Flannery O’Connor and the Perils of Governing by Tenderness

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Politics, History & Theory, Entertainment, Film
Cover of the book Flannery O’Connor and the Perils of Governing by Tenderness by Jerome C. Foss, Lexington Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Jerome C. Foss ISBN: 9781498532600
Publisher: Lexington Books Publication: January 3, 2019
Imprint: Lexington Books Language: English
Author: Jerome C. Foss
ISBN: 9781498532600
Publisher: Lexington Books
Publication: January 3, 2019
Imprint: Lexington Books
Language: English

Flannery O’Connor’s fiction continues to haunt American readers, in part because of its uncanny ability to remind us who we are and what we need. Foss’s book reveals the extent to which O’Connor was a serious reader of the history of political philosophy. She understood the ideas upon which the American regime rests, and she evaluated those ideas from the standpoint of both faith and reason. Foss’s book explains why O’Connor feared that the modern habit to govern by tenderness would lead to terror.

After a thorough account of her familiarity with the history of political philosophy, Foss shows how the works of Plato, Aristotle, Saint Augustine, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Machiavelli, Locke, Rousseau, and Nietzsche inform O’Connor’s stories. This does not mean that O’Connor was writing about politics in the narrow sense. Her vision was deeply theological, and she carefully avoided topical stories that promote social agendas. Her concern was with the health of the American regime more broadly, insofar as the manners of a regime affect citizens’ attitudes toward religion. O’Connor does not present a political theory of her own, but as Foss argues, she was a political philosopher in the original sense of the word. Her stories give clear accounts of her political wisdom. Foss further shows the continued relevance of her wisdom in age dominated by abstract modern theories, such as that of John Rawls.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Flannery O’Connor’s fiction continues to haunt American readers, in part because of its uncanny ability to remind us who we are and what we need. Foss’s book reveals the extent to which O’Connor was a serious reader of the history of political philosophy. She understood the ideas upon which the American regime rests, and she evaluated those ideas from the standpoint of both faith and reason. Foss’s book explains why O’Connor feared that the modern habit to govern by tenderness would lead to terror.

After a thorough account of her familiarity with the history of political philosophy, Foss shows how the works of Plato, Aristotle, Saint Augustine, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Machiavelli, Locke, Rousseau, and Nietzsche inform O’Connor’s stories. This does not mean that O’Connor was writing about politics in the narrow sense. Her vision was deeply theological, and she carefully avoided topical stories that promote social agendas. Her concern was with the health of the American regime more broadly, insofar as the manners of a regime affect citizens’ attitudes toward religion. O’Connor does not present a political theory of her own, but as Foss argues, she was a political philosopher in the original sense of the word. Her stories give clear accounts of her political wisdom. Foss further shows the continued relevance of her wisdom in age dominated by abstract modern theories, such as that of John Rawls.

More books from Lexington Books

Cover of the book Naked Politics by Jerome C. Foss
Cover of the book Victorian Ecocriticism by Jerome C. Foss
Cover of the book Consciousness and Freedom by Jerome C. Foss
Cover of the book Unmasking Identities by Jerome C. Foss
Cover of the book Narratives of the French Empire by Jerome C. Foss
Cover of the book Pan-Tribal Activism in the Pacific Northwest by Jerome C. Foss
Cover of the book Transnational Geographers in the United States by Jerome C. Foss
Cover of the book The American Revolution, State Sovereignty, and the American Constitutional Settlement, 1765–1800 by Jerome C. Foss
Cover of the book The "Inscrutably Chinese" Church by Jerome C. Foss
Cover of the book Constructing Community by Jerome C. Foss
Cover of the book Dissent and Philosophy in the Middle Ages by Jerome C. Foss
Cover of the book That Broader Definition of Liberty by Jerome C. Foss
Cover of the book Transnational Feminist Rhetorics and Gendered Leadership in Global Politics by Jerome C. Foss
Cover of the book Conflict, Bargaining, and Kinship Networks in Medieval Eastern Europe by Jerome C. Foss
Cover of the book The Equal Society by Jerome C. Foss
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy