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 Susan Jacoby on William Goetzmann’s ‘Beyond the Revolution’Posted on Apr 10, 2009
By Susan Jacoby (Page 3) “Perhaps it was part of the South’s general emotional posture before the irrational assaults of the abolitionists,” Goetzmann argues, “perhaps it was his very close connection with the Bank of South Carolina, which owned mortgages on many of the slaves in his native state, perhaps it was his own status as slaveholder that made Calhoun so vigorous in his defense of the sordid institution.” Perhaps? What “perhaps” is there about it? Goetzmann also suggests that Calhoun’s attachment to slavery stemmed from his “long-held view of predestination and the dependent role of man in the world.” It is certainly true that one of the great intellectual divides in this nation, then and now, is the chasm between religion that accommodates itself to secular knowledge and biblically literal religion that rejects any secular knowledge contradicting the Bible. Yet Goetzmann has almost nothing to say about Southern intellectuals forced out of their native region by their moral and intellectual anti-slavery convictions. As a counterpoint to Calhoun, the author might have picked two anti-slavery intellectuals from his state, the Charleston-born sisters Angelina and Sarah Grimké. The Grimké sisters were Quakers who, in the 1830s, scandalized conservative New England clerics by speaking out against slavery in public at a time when women rarely raised their voices in open forums—much less before mixed audiences of men and women, blacks and whites.
Beyond the Revolution
By William H. Goetzmann
Basic Books, 480 pages
Although “Beyond the Revolution” includes now-obligatory chapters on female and African-American intellectuals, these sections are unsatisfying because Goetzmann barely mentions many major figures and includes many minor ones who are really historical curios rather than a part of mainstream American intellectual history. It is astonishing, for example, that the chapter on women details the checkered career of Woodhull and barely mentions Lucretia Mott, who, along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, was the moving spirit of the Seneca Falls women’s rights convention and a prolific writer and speaker from the 1830s until her death in 1880. Instead, Goetzmann devotes pages to the story of Jane Storm McManus, a peripatetic adventurer known chiefly for her devotion to the cause of Texas independence and for the number of men who fought duels on her behalf. McManus is an interesting character, but she is an important figure neither in general American intellectual history nor in women’s history. Perhaps it is wiser for scholars who received their training more than 50 years ago—when neither women nor African-Americans were part of the scholarly canon—to acknowledge their limitations rather than to provide idiosyncratic tidbits about portions of history that were given short shrift by higher education until the late 1960s. That said, there is much of value in this sweeping history when the author is talking about subjects that fall within his area of expertise. His chapter on the role of intellectuals and serious naturalists in the exploration of the West, as might be expected from his earlier prizewinning work, is exemplary. There is a wealth of material here to support the thesis that even those parts of American culture thought to be most uniquely American were never divorced from European civilization. John C. Frémont’s poetic yet precise descriptions of his journey along the Oregon Trail were greatly enhanced by the work of his Prussian cartographer, Charles Preuss. Indeed, Frémont was an admirer and correspondent of the great Prussian explorer Alexander von Humboldt. The unevenness of this book, ranging from fascinating stories combining intellect and adventurousness to stultifying attempts to pin the intellectual label on unsuitable donkeys, only reinforces the wisdom of the chestnut that every decent high school English teacher proffers to aspiring adolescent authors: “Write about what you know.” 1Scott Baier, Sean Mulholland, Chad Turner, Robert Tamura, “Income and Education of the States of the United States of American: 1840-2000.” Working Paper 2004-31.
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By Trithoverlies, April 17, 2009 at 10:38 pm Link to this comment
What does you Vitrolic hatred of the last 8 Years have to do with what this article is about? Bush for your Imformation did more to keep anymore terrorist attacks from happening, (not Man made desasters) as The director of Homeland Security called terrorist acts. Torture 3 top Terrorist were put through water boarding and thane Bush stoppped the program. As to sleep deprevation many more Americans survive on weeks of it while it was only used on thirty select terrorist and it is not torture unless you are one of the leftiost that doesn’t believe any socialist Country does this Stop ragging on the U.S.A. and get real about the true enemy of Freedom The Radical Facist Muslims and their wanting to bring Saria Law to a neighborhood near you and get made at the socalled Judges that say American Common Law can Live side-by-side when both are Diametrically opposed to each other. I have had it with the My Country is alway wrong attitude of the far left so if you want to criticize a Country for Human Rights Abusses why don’t you say someting about Iran where Homosexuals are being hung, or Venezuela where peoples property rights are being stolen by Hugeo “Oh” Hugo Cheapvest “Oh” I mean Chevez, and our darling North Korean starve your people to death dictator.
