The horror of the Civil War made people more skeptical about fanaticism. At least, that is the message of Menand, Louis. 2001. The Metaphysical Club (NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux). Supposedly, this change of mind helped to push one group of people toward progressivism and a more rational (albeit capitalistic) way of organizing society. Michael Pollack posted note here (or maybe at LBO), quoting Armstrong, Karen. 2001. The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism (NY: Alfred A. Knopf), which suggested that the same event led to the especially rural fundamentalist uprising which became so powerful during the 1920s in the red states of today.
The horror of the first world war made people far more aware of irrationality. The Nazis learned to harness the irrationality.
Will thenThe horror of the Civil War made people more skeptical about fanaticism. At least, that is the message of Menand, Louis. 2001. The Metaphysical Club (NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux). Supposedly, this change of mind helped to push one group of people toward progressivism and a more rational (albeit capitalistic) way of organizing society. Michael Pollack posted note here (or maybe at LBO), quoting Armstrong, Karen. 2001. The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism (NY: Alfred A. Knopf), which suggested that the same event led to the especially rural fundamentalist uprising which became so powerful during the 1920s in the red states of today.
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Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University michael at ecst.csuchico.edu Chico, CA 95929 530-898-5321 fax 530-898-5901
