book explaining what made Lincoln great.”—Rodolfo Hernandez, VogelinView
"Abraham Lincoln, Philosopher Statesman is a judicious and clear-thinking book that makes thoughtful sense of Lincoln’s greatness."—John Burt, Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association
"Fornieri has gone beyond his brethren in successfully synthesizing a portrait of President Lincoln as embodying characteristics—wisdom, prudence, duty, magnanimity, rhetoric, and patriotism—grounded in an impressive understanding of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas, and constituting a level of virtue only truly great servants of a people could achieve."—Bruce Frohen, The Imaginative Conservative
“Abraham Lincoln, Philosopher Statesman draws the connections between Lincoln's deeds and classic political theory as well as political philosophy, ethics, and history. Highly recommended.”—James A. Cox, Midwest Book Review
“In this wonderfully concise work on the politics of Lincoln, Joseph R. Fornieri performs to perfection the task of laying out the lines of Lincoln's politics, not only for his time but also in terms of the seven classical characteristics that make for ‘greatness of soul.’ Put away the treacly little handbooks that promise to deliver Lincoln’s ‘leadership secrets’—here is the real stuff of Lincoln’s statesmanship.”—Allen C. Guelzo, author of Fateful Lightning: A New History of the Civil War and Reconstruction
“By bringing the insights of political philosophy to bear on the study of Abraham Lincoln, Fornieri enriches our understanding of what made the sixteenth president not only a great politician but also a great statesman. Rejecting the cynical notion that a seasoned political operator cannot also be a principled idealist, Fornieri shows that what made Lincoln great was that he was both. Clearly written and passionately argued, this is a book from which scholars can learn but that general readers can enjoy.”—James Oakes, author of Freedom National: The Destruction of Slavery in the United States
“Viewing Lincoln through the lens of political philosophy, Fornieri convincingly shows how the sixteenth president piloted the ship of state prudently between the Scylla of utopian perfectionism and the Charybdis of mere cynical shrewdness.”—Michael Burlingame, Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies, University of Illinois Springfield
“An unwavering defense of the greatness of Lincoln’s character as a statesman and philosopher whose qualities played a crucial role in the outcome of the Civil War.—John C. Briggs, Claremont Review of Books
“An exceptional scholarly treatment. Highly recommended for Lincoln scholars, both professional and avocational.”—David J. Kent, author of Lincoln: The Man who Saved America
“Fornieri has written an excellent book explaining what made Lincoln great.”—Rodolfo Hernandez, VogelinView
"Abraham Lincoln, Philosopher Statesman is a judicious and clear-thinking book that makes thoughtful sense of Lincoln’s greatness."—John Burt, Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association
"Fornieri has gone beyond his brethren in successfully synthesizing a portrait of President Lincoln as embodying characteristics—wisdom, prudence, duty, magnanimity, rhetoric, and patriotism—grounded in an impressive understanding of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas, and constituting a level of virtue only truly great servants of a people could achieve."—Bruce Frohen, The Imaginative Conservative
“Abraham Lincoln, Philosopher Statesman draws the connections between Lincoln's deeds and classic political theory as well as political philosophy, ethics, and history. Highly recommended.”—James A. Cox, Midwest Book Review
“In this wonderfully concise work on the politics of Lincoln, Joseph R. Fornieri performs to perfection the task of laying out the lines of Lincoln's politics, not only for his time but also in terms of the seven classical characteristics that make for ‘greatness of soul.’ Put away the treacly little handbooks that promise to deliver Lincoln’s ‘leadership secrets’—here is the real stuff of Lincoln’s statesmanship.”—Allen C. Guelzo, author of Fateful Lightning: A New History of the Civil War and Reconstruction
“By bringing the insights of political philosophy to bear on the study of Abraham Lincoln, Fornieri enriches our understanding of what made the sixteenth president not only a great politician but also a great statesman. Rejecting the cynical notion that a seasoned political operator cannot also be a principled idealist, Fornieri shows that what made Lincoln great was that he was both. Clearly written and passionately argued, this is a book from which scholars can learn but that general readers can enjoy.”—James Oakes, author of Freedom National: The Destruction of Slavery in the United States
“Viewing Lincoln through the lens of political philosophy, Fornieri convincingly shows how the sixteenth president piloted the ship of state prudently between the Scylla of utopian perfectionism and the Charybdis of mere cynical shrewdness.”—Michael Burlingame, Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies, University of Illinois Springfield
Descriere
A combination of theory and practice in politics cemented Lincoln’s legacy as one of the most talented statesmen in American history. This thoughtful study examines Lincoln’s political intellect in terms of the traditional moral vision of statecraft as understood by the political philosophers Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas.