A Tolerable Anarchy: Rebels, Reactionaries, and the Making of American Freedom

In A Tolerable Anarchy, Jedediah Purdy traces the history of the American understanding of freedom, an ideal that has inspired the country's best--and worst--moments, from independence and emancipation to war and economic uncertainty. Working from portraits of famous American lives, like Frederick Douglas and Ralph Waldo Emerson, Purdy asks crucial questions about our relationship to liberty: Does capitalism perfect or destroy freedom? Does freedom mean following tradition, God's word, or one's own heart? Can a nation of individuals also be a community of citizens? This is history that speaks plainly to our lives today, urging readers to explore our understanding of our country and ourselves, and a provocative look at one of America's cherished principles.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Published: 03/09/2010
ISBN: 9781400095841
Pages: 304
Weight: 0.50lbs
Size: 7.96h x 5.52w x 0.65d

Review Citations: New York Times Book Review 03/28/2010 pg. 22