We Must Not Be Enemies

Restoring America's Civic Tradition

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Government, Civics, Reference & Language, Language Arts, Communication, History, Americas, United States
Cover of the book We Must Not Be Enemies by Michael Austin, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Michael Austin ISBN: 9781538121269
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Publication: May 15, 2019
Imprint: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Language: English
Author: Michael Austin
ISBN: 9781538121269
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Publication: May 15, 2019
Imprint: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Language: English

At the end of his first inaugural address, delivered to a nation deeply divided and on the brink of civil war, Abraham Lincoln concluded, “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies.” Lincoln’s words ring true today, especially for a new generation raised on political discourse that consists of vitriolic social media and the echo chambers of polarized news media.

In We Must Not Be Enemies, Michael Austin combines American history, classical theories of democracy, and cognitive psychology to argue that the health of our democracy depends on our ability to disagree about important things while remaining friends. He argues that individual citizens can dramatically improve the quality of our democracy by changing the way that we interact with one another. Each of his main chapters advances a single argument, supported by contemporary evidence and drawing on lessons from American history. The seven arguments at the heart of the book are:

  1. We need to learn how to be better friends with people we disagree with.
  2. We should disagree more with people we already consider our friends.
  3. We should argue for things and not just against things.
  4. We have a moral responsibility to try to persuade other people to adopt positions that we consider morally important.
  5. We have to understand what constitutes a good argument if we want to do more than shout at people and call them names.
  6. We must realize that we are wrong about a lot of things that we think we are right about.
  7. We should treat people with charity and kindness, not out of a sense of moral duty (though that’s OK too), but because these are good rhetorical strategies in a democratic society.

For anyone disturbed by the increasingly coarse and confrontational tone of too much of our political dialogue, We Must Not Be Enemies provides an essential starting point to restore the values that have provided the foundation for America’s tradition of democratic persuasion.

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

At the end of his first inaugural address, delivered to a nation deeply divided and on the brink of civil war, Abraham Lincoln concluded, “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies.” Lincoln’s words ring true today, especially for a new generation raised on political discourse that consists of vitriolic social media and the echo chambers of polarized news media.

In We Must Not Be Enemies, Michael Austin combines American history, classical theories of democracy, and cognitive psychology to argue that the health of our democracy depends on our ability to disagree about important things while remaining friends. He argues that individual citizens can dramatically improve the quality of our democracy by changing the way that we interact with one another. Each of his main chapters advances a single argument, supported by contemporary evidence and drawing on lessons from American history. The seven arguments at the heart of the book are:

  1. We need to learn how to be better friends with people we disagree with.
  2. We should disagree more with people we already consider our friends.
  3. We should argue for things and not just against things.
  4. We have a moral responsibility to try to persuade other people to adopt positions that we consider morally important.
  5. We have to understand what constitutes a good argument if we want to do more than shout at people and call them names.
  6. We must realize that we are wrong about a lot of things that we think we are right about.
  7. We should treat people with charity and kindness, not out of a sense of moral duty (though that’s OK too), but because these are good rhetorical strategies in a democratic society.

For anyone disturbed by the increasingly coarse and confrontational tone of too much of our political dialogue, We Must Not Be Enemies provides an essential starting point to restore the values that have provided the foundation for America’s tradition of democratic persuasion.

More books from Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Cover of the book The First World War by Michael Austin
Cover of the book Teaching, Training, and Administration in Graduate Psychology Programs by Michael Austin
Cover of the book Dutiful Correspondent by Michael Austin
Cover of the book Experiencing David Bowie by Michael Austin
Cover of the book Jspr Vol 29-N1 by Michael Austin
Cover of the book Scattering Seeds by Michael Austin
Cover of the book Integrating Performance and Budgets by Michael Austin
Cover of the book Mexico's Cinema by Michael Austin
Cover of the book Envy Theory by Michael Austin
Cover of the book Motivating Minds by Michael Austin
Cover of the book Adding Parents to the Equation by Michael Austin
Cover of the book The Search for the Man in the Iron Mask by Michael Austin
Cover of the book Teachers at Their Best by Michael Austin
Cover of the book A History of the Food of Paris by Michael Austin
Cover of the book A Regional Geography of the United States and Canada by Michael Austin
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