Report thisTrithoverlies/Truthoverlies.
John R. Bloxson Jr.
P.S. Paine died a pulper screaming begging for his life as the death angel came to take him away. He was not an Internationalist but a good rebel rouser, so good in fact the french used his writings to justify the murder of many innocent people by the Guillotine during the Aftermath of the French Revolution.
By Trithoverlies, April 15, 2009 at 11:08 pm Link to this comment
One comment Faith Based is reality based because it works while your secular based leads only to recidavism so Secular Progressive you are on the wrong side in this Your ways brought us from 23% in poverty in 1967 to 37%in poverty in 1999 what a great record you have of straightening out the mess you and your social Scientist created starting with the war on the family removing the Father from the Home so the kids could eat was real smart wasn’t it. It lead instead to higher brith rates of unwed teen mothers no interaction and support from boys calling themselves men based on the number of kid they had fathered but weren’t supporting. So yes seculaism has realy worked in the inner city and in the rural towns as well, Secular Socialism is broken and can’t be fixed. It has never worked, and will never work so go live in Europe where secularism is destroying their countries. Live there for a few years and I believe it will be a mind altering experiance.
Report thisTrithoverlies/Truthoverlies.
John R. Bloxson Jr.
By OzarkMichael, April 15, 2009 at 9:48 am Link to this comment
Who believes we need a new strong emperor type...
Not me.
... that will as a majority of just one claim our rights to life as a people by taking full control of our military and set the stage for a refreshed America with a rejuvenated people?
Dont get me wrong, I like to feel as refreshed and rejuvinated as the next guy. Its the “new strong emperor type” that turns me off. Its a bit of a high price to pay.
But then again i am old school. A “majority of just one” that can “claim our rights to life” could just as easily use that power against our rights and our lives.
If that were so then who believes that President OBAMA can be that man if pushed along by us?
I believe he could be that man. So while you push him to be the emperor type I am gonna pull him back to being just a President.
Who has a plan that will provide a smooth bloodless change?
I assume you refer to the empowerment of Emperor Obama as the smooth and bloodless plan? OK, I approve of the smooth and bloodless approach. I hope your plan succeeds only on that point but in nothing else.
Keep it smooth.
Report thisBy eileen fleming, April 15, 2009 at 5:14 am Link to this comment
“Soon after I had published the pamphlet “Common Sense” [on Feb. 14, 1776] in America, I saw the exceeding probability that a revolution in the system of government would be followed by a revolution in the system of religion… The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion.”-Tom Paine
A few months ago, I was invited to speak at a university of supposed higher learning about what I know from my 6 trips to Israel Palestine.
Only 2 students knew Israel had nuclear weapons and NOT one student had even heard of Mordechai Vanunu’s freedom of speech trial, conviction and Supreme Court appeal fighting 3 months in jail for speaking to foreign media in 2004.
The 5th year of restrictions that deny Vanunu the RIGHT to leave the state and the RIGHT to speak to non-Israelis expire April 21, 2009.
A ROTC student in particular felt very threatened by the information I delivered.
I was accused of propaganda, but what I did was disturb their POV with Common Sense and truth; and the truth can only set one free, if one loves the truth.
States and Nations have obligations. Human beings have RIGHTS.
e
Report thishttp://www.wearewideawake.org
By John Harry, April 13, 2009 at 12:29 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Susan Jacoby, I love you (intellectually, of course).
I won’t buy William Goetzmann’s ‘Beyond the Revolution’ but I will look for more on Thomas Paine…..
Good work. Susan Jacoby is always a delight.
Report thisBy rollzone, April 12, 2009 at 8:38 am Link to this comment
hello. i thought so i am in volume two. intellectuals inspire debate, and historical reference is choice. i was mistaken that this novel does not espouse an evolution of intellectuality, from our agrarian roots, and benevolent spy; Benjamin Franklin- to the present, sophisticated, cosmopolitan passenger of planet earth. should science ever duplicate the id- beyond its primitive ego replications of artificial intilligence- this will be a lively debate. the book looks entertaining.
Report thisBy geronimo, April 11, 2009 at 9:26 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
If Thomas Paine were alive today wouldn’t he be repeating his famous “We have it in our power to begin anew?” And this time around wouldn’t he be adding something like “What’s more, yes we can?”
Report thisBy P. T., April 10, 2009 at 10:27 pm Link to this comment
The unevenness of this book, ranging from fascinating stories combining intellect and adventurousness to stultifying attempts to pin the intellectual label on unsuitable donkeys, only reinforces the wisdom of the chestnut that every decent high school English teacher proffers to aspiring adolescent authors: “Write about what you know.”
