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Product Details:
Author:
Jr., William F. Buckley
Paperback:
300 pages
Publisher:
ISI Conservative Classics
Publication Date:
July 01, 2004
Language:
English
ISBN:
089526692X
Package Length:
8.9 inches
Package Width:
5.9 inches
Package Height:
0.9 inches
Package Weight:
0.75 pounds
Average Customer Rating:
based on 14 reviews
Description:
In 1951, a twenty-five-year old Yale graduate published his first book, which exposed the extraordinarily irresponsible educational attitude that prevailed at his alma mater. This book rocked the academic world and catapulted its young author, William F. Buckley Jr., into the public spotlight.
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Must Read, A ClassicDec 27, 2008 This great book changed me from a conforming liberal in the 1970s to a free-thinking conservative. Buckley's expansive vocabulary and exquisite use of language is an education in and of itself. The principles of open-mindedness and conviction-based living are an important reminder for modern Americans struggling with issues of education against indoctrination, selflesness against self-centeredness, and freedom of thought against institutional group-think. If you have not read this definitive work of a great mind, read it now. If you, like me, read it long ago, you will find Buckley's words as renewing and refreshing as ever.
Buckley's First BookNov 17, 2008 "The duel between Christianity and atheism is the most important in the world...(and) the struggle between individualism and collectivism is the same struggle reproduced on another level."
So wrote William F. Buckley in 1951, not long after he graduated from Yale. In this landmark book of the conservative movement, Buckley urged Yale alumni to withhold financial support from the school, because many of Yale's departments had been taken over by liberals and were attempting to inculcate socialism and unbelief in their students. Buckley also discussed the true definition of academic freedom.
In the book, Buckley also tackled many economic issues that are just as salient today as they were in 1951, such as distribution of income, the income tax, inheritance taxes, government spending, and inflation.
Liberals responded to the book with their standard ad hominem attacks, but Buckley had touched a nerve, and the book launched him on his way to the head of the conservative movement.
The movement may have transformed the world, but left the academy mostly untouched. A few years after the book was published, Buckley founded National Review. Conservatives eventually took over the Republican Party, Ronald Reagan was elected president, and the Soviet Union was vanquished, but, sadly, the situation in our universities is as bad today as it was when Buckley chronicled it.
"God and Man at Yale" belongs on the reading list of anyone who wishes to investigate the intellectual pedigree of the conservative movement.
Some Interesting Opinions on Higher EducationMay 20, 2008 First of all, I read an older edition of Buckley's book, but I assume the two are very close. In "God and Man at Yale", Buckley concentrates on how Christianity, individualism, and capitalism are looked at by different professors and textbooks. He feels that these beliefs and values are largely either underrepresented or outright attacked. I found Buckley's comments on individual teachers to often be quite interesting though these men are almost certainly retired or dead now. The discussion on economics textbooks was generally drier than the rest of the book, but someone who enjoys the topic may find it very interesting. Buckley's solutions to the problem make me a little uncomfortable though I feel some of those opposed to Buckley's ideals go pretty far themselves. In truth, conservatives will probably enjoy the book while liberals probably wont. I would recommend it to those interested in 1950s education, how students are influenced by what they learn, and probably to William Buckley fans (this is the first book I read by him so I admittedly wouldn't be the best person to judge in that department). Overall, it was an interesting read.
6 of 8 found the following review helpful:
Student, Instructor, and AlumniDec 18, 2006 Implicit in a democracy is the free conversation of ideas. Ideas compete with each other for acceptance by individuals, society as a whole and institutions. One of these institutions is the University. Should the University form the argument or do the professors independently make arguments quite independent what the alumni or University president wants made. Does a University organize around a certain concept or school of thought. Does the University President and trustees form the bases of the argument or do they blindly hire people of a certain criteria and let the pieces fall where they will.
William F. Buckley forms the argument that Yale University of the late 1940's and early 1950's has a school of thought about economics, religion, and society that are not consistent with the values and goals of the alumni of the period the book was written. To be sure the University President claims the values taught at Yale were quite by accident protecting the higher value of academic freedom.
William F. Buckley goes into some detail about how religion and Christianity is expressed by various faculty who teach to the none theological student. One Professor agressively makes theoutdatedness of Christianity with apologetic type arguments, but mostly through characterization. While a Chrisian professor makes some apologetical arguments and careful not to be offensive to the none Christians. The author also goes into some great detail about the social studies department.
William F. Buckley evaluates the economic training at Yale. The role of private enterprize and government in producing and distributing wealth. The author further explains that emphasis on the govermental role and wealth redistribution effect the political thought and occupational goals of the student and recent graduate of the University. He further believes a large portion of the alumni and parents of the student would not be comfortable with what is taught at the University.
0 of 7 found the following review helpful:
Are you a Conservative? DON'T miss this tome...Dec 10, 2005 What can one say of "God And Man At Yale" that has not already been said? (There must be something, otherwise, why should I start this review?) It is a classic in Conservative thinking, a primer for civilized debate, and a template for structured reasoning. This book came at the forefront of a wave of the new American Conservatism, which seemed like the last dying gasps of the old American conservatism when it initially arrived on the scene in 1951.
Shortly following Buckley's cajoling of Yale, Goldwater ran for President, Phylliss Schlafly battled feminist tyrants and Reagan was swept into office as a result of it all. A whole world of conservative thinkers and pundits found a waiting fan-base, one that Buckley gently "broke in" for all of us.
OK, so that is the history... but what of the book?
Certainly, the names of the then teachers, professors and administrators that Buckley took to task are irrelevant and so is the course load descriptions this far removed from the days of "God and Man Af Yale". But the central argument has, if anything, gotten more acutely realized. That religion, economics and American exceptionalism is anathema to the properly arranged University professor is nearly accepted as axiomatic by everyone on both sides of the issue these days, 50 years after the book was first published. Few argue the point as they attempted to do in the name of "fairness" in Buckley's days at Yale.
But, I will show here a quote from the book that shows Buckley's prescience: "I myself believe that the duel between Christianity and atheism is the most important in the world. I further believe that the struggle between individualism and collectivism is the same struggle reproduced on another level. I believe that if and when the menace of Communism is gone, other vital battles, at present subordinated, will emerge to the foreground."
And that is just where we stand today. Certainly the struggle against Islamofascism is an important one, but we are seeing the University embattled by conservative students and parents more each day in the post Communist world, now that we have the luxury to do so. Communism is on the down turn and we now have the energy to address the sorry state of affairs in American education- as well as the tools with the internet. The building disgust about leftists in the Universities is palpable and growing. We are edging ever more toward "doing something" about it all at long last. Buckley should be excited about the immediate future for the turn around of American education.
Also, this book is a great example on how to structure an argument. Using this book as a template would do any debater well.
Thanks, Mr. Buckley. You have inspired many of us.
based on 14 reviews
