Description
Book SynopsisConsiders the natural rights arguments by which Frederick Douglass confronted race in America. Peter Myers examines the philosophic core of Douglass’s political thought, offering a greater understanding of its depth and coherence.
Trade Review"A first-rate exposition of Douglas’s political philosophy, and a testament to his personal strength, character, and abiding faith in America."—Political Science Quarterly
"Taken all in all, Myers’s volume is the best contribution to understanding Douglass in a generation."—Claremont Review of Books
"Myers’s book is an incisive and comprehensive examination of the political thought of the greatest of all black abolitionists. But it is more than that. As a fervent defense of Douglass’s ‘natural rights liberalism’ it makes a significant contribution to current debates on the meaning of liberty and equality."—George M. Fredrickson, author of Racism: A Short History
"A beautiful, thoughtful, deeply felt volume that not only gives us the greatness of Douglass as he was in his time, but his continuing relevance in ours."—Michael P. Zuckert, author of Launching Liberalism: On Lockean Political Philosophy
"A splendidly persuasive new interpretation."—Wilson J. Moses, author of Creative Conflict in African American Thought
Table of Contents
- Preface and Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1. “Killed All the Day Long”: The True Philosophy of Slavery
- 2. The Moral Government of the Universe: Natural Rights, Natural Law, and the Natural Demise of Slavery
- 3. “The Pound of Flesh, but Not One Drop of Blood”: The Constitution against Slavery
- 4. “Let Us Alone”: Race and the Constitution of Liberty
- 5. The Waves and the Sea: Race, America, and Humanity
- Conclusion
- Notes
- Index
