Summary
"After an eloquent and moving analysis of
what he sees as the disillusion of themodern age, Lippmann posits
as the central dilemma of liberalism its inability to find an
appropriate substitute for the older forms of authority-- church,
state, class, family, law, custom--that it has denied. Lippmann
attempts to find a way out of this chaos through the acceptance of
a higher humanism and a way of life inspired by the ideal of
-disinterestedness- in all things. In his new introduction to the
Transaction edition, John Patrick Diggins marks A Preface to
Morals, originally published in 1929, as a critical turning point
in Lippmann's intellectual career. He also provides an excellent
discussion of the enduring value of this major twentieth-century
work by situating it within the context of other intellectual
movements."--Provided by publisher.
