vcczar Posted May 17, 2023 Share Posted May 17, 2023 What I mean by this is, who are your favorite political philosophers, political scientists, and historians on US political history. I’m considering a free zoom class, and I could feasibly include someone you like. I have a pretty large list as it is, but I want to keep my options as varied as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pringles Posted May 17, 2023 Share Posted May 17, 2023 (edited) 3 hours ago, vcczar said: What I mean by this is, who are your favorite political philosophers, political scientists, and historians on US political history. I’m considering a free zoom class, and I could feasibly include someone you like. I have a pretty large list as it is, but I want to keep my options as varied as possible. I could definitely name more. But by far: Jon Meacham. (This is also just in the present really.) Edited May 17, 2023 by Pringles 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vcczar Posted May 17, 2023 Author Share Posted May 17, 2023 20 minutes ago, Pringles said: I could definitely name more. But by far: Jon Meacham. (This is also just in the present really.) I see him as more of a biographer than a historian of political history. He lacks the philosophical bent. That said, I haven’t read everything by him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murrman104 Posted May 17, 2023 Share Posted May 17, 2023 Does Rick Perlstein count? His books covering the 1960's to 1980 are the best political history books ive read (and i shamelessly leant on him for like all of my college eassays in the last year) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShortKing Posted May 17, 2023 Share Posted May 17, 2023 This is very modern, but Jonah Goldberg's writings on the state of modern conservatism and the unflinchingly honest assessment of the forces that propelled Trump to prominence having been present for a long time and the failure to excise them then and now have been compelling to me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pringles Posted May 17, 2023 Share Posted May 17, 2023 (edited) 12 minutes ago, vcczar said: I see him as more of a biographer than a historian of political history. He lacks the philosophical bent. That said, I haven’t read everything by him. Biographer is definitely what he’s known for. Most recently I read his book on Abraham Lincoln which is great. But it’s also a statement on our troubled times. He draws a lot of parallels and all round dives in not only to Lincoln but the more abstract ideas as well. I also see him in a lot of historical documentaries, if memory serves me right. Edited May 17, 2023 by Pringles 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DakotaHale Posted May 18, 2023 Share Posted May 18, 2023 Milton Friedman 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WVProgressive Posted May 18, 2023 Share Posted May 18, 2023 Robert Nozick, and John Rawls certainly deserve a mention. As does Hannah Arendt. Thomas Paine, of course. Do figures like Gore Vidal, and Judith Butler count? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vcczar Posted May 18, 2023 Author Share Posted May 18, 2023 34 minutes ago, WVProgressive said: Robert Nozick, and John Rawls certainly deserve a mention. As does Hannah Arendt. Thomas Paine, of course. Do figures like Gore Vidal, and Judith Butler count? Vidal is on my list. I don’t know Judith Butler well, but I’ll look into her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rezi Posted May 18, 2023 Share Posted May 18, 2023 I’m not very well-versed in the area, but as far as my knowledge extends, George Mason comes to mind. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DakotaHale Posted May 19, 2023 Share Posted May 19, 2023 Thomas Paine also 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCblue1 Posted May 20, 2023 Share Posted May 20, 2023 John Kenneth Galbraith and Ayn Rand 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10centjimmy Posted May 22, 2023 Share Posted May 22, 2023 Doris Kearns Goodwin (I'm a sucker for Team of Rivals) Akhil Reed Amar (great review of the development and reasoning behind the Constitution from 1760s to the 1840s) Nancy Isenberg (also a biographer, but some history) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShortKing Posted May 22, 2023 Share Posted May 22, 2023 2 minutes ago, 10centjimmy said: Doris Kearns Goodwin (I'm a sucker for Team of Rivals) Have not read this one yet but Leadership in Turbulent Times by her is also one my most recent favorite reads. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10centjimmy Posted May 22, 2023 Share Posted May 22, 2023 Just now, ShortKing said: Have not read this one yet but Leadership in Turbulent Times by her is also one my most recent favorite reads. That is a great read. I wish it were a couple hundred pages longer to really dive into the various presidents. Also The Bully Pulpit is really fascinating (but more biographical for TR, Taft, and the muckrackers). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rezi Posted May 22, 2023 Share Posted May 22, 2023 Forgot about him until I saw him mentioned in a documentary today, but Henry George as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vcczar Posted May 22, 2023 Author Share Posted May 22, 2023 39 minutes ago, Rezi said: Forgot about him until I saw him mentioned in a documentary today, but Henry George as well. I walk by Henry George's birthplace occasionally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilight Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 On 5/17/2023 at 11:26 AM, vcczar said: What I mean by this is, who are your favorite political philosophers, political scientists, and historians on US political history. I’m considering a free zoom class, and I could feasibly include someone you like. I have a pretty large list as it is, but I want to keep my options as varied as possible. Howard Zinn 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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