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The Public Philosophy Paperback – January 1, 1989

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Walter Lippmann (Author)
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Walter Lippmann (Author), Paul Roazen (Introduction)
4.5 out of 5 stars 8 customer reviews
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 209 pages
  • Publisher: Transaction Publishers; Reprint edition (January 1, 1989)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0887387918
  • ISBN-13: 978-0887387913
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.4 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #957,143 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Top Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 starsOne of Lippmann's most important works
By Steven Peterson TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE VOICE on January 23, 2010
Format: Paperback
Walter Lippmann was an interesting political thinker in the United States during the 20th Century. This is one of his most interesting works. And his ruminations are quite relevant today. A key point at the outset of this work (Page 19): "If I am right in what I have been saying, there has developed in this century a functional derangement of the relationship between the mass of people and the government. The people have acquired power which they are incapable of exercising and the governments--they have lost power which they must recover if they are to govern."

He notes another disjunction--between "the people" and "THE PEOPLE" (my distinction in caps). As Edmund Burke, he does not believe that the people, as in government by the people, refers just to those living. In his view, THE PEOPLE is (Page 32) ". . .a community of the entire living population, and their predecessors and successors." Applicability? In today's toxic political atmosphere, the parties are only interested in their current base and those independents whom they can claim and, perhaps, scraping away some of the other party's supporters. In the process, the past and the future are neglected (again, Burke speaks to the same issue).

Democracies need civility to function; they also need a "public philosophy," based on core values, to bind the country together and to structure political discourse. I suspect that Lippmann would be most distressed to see the partisan divide today (although this is certainly nothing new in American political history). For instance, he argues that such things as an absolute right to property is not appropriate when one has a public philosophy. There is a greater good than the right to property. That gives a taste of his views with one specific example.Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starsImportant reading for troubled political times
By J. Wallace on January 26, 2012
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Walter Lippmann reacquaints us with the basics of democracy. If you are looking for "sound bites" this book isn's a good place to start. If you want to get beyond "partisian" and on to principles, this is a good place to start. I'm starting my re-read--because I don't think I could take in sufficently with a single read, for it is a rich, relevant, and thought provoking book!
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5.0 out of 5 starsLippmann's The Public Philosophy: Still Relevant Today
By E. Robert Statham, Jr., Ph.D. on September 3, 2001
Format: Paperback
Walter Lippmann's The Public Philosophy is as relevant today as when it was written in 1955. His assertion that the traditions and customs of civility are in decline in both America and the West is only reinforced by the growing unreason and incivility of our age.
Lippmann's belief that a role for political philosophy(ers) is of vital importance if our free and democratic institutions are to be preserved is right on the mark. The Socratic pursuit of the "examined" life is more rare today than ever. And yet, for that reason, it is all the more important.
The Public Philosophy is a "classic" and serves as a reminder that the solutions to the problems of democracy are not found in further democratization.
E. Robert Statham, Jr., Ph.D.
University of Guam, U.S.A.
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5.0 out of 5 starsOne of my favorites...
By Doug Pierzynski on August 10, 2002
Format: Paperback
Walter Lippmann is one of my favorite non-fiction writers. He is a brilliant man, and his work has contributed greatly to the modern American political landscape. It's sad to see this book going out of print. Few tomes grant such insight into the fundamental weaknesses of democratic nations. In an age where the United States is the undisputed military power, some have confused democracy with god. It seems democracy is a word thrown around carelessly as a cure all for the world's ills. The Public Philosophy stays true to the Founding Father's fears that a democratic majority is capable of being as oppressive as a monarch. I highly recommend this book to any serious student of political science.
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