Description
Book SynopsisThis collection presents Brownson's developed political theory, in which he devotes central attention to connecting Catholicism to American politics.
Trade Review"Orestes Brownson was one of the most prolific political philosophers in American history and one of the most brilliant. To summarize the philosophy of such a productive, complex, and sometimes contradictory figure is a daunting task, which Michael Federici nevertheless accomplishes surprisingly well in the introduction to this volume. Federici has a gift for synthesis and a clear expository style that renders deep philosophical issues accessible to nonspecialists, not to mention undergraduates." —Walter A. McDougall, Alloy-Ansin Professor of International Relations and professor of history, University of Pennsylvania
"Michael Federici has perceptively put his finger on what is perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Orestes Brownson's thinking—the paradoxical combination of conservative and radical impulses. Brownson combines the chastened view of human nature derived from a belief in man's fallenness with the zeal of a meliorist humanitarianism." —Ryan Robert Holston, Virginia Military Institute
"Brownson's argument is compelling on two grounds: first, for how it interprets the federal system itself, refusing to see the states as merely subordinate to the federal government . . . and, second, and more importantly, for Brownson's refusal of the contract or compact theory that is the foundational error of all modern political thinking. Brownson returns to Aristotle, understanding the state as a natural eventuation and means to the fulfillment of man's political nature. . . . [Brownson's thinking] serves as a wonderful and generous guide for those modern political philosophers who have returned to ancient and medieval theories of political life." —James Matthew Wilson, Villanova University
"Reading Brownson is indeed bracing, and Federici’s volume is well worth the time, if only to remember a day when intellectual life in America grappled with our deepest moral, intellectual, and theological questions with an optimism, indeed faith, that the American project had much to offer both its own inhabitants and the world." —The Review of Politics
“Michael P. Federici’s detailed introduction and selections reveal Brownson’s most important Catholic writings, including long excerpts from Brownson’s own conversion narrative. . . . Brownson’s contributions to American political thought are significant because he raised essential questions regarding political order and provided insights into the United States’ spiritual foundations.” —Reading Religion
“Federici’s thoughtful introduction and his wise selections make available Brownson’s thoughts on religious freedom, America’s purpose, the role of Catholics in America, American constitutionalism, the Civil War and the Reconstruction Amendments, as well as his conversion to Catholicism and his incisive critique of humanitarianism.” —University Bookman
“The Catholic Writings of Orestes Brownson is a collection of thirteen essays that articulate the political and religious thoughts of a pioneer thinker. . . . Michael P. Federici has carefully selected and edited these classic Brownson texts as a brilliant general introduction to the material.” —Catholic Library World
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Abbreviations
Editor’s Introduction
1. The Day-Star of Freedom (April 1856)
2. The Church and the Republic (July 1856)
3. Mission of America (October 1856)
4. The Convert (September 1857)
5. The Great Rebellion (July 1861)
6. State Rebellion, State Suicide (April 1862)
7. The Federal Constitution (January 1864)
8. The President’s Message and Proclamation (January 1864)
9. Liberalism and Progress (October 1864)
10. Beecherism and its Tendencies (January 1871)
11. The Papacy and the Republic (January 1873)
12. The Democratic Principle (April 1873)
13. Constitutional Guaranties (April 1874)
Index
