The Shape of the New : Four Big Ideas and How They Made the Modern World

How four revolutionary ideas from the Enlightenment shaped today's world This panoramic book tells the story of how revolutionary ideas from the Enlightenment about freedom, equality, evolution, and democracy have reverberated through modern history and shaped the world as we know it today. A testament to the enduring power of ideas, The Shape of the New offers unforgettable portraits of Adam Smith, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Charles Darwin, and Karl Marx—heirs of the Enlightenment who embodied its highest ideals about progress—and shows how their thoughts, over time and in the hands of their followers and opponents, transformed the very nature of our beliefs, institutions, economies, and politics. Yet these ideas also hold contradictions. They have been used in the service of brutal systems such as slavery and colonialism, been appropriated and twisted by monsters like Stalin and Hitler, and provoked reactions against the Enlightenment's legacy by Islamic Salafists and the Christian Religious Right. The Shape of the New argues that it is impossible to understand the ideological and political conflicts of our own time without familiarizing ourselves with the history and internal tensions of these world-changing ideas. With passion and conviction, it exhorts us to recognize the central importance of these ideas as historical forces and pillars of the Western humanistic tradition. It makes the case that to read the works of the great thinkers is to gain invaluable insights into the ideas that have shaped how we think and what we believe. "The Shape of the New tells the story of how revolutionary ideas from the Enlightenment about freedom, equality, evolution, and democracy have reverberated through modern history and shaped the world as we know it today. A testament to the enduring power of ideas, The Shape of the New offers unforgettable portraits of Adam Smith, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Charles Darwin, and Karl Marx--heirs of the Enlightenment who embodied its highest ideals about progress--and shows how their thoughts, over time and in the hands of their followers and opponents, transformed the very nature of our beliefs, institutions, economies, and politics. Yet these ideas also hold contradictions. They have been used in the service of brutal systems such as slavery and colonialism, been appropriated and twisted by monsters like Stalin and Hitler, and provoked reactions against the Enlightenment's legacy by Islamic Salafists and the Christian Religious Right. The Shape of the New argues that it is impossible to understand the ideological and political conflicts of our own time without familiarizing ourselves with the history and internal tensions of these world-changing ideas."--Page 4 de la couverture Authors Montgomery and Chirot make the case that to read the works of the great thinkers is to gain insight into the ideas shape how we think and what we believe. They provide portraits of heirs of the Enlightenment that embodied its highest ideals about progress: Adam Smith, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Charles Darwin, and Karl Marx. Over time and in the hands of their followers and opponents, their thoughts transformed the nature of our beliefs, institutions, economies, and politics. Contradictions in these ideas have been used in the service of brutal systems such as slavery and colonialism; appropriated and twisted by monsters like Stalin and Hitler, and provoked reactions against the Enlightenment's legacy by Islamic Salafists and the Christian Religious Right. Montgomery and Chirot argue that in order to understand the ideological and political conflicts of today, we must familiarize ourselves with the history and internal tensions of these world-changing ideas. With passion and conviction, they compel us to recognize their central importance as historical forces and pillars of the Western humanistic tradition--From page 2 of cover Examines Adam Smith, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Charles Darwin, And Karl Marx--heirs Of The Enlightenment Who Embodied Its Highest Ideals About Progress--and Shows How Their Thoughts, Over Time And In The Hands Of Their Followers And Opponents, Transformed The Very Nature Of Our Beliefs, Institutions, Economies, And Politics--amazon.com. Adam Smith: The Science Of Man, Morality, And Money -- Karl Marx: The Tragic Consequences Of A Brilliant Theory -- Charles Darwin: Struggle And Selection In The Realm Of Ideas -- Making Democracy: The Jefferson-hamilton Debates -- Counter-enlightenment: From Anti-modernism To Fascism -- Modernizing An Ancient God: Evangelical Christianity In America -- Purifying Islam: The Muslim Reaction Against The Western Enlightenment -- Conclusion: The Power Of Ideas And The Importance Of The Humanities. Scott L. Montgomery And Daniel Chirot. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 439-471) And Index. Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- CONTENTS -- Preface to the Paperback Edition -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- INTRODUCTION: Ideas as Historical Forces -- PART I: INVENTORS OF MODERNITY AND WHAT BECAME OF THEIR IDEAS -- 1 Adam Smith: The Science of Man, Morality, and Money -- 2 Karl Marx: The Tragic Consequences of a Brilliant Theory -- 3 Charles Darwin: Struggle and Selection in the Realm of Ideas -- 4 Making Democracy: The Jefferson-Hamilton Debates -- PART II: SECULAR AND RELIGIOUS REACTIONS AGAINST ENLIGHTENMENT -- 5 Counter-Enlightenment: From Antimodernism to Fascism -- 6 Christian Fundamentalism: The Politics of God in America -- 7 Purifying Islam: The Muslim Reaction against the Western Enlightenment -- CONCLUSION: The Power of Ideas and the Importance of the Humanities -- Bibliography -- Index