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A review by rjvrtiska
The Age of American Unreason by Susan Jacoby
4.0
A valuable plunge into the history of an insidious, strategic dumbing down of America. As hard as it is for us to believe in the 21st century, it didn’t start with TicTok, or Facebook, or the internet, nor even the boob-tube. Jacoby unearths the roots, right there behind the creation of American democracy and the touting of personal independence.
Now, 15 years after the book’s publication, on the other side of a particularly egregious example of unreason labeled President and the rise of Fake News, what might it take to turn the tide? What did the Renaissance have that we don’t have? What’s the next Gutenberg press? What situation of experiences will foster the next batch of great thinkers in close enough proximity to sharpen each other? Jacoby’s book seems to rule out America’s upper and middle classes following the current status quo.
(Trigger warning: Jacoby pulls no punches in her treatment of America’s Christian culture and its hand in stifling intellectual conversation and curiosity. As a Christian, I don’t think her points are presented in a balanced way, but, in fairness, American Christianity has rarely encouraged questioning, and generally tends toward fanaticism over criticism. Jacoby’s criticisms deserve consideration.)
Now, 15 years after the book’s publication, on the other side of a particularly egregious example of unreason labeled President and the rise of Fake News, what might it take to turn the tide? What did the Renaissance have that we don’t have? What’s the next Gutenberg press? What situation of experiences will foster the next batch of great thinkers in close enough proximity to sharpen each other? Jacoby’s book seems to rule out America’s upper and middle classes following the current status quo.
(Trigger warning: Jacoby pulls no punches in her treatment of America’s Christian culture and its hand in stifling intellectual conversation and curiosity. As a Christian, I don’t think her points are presented in a balanced way, but, in fairness, American Christianity has rarely encouraged questioning, and generally tends toward fanaticism over criticism. Jacoby’s criticisms deserve consideration.)