An Aristocracy of Everyone: The Politics of Education and the Future of America [Paperback]

Benjamin R. Barber (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 019509154X | ISBN-13: 978-0195091540 | Publication Date: March 31, 1994

In this timely, witty, and readable account, Barber emphatically shows that education must emphasize democracy as much as it does the pursuit of excellence. With such an education, young Americans will gain nothing less than an apprenticeship in liberty-one grounded in a renewed commitment to community service-an idea that Barber put into practice at Rutgers University, and one which President Clinton has embraced as the key to a revitalized America.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Hard to put down, Professor barber's attack on both liberal and conservative critics of the American education system is persuasive and powerful....His allusions and notes are copious and instructive, sending the reader off to other sources to read more. He makes both the novice and the veteran teacher rethink the mission of American education."--KLIATT, November 1994

"This is one of the most intelligent and passionate books about education and democracy that I've read in a long, long time."--Albert Shanker, President, American Federation of Teachers

"I want to compliment Professor Benjamin Barber for his leadership and service."--President Bill Clinton in remarks made during his National Service Address

"Exciting, controversial, but intellectually stimulating....[A] truly remarkable book."--Library Journal

About the Author

Benjamin R. Barber is Gershon and Carol Kekst Professor of Civil Society and the Wilson H. Elkins Professor at The Maryland School of Public Affairs at University of Maryland. He is also the author of Strong Democracy: Participatory Politics for a New Age (1984) and The Conquest of Politics (1988).

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (March 31, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 019509154X
• ISBN-13: 978-0195091540
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,360,514 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Striking a Balance in the Culture Wars, February 2, 2004

By 

Bruce Vandal from St. Paul - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Aristocracy of Everyone: The Politics of Education and the Future of America (Paperback)

An Aristocracy of Everyone is absolutely the best book I have read on the culture wars and its implications for education. Dr. Barber provides a reasoned and well researched critique of both the left and the right in his analysis. His main conclusion that ultimately what is lost in the debate over what is and should be taught in our schools is the fundamental lesson that an appreciation for democracy and civic engagement is the most critical outcome for our education system.

Barber, along with others such as Harry Boyte, Robert Putnam, and Robert Bellah are the key leaders in the movement to revitalize our American Democracy and the need for greater civic engagement.

This book provides the essential philosophical arguments for the civic movement that sustains the vision of Dr. King and the Civil Rights movement.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Excellent in Parts, Rather Esoteric in Others, March 7, 2011

By 

CrimsonGirl "homeschooling mom" (S.F. Bay Area, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: An Aristocracy of Everyone: The Politics of Education and the Future of America (Paperback)

The style of "An Aristocracy of Everyone" reminds me very much of the book Dr. Barber devotes a full chapter to criticizing, Allan Bloom's Closing Of The American Mind - How Higher Education Has Failed Democracy And Impoverished The Souls Of Today's Students. A quick read it isn't- the reader should be forewarned that it gets into some fairly lengthy and somewhat esoteric philosophical discussions. Barber assumes that his audience is thoroughly familiar with not just the big name philosophers (Socrates, Plato, Nietzsche, Rousseau, etc.) but also many of the lesser ones as well. It struck me as rather too academic for a general audience but too polemical for an academic audience- like he just couldn't decide what kind of book he wanted to write.

The book is the strongest where Dr. Barber leaves aside esoteric philosophical discussions and considers some very thought-provoking questions about education and democracy. Is it possible to have an "aristocracy of everyone"? Can there be excellence in education for all, or is "dumbing down" to the lowest common denominator inevitable? How should schools balance the competing interests of pure intellectual inquiry in the humanities and basic sciences with vocational training and practical applications? How should they balance teaching the traditional literary canon with a desire to be inclusive and also relevant to their diverse students? How can schools foster community-building and civic engagement?

I don't necessarily agree with Dr. Barber's answers to these questions (after all, he is a secular liberal, I'm a moderately conservative Christian). I had to roll my eyes at all the P.C. references to race, gender, social class, etc. and the oh-so-deliberate use of "she" as the default singular pronoun. Okay, I get why he didn't want to use the masculine singular, but he could've easily re-written most of the sentences to use the gender-neutral plural "they". I also did not care for Dr. Barber's attitude towards Christianity in general and the Catholic Church in particular. The book would've been stronger had he kept a more neutral tone in that regard.

Overall, however, I am glad that I read "An Aristocracy of Everyone" and do recommend it to those who are willing to wade through all the philosophy.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book, October 26, 2010

By 

CoalTrain1 - See all my reviews

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This review is from: An Aristocracy of Everyone: The Politics of Education and the Future of America (Paperback)

I read this book years ago. I have given it as a gift many times. Every educator and administrator needs to read this.