Nature's God - The Heretical Origins of the American Republic

America's founders intended to liberate us not just from one king but from the ghostly tyranny of supernatural religion. Drawing deeply on the study of European philosophy, Matthew Stewart brilliantly tracks the ancient, pagan, and continental ideas from which America's revolutionaries drew their inspiration. In the writings of Spinoza, Lucretius, and other great philosophers, Stewart recovers the true meanings of "Nature's God," "the pursuit of happiness," and the radical political theory with which the American experiment in self-government began.

About the author

Matthew Stewart is an independent philosopher and historian who has written extensively about the philosophical origins of the American republic. His work has appeared in?The Atlantic,?The?Washington Post,?The Wall Street Journal, and more. He is currently based in London.

Summary

Longlisted for the National Book Award. Where did the ideas come from that became the cornerstone of American democracy?

Product details

• Authors: Matthew Stewart
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.03.2017
• EAN: 9780393351293
• ISBN: 978-0-393-35129-3
• No. of pages: 580
• Dimensions: 139 mm x 210 mm x 38 mm
• Weight: 460 g
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > General, dictionaries; Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika, USA, 1790 bis 1799 n. Chr., Philosophiegeschichte, PHILOSOPHY / History & Surveys / General, Philosophy, HISTORY / United States / Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)