Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Search - The Triumph of Ignorance and Bliss: Pathologies of Public America

The Triumph of Ignorance and Bliss: Pathologies of Public America
The Triumph of Ignorance and Bliss Pathologies of Public America
Author: James Polk
“James Polk’s portrait of America is riveting . . . his arguments are sound and convincing. An important, fascinating book written with a strong message.”—Norm Goldman, Bookpleasures.comIt is James Polk’s belief that North Americans have largely abandoned the public sphere for the sake of individual fortune. In The T...  more », he examines the foundations of a culture that he sees as favoring firepower over diplomacy, passions from the pulpit over rational critique, and the star appeal of media idols over the struggle with real problems. Where engaged public discourse should channel effective dissent, there is ignorance; where public outrage should ignite corrective action to oppose the status quo, there is bliss.Polk portrays a society sidetracked by television-inspired fantasies of fame, fun, and perfect bodies; where public school systems are close to collapse; where millions live without health insurance; where tax policies openly favor the wealthiest; where corporations brazenly take control, not only of decision-making processes, but also of the very means by which issues, content, and public priorities are defined, communicated, and dealt with; where the optimism of the past has been replaced by a sense of despair and foreboding because of abuses of trust.Deeply influenced by both the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory and twentieth-century phenomenology, James Polk holds a PhD in philosophy for his work on Immanuel Kant and Martin Heidegger. Other publications include essays and translations in social philosophy and comparative social history. Polk currently teaches at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
ISBN-13: 9781551643151
ISBN-10: 1551643154
Publication Date: 4/1/2008
Pages: 340
Rating:
  ?
0 stars, based on 0 rating
Publisher: Black Rose Books
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback
Members Wishing: 1
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review



Back to the Top ↑
By using this Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms of Use. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
US Patent Number 7,877,315 | Copyright © 2004 - 2024 PaperBackSwap.com. All Rights Reserved.