The age of American unreason

in a culture of lies

364 pages

English language

Published April 4, 2018

ISBN:
978-0-525-43652-2
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OCLC Number:
989962322

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(3 reviews)

"A cultural history of the last forty years, The Age of American Unreason focuses on the convergence of social forces--usually treated as separate entities--that has created a perfect storm of anti-rationalism. These include the upsurge of religious fundamentalism, with more political power today than ever before; the failure of public education to create an informed citizenry; and the triumph of video over print culture. Sparing neither the right nor the left, Jacoby asserts that Americans today have embraced a universe of 'junk thought' that makes almost no effort to separate fact from opinion"--Provided by the publisher.

5 editions

Review of 'The age of American unreason' on 'Goodreads'

This books is an excellent survey of anti-intellectualism in America. Jacoby traces the roots of this aspect of American culture and illustrates how it continues to be perpetuated. It is especially frightening that ignorance, illogic and emotionalism have managed to be elevated to virtues in popular culture. Effective self-governance in a democracy depends on an educated population capable of making logical decisions based on dispassionate evaluations of evidence, so the anti-rational trends Jacoby describes threaten the basic foundations of the country.

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Subjects

  • Mass media
  • Popular culture
  • Social values
  • Reason
  • Civilization
  • American National characteristics
  • Social conditions
  • Social psychology

Places

  • United States