Still Louis Hartz after All These Years: A Defense of the Liberal Society Thesis Author(s): Philip Abbott Reviewed work(s): Source: Perspectives on Politics, Vol. 3, No. 1 (Mar., 2005), pp. 93-109 Published by: American Political Science Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3688113 . Accessed: 25/07/2012 11:42 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact
[email protected]. American Political Science Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Perspectives on Politics. http://www.jstor.org Articles StillLouis Hartzafter All These Years: A Defenseof the LiberalSociety Thesis PhilipAbbott LouisHartz's The Liberal Tradition inAmerica was the dominant interpretative text in American political thought for a generation. In thelate 1960s the Hartzian hegemony came under severe attack, and by the 1990s his interpretive framework had been declared obsolete.Critiques allege two basic, related flaws: (1) Hartz'sinterpretation ignored the diversity inAmerican political thought, particularly,though not exclusively, onquestions ofrace, and (2) hisanalysis exaggerated theextent of the consensus inAmerican politicalculture. These critiques are based almost exclusively onHartz's analysis ofselected periods ofearlyAmerican political devel- opment.I argue that Hartz's basic concepts are powerful analytical tools that continue toprovide the most compelling analysis of recentAmerican political development.