Report thisTranslation: Write stuff that I agree with.
By Wilberforce, April 10, 2009 at 6:57 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
I am so going to read it. The book sounds fantabulosa, with one exception. There is no such thing as biblically literal religion. It’s right name is fundamentalism. Fundys only claim to take the bible literally even as the cherry pick it to shreds and ignore its authoritative message. Don’t covet, don’t bear false witness, give to the poor, show mercy to the oppressed, replenish the earth, pray in secret, etc… They’ve ignored all that from day one, as well as the bulk of the prophets and gospels. And only a serious dupe would consider them to be literalists.
Report thisBy OzarkMichael, April 10, 2009 at 4:51 pm Link to this comment
Thomas Paine finally saw a Revolution he dreamed of… the Revolution in France. Paine defended it, went out on a limb to vouch for its greatness. Paine went so far as to attack Edmund Burke’s “Reflections on the Revolution in France”.
Edmund Burke was unpopular in his home in Great Britain when he wrote in support the American Revolution because he realized it was a conservative/religious revolution so it was bound to succeed. He warned Britain not to fight America.
Years later he shocked everyone in Britain by writing AGAINST the French Revolution, when many in British society thought it was a great thing. He saw that the French Revolution was against religion and conservatism and warned it was a recipe for disaster.
Edmund Burke is, by Leftist wisdom, obviously not an intellectual, since he is a conservative who sided with many Americans who saw the French Revolution as folly.
Paine thought the French Revolution was an advance on the American one. Paine put his reputation on the line with his support of the French Revolution and his attack on Burke.
Paine would be disgraced. In his own lifetime the outcome proved him completely and irrefutably wrong. I am sorry to hear that he died a ruined man.
Ah, but Paine’s view is the forerunner of the Truthdig outlook. So Paine will be forever enshrined as the ‘intellectual’. And anyone who disagreed with Paine then, or disagrees with Truthdig now, is called ‘anti-intellectual’ and sometimes much worse.
Burke’s insight into the problems of France proved to be prophetic. Too bad Burke is an ‘anti-intellectual’ or more of you would would read him.
Report thisBy Goddamnathiest, April 10, 2009 at 3:57 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Living in the bible belt most of my life, I understand the “fear” of “intellectuals.” I see it as questioning things that people don’t want questioned. This in turn, causes people to “think” and question their ideas and beliefs.
Report thisLooking back on western civilization, it took almost 1,500 years for a “rebirth” or renaissance of scientific study and research to happen. Even then, such individuals as Galileo ended up under house arrest when they went against the “Church” by having his book released.
No longer was the earth nor man at the center of the Universe.
The results of educating “man” and letting them use reason, logic, and the scientific process threaten those whose “beliefs” they “threaten” by exposing them for what they truly are: simply beliefs. Beliefs based on simple explanations made in a much much more simpler time.
By Ivan Hentschel, April 10, 2009 at 3:42 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
I haven’t read it yet (and probably won’t) but this sounds like a fair estimation. Time is thusly saved.
But who is Dwight Baker and why is he saying all these terrible things about life?
Report thisBy Inherit The Wind, April 10, 2009 at 7:47 am Link to this comment
You know what, DB?
Sometimes you truly surprise me. I would never have thought that a radical fundamentalist like you would also be a liberal and understand predatory practices that ARE the failing of capitalism that Rand never accepted or understood.
Still, what you described sounded an awful lot like the plot of “There Will Be Blood”, based on a Upton Sinclair’s “Oil!”
These posts on drilling for gas are the most coherent and compelling things you have written here at TD—I congratulate on them.
BTW, you may be interested in trying to find an obscure Upton Sinclair novel called “They Call Me Carpenter” about Jesus coming again in 1922 in California. It’s long out of print but I think it’s available as an eBook. Sinclair’s message was basically he’d be crucified all over again in modern times.
Don’t worry—soon I’ll be ripping you to shreds all over again, but this time, you came up with a really interesting story. I wonder if it’s documented that the gas drilling of the late 60’s was deliberately killed by cutting off funding from the banks. Of course, T.Boone Pickens is now heavily into Texas and Oklahoma gas…..Was he behind it then? He’s in his 80’s now and that was 40 years ago.
Report thisBy godistwaddle, April 10, 2009 at 2:36 am Link to this comment
Herding butterflies. Not needing to herd to large barns of a Sunday to bleat their ignorance and stupidity aloud with the other ovines, intellectuals and rationalists often take advantage of solitude to think, write, and reflect.
Report this