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A review by drbobcornwall
Moral Man and Immoral Society by Reinhold Niebuhr
5.0
Published in 1932 "Moral Man and Immoral Society" continues to speak with wisdom and clarity to the issues humans face. While individuals may have a certain sense of morality, society exists on a very different plane. Hypocrisy and self-preservation stand at the heart of human society, and humans are often compromised by it.
While not everything in this book transcends time, it is amazingly prescient about the political troubles we face. One of the issues he handles head on is our desire to see ourselves as morally pure, and that our actions are morally pure. But sin taints us. The need we have is forgiveness and humility, for we all share a common dilemma. This is illustrated in Niebuhr's discussion of coercion near the end of the book. Coercion of some form will exist in society. Nonviolent coercion can be highly effective, but one must recognize that even nonviolent coercion can cause property damage and harm to others. Think of the effect of a boycott on workers who make a product. Consider an embargo -- the people of a nation facing a blockade may find themselves suffering and even dying as a result.
Whether one is a Niebuhrian or not this is a must read.
Niebuhr is a theologian and an ethicist. He deals with matters of faith in his works, though this is less overtly religious than other works. Nonetheless wisdom drawn from Christianity pervades the book.
Read it again in 2017 -- still a must read!
While not everything in this book transcends time, it is amazingly prescient about the political troubles we face. One of the issues he handles head on is our desire to see ourselves as morally pure, and that our actions are morally pure. But sin taints us. The need we have is forgiveness and humility, for we all share a common dilemma. This is illustrated in Niebuhr's discussion of coercion near the end of the book. Coercion of some form will exist in society. Nonviolent coercion can be highly effective, but one must recognize that even nonviolent coercion can cause property damage and harm to others. Think of the effect of a boycott on workers who make a product. Consider an embargo -- the people of a nation facing a blockade may find themselves suffering and even dying as a result.
Whether one is a Niebuhrian or not this is a must read.
Niebuhr is a theologian and an ethicist. He deals with matters of faith in his works, though this is less overtly religious than other works. Nonetheless wisdom drawn from Christianity pervades the book.
Read it again in 2017 -- still a must read!