The Liberal Approach to the Past by Michael J Douma

The Liberal Approach to the Past by Michael J Douma

What do we mean by liberalism or liberal history? It seems that every scholar in the social sciences would like to define liberalism in their own way. Certainly there is plenty of room for differences of opinion on this matter. But defining any -ism requires circumscribing a set of beliefs or drawing lines in such a way as to connect ideas that we believe form a coherent tradition.

Liberal history is primarily concerned with ideas and with the reasons why individuals acted as they did in the past. Liberal historians prefer to study themes of power and liberty, particularly as they relate to the rise and fall of political systems that protect liberties and individual rights. As the selections in this reader show, the liberal approach to the past is generally skeptical of laws of history and suggestions of historical determinism.

Douma, Michael J.: - Michael J. Douma is an Assistant Research Professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, where he is also affiliate faculty in the history department. He has published widely on the history of the Dutch in the United States, and is working on a history of Dutch-speaking slavery in New York and New Jersey.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781952223105
ISBN 10	1952223105
Title	The Liberal Approach to the Past
Author	Michael J Douma
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Cato Institute
Year published	2020-09-08
Number of pages	326
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.