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Spotlight On …
In Praise of the Polemic
Often dismissed as mere ideological screeds, polemical writings have nonetheless frequently been the driving force behind tectonic intellectual shifts in dominant political, philosophical, and religious orthodoxies. Think, for instance, of the influence Thomas Paine’s writings wielded on the course of the American Revolution. It is admittedly unlikely that any modern day polemic will exert such a profound impact on society—academic specialization and the continuing diffusion of media argue strongly against the possibility—but that hasn’t prevented contemporary polemicists from practicing their craft. For a sampling, check out the following books (with the caveat that one person’s ideological screed is another person’s self-evident truth).
Slouching Toward Gomorrah: Modern Liberalism and American Decline / Robert Bork. Call number: HN59.2.B68 1996.
The Trouble with Diversity: How We Learned to Love Identity and Ignore Inequality / Walter Benn Michaels. Call number: HN90.S6 M49 2006.
Legal Education and the Reproduction of Hierarchy: A Polemic Against the System: A Critical Edition / Duncan Kennedy. Call number: KF272.K46 2004.
Patriotism and Other Mistakes / George Kateb. Call number: JA74.K37 2006.
Overdose: How Excessive Government Regulation Stifles Pharmaceutical Innovation / Richard A. Epstein. Call number: HD9666.6.E68 2006.
Out of Order: Arrogance, Corruption, and Incompetence on the Bench / Max Boot. Call number: KF8775.Z9 B66 1998.
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