tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907752.post116553046005251990..comments2024-03-27T07:18:39.229-05:00Comments on In Medias Res: Apologies and a BlegUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907752.post-1166113490899968212006-12-14T10:24:00.000-06:002006-12-14T10:24:00.000-06:00Is PrairyErth too flaky for you? I haven't read it...Is PrairyErth too flaky for you? I haven't read it, actually, so I shouldn't judge, but the reception seems to have been of a book that didn't fit any category, that people didn't quite know what to make of, that was big and a bit odd. But it might be just the thing to engage undergrads from a different angle. <BR/><BR/><A></A><A></A>Posted by<A><B> </B></A><A HREF="http://fistfulofeuros.net" REL="nofollow" TITLE="doug dot merrill at fistfulofeuros dot net">Doug</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907752.post-1165953770258895652006-12-12T14:02:00.000-06:002006-12-12T14:02:00.000-06:00Ed and Helmut, thanks very much! I've heard of Sam...Ed and Helmut, thanks very much! I've heard of Samuel Francis's work before, but have never followed up on any references to it; I'll have to do that now. And the Thompson and Hilde book is completely new to me; sounds like a very interesting take on the topic.Russell Arben Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03366800726360134194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907752.post-1165857041143867972006-12-11T11:10:00.000-06:002006-12-11T11:10:00.000-06:00Coming to KC are you? Well just let me know when....Coming to KC are you? Well just let me know when.... <BR/><BR/><A></A><A></A>Posted by<A><B> </B></A><A HREF="http://www.ecodema.org" REL="nofollow" TITLE="adavans at aol dot com">Alan Avans</A>alanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17402046914486059828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907752.post-1165853582681696252006-12-11T10:13:00.000-06:002006-12-11T10:13:00.000-06:00For some philosophical and historical background, ...For some philosophical and historical background, check out Thompson and Hilde's The Agrarian Roots of Pragmatism. <BR/><BR/><A></A><A></A>Posted by<A><B> </B></A><A HREF="http://phronesisaical.blogspot.com" REL="nofollow" TITLE="helmutblog at yahoo dot com">Helmut</A>helmuthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09069600766378586919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907752.post-1165733859677679642006-12-10T00:57:00.000-06:002006-12-10T00:57:00.000-06:00You might take a look at Samuel Francis's work, es...You might take a look at Samuel Francis's work, especially Revolution from the Middle or Beautiful Losers, particularly his discussion in the latter of Middle American Radicals (MARs). His argument, briefly, is that contemporary liberalism (including Republicans of the more traditional sort) represents the interests of the managerial class. So political conservatism in the 80's turned to the alienated middle class as a source of power, by explicitly oppossing the elites (it's not strikingly originial, but he is clearer than most). When I taught a course on conservatism last spring, it was the readings from Francis that crystalized for my students how traditional conservatism turned into the current populist right. Sure fits with the theme you're describing. Also, Francis is himself a conservative, even if he sometimes reads like a sociologist, which helps defuse the suspicions of conservative students about this sort of account of the sources of their own beliefs. <BR/><BR/><A></A><A></A>Posted by<A><B> </B></A>Ed WingenbachAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907752.post-1165673215943576482006-12-09T08:06:00.000-06:002006-12-09T08:06:00.000-06:00I think I use the term "liberal republican" in the...I think I use the term "liberal republican" in the same way that Michael Sandel uses "civic republican", and I probably should have used his term. <BR/><BR/>At anyrate, I sometimes get the feeling that if one were to simply mouth the ideals that our ancestors espoused, and did so in their words that our contemporary fellows first reaction would be to condemn our "communist" tendencies. LOL.  <BR/><BR/><A></A><A></A>Posted by<A><B> </B></A><A HREF="http://www.cdusa.org" REL="nofollow" TITLE="adavans at aol dot com">Alan Avans</A>alanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17402046914486059828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907752.post-1165614710076641292006-12-08T15:51:00.000-06:002006-12-08T15:51:00.000-06:00Jeremiah, Alan, Ken: thanks very much! I've seen s...Jeremiah, Alan, Ken: thanks very much! I've seen several references to Norman Pollack's work in some of the stuff I've read, Jeremiah, but I've not read anything by him myself; I'll have to check him out. Alan, you're right, it would be a good idea to begin with the roots of populism in various farmer movements and alliances...though unfortunately, I don't know how much of that material I would be able to justify in the context of the course, since I'm not sure early-to-mid 19th-century liberal republican ideas played much of a role in Kansas history itself, the state having such a byproduct of Civil War tensions. Still, perhaps I'll take a journey up to UMKC over the holiday break to do some research before the semester begins (maybe we could meet up there sometime?). And Ken, thanks for reminding my of <I>Who Owns America?</I>: I've been meaning to read that for a while, and now is as good a time as any to get around to it. As for Wes Jackson's Land Institute, I'm actually hoping to arrange a field trip for the class up to Salinas, though that still remains to be worked out.Russell Arben Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03366800726360134194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907752.post-1165590804125099202006-12-08T09:13:00.000-06:002006-12-08T09:13:00.000-06:00I think it is important to survey the ideology of ...I think it is important to survey the ideology of the proto-populists like the various granger organizations and the Farmers Alliance, since they are the bridge between early 20th century populism and liberal republican ideals of the early-to-mid 19th. Lot of material available on this at UMKC. <BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>  <BR/><BR/><A></A><A></A>Posted by<A><B> </B></A><A HREF="http://inmedias.blogspot.com/2006/12/apologies-and-bleg.html#comments" REL="nofollow" TITLE="adavans at aol dot com">Alan Avans</A>alanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17402046914486059828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907752.post-1165539948757380722006-12-07T19:05:00.000-06:002006-12-07T19:05:00.000-06:00I just finished teaching a state and local politic...I just finished teaching a state and local politics course, where I tried to incorporate some stuff from a rural politics course project I am still working on. I'm familiar with some the books you have listed, and I like them. The only thing I really have to add is Norman Pollack's stuff, though I can't recall how much has to do with Kansas specifically (I think at least some).<BR/><BR/> <BR/><BR/><A></A><A></A>Posted by<A><B> </B></A><A HREF="http://inmedias.blogspot.com/2006/12/apologies-and-bleg.html" REL="nofollow" TITLE="jjohn at nd dot edu">Jeremiah J.</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com