Gertrude Himmelfarb Libros

Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign. The whole of John Stuart Mill's On Liberty is dedicated to this simple principle. While many of his immediate predecessors and contemporaries, from Adam Smith to Godwin and Thoreau, had celebrated liberty, it was Mill who organized the idea into a philosophy and put it into the form in which it is known today. In this text, Mill argues that liberty must play a central role in social policy, necessitating a redrawing of the line between the authority wielded by the state and the independence of the individual.

One of America's most distinguished intellectual historians explores the minds and lives of some of the most brilliant and provocative thinkers of modern times, including John Stuart Mill, Benjamin Disraeli, Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and Michael Oakeshott.

Gertrude Himmelfarb's elegant and wonderfully readable work, The Roads to Modernity, reclaims the Enlightenment from historians who have downgraded its importance and from scholars who have given preeminence to the Enlightenment in France over concurrent movements in England and in America.

The collection showcases Milton Himmelfarb's insightful essays that traverse social, political, and theological themes. His unique perspectives range from discussions on influential thinkers like Leo Strauss and Spinoza to reflections on significant historical events, including the Holocaust and the role of religion in society. Compiled by his sister, historian Gertrude Himmelfarb, these sixteen essays provide a rich blend of literary enjoyment, intellectual stimulation, and political insight, highlighting Himmelfarb's relevance and depth as an essayist.

The exploration of George Eliot's unique perspective on Judaism reveals the complexities of her identity as a Victorian woman and a non-Jewish author. The book delves into her motivations for championing Jewish themes, particularly the aspirations for nationhood and statehood, highlighting her significant contribution to English literature and her empathy towards a marginalized community. It examines the intersection of her beliefs and literary endeavors, offering insights into her remarkable legacy.

From one of today's most respected historians and cultural critics comes a new book examining the gulf in American society--a division that cuts across class, racial, ethnic, political and sexual lines.One side originated in the tradition of republican virtue, the other in the counterculture of the late 1960s. Himmelfarb argues that, while the latter generated the dominant culture of today-particularly in universities, journalism, television, and film--a "dissident culture" continues to promote the values of family, a civil society, sexual morality, privacy, and patriotism. Proposing democratic remedies for our moral and cultural diseases, Himmelfarb concludes that it is a tribute to Americans that we remain "one nation" even as we are divided into "two cultures."

Exploring the influence of Darwinism on the intellectual landscape of the nineteenth century, this work presents a biographical, historical, and philosophical analysis that questions the traditional perception of Darwin's significance. It delves into the broader implications of his theories, offering a critical examination of their impact on contemporary thought. The book is praised for its comprehensive and insightful approach, making it a valuable resource for understanding the complexities surrounding Darwin's legacy.

As the debate over values grows ever more divisive, one of the most eminent historians of the Victorian era reminds readers that values are no substitute for virtues--and that the Victorian considered hard work, thrift, respectability, and charity virtues essential to a worthwhile life. "An elegant, literate defense of ninteenth-century English mores and morals."--New York.

"The Roads to Modernity reclaims the Enlightenment - an extraordinary time bursting with new ideas about the human condition in the realms of politics, society, and religion - from historians who have downgraded its importance and from scholars who have given preeminence to the Enlightenment in France over concurrent movements in England and America. Contrasting the Enlightenments in the three nations, Gertrude Himmelfarb demonstrates the primacy of the British and the wisdom and foresight of thinkers such as Adam Smith, David Hume, Thomas Paine, the Earl of Shaftesbury, Edward Gibbon, and Edmund Burke, who established its unique character and historic importance. It is this Enlightenment, she argues, that created a moral and social philosophy - humane, compassionate, and realistic - that still resonates strongly today, in America perhaps ever more so than in Europe." "This is a contribution to the history of ideas."--BOOK JACKET.