Culture Wars by James Hunter

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Culture Wars by James Hunter
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Cultural Conflict in America

• Hunters thesis
• History of past conflict and outcome
• Current conflict
• Theoretical model

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Theoretical Model

• Hostilities between two different and opposing
  bases of moral authority (43).- Orthodox world
  view- Progressive world view
• Polarizing nature of the hostilities

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Five Central Areas of Disagreement

• Foundation for moral authority
• Americas history and purpose
• Freedom
• Justice
• Economics

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Orthodox Moral Authority

• Belief in supernatural authority (i.e. God)
• Moral standards established by God and consistent
  through time
• Humans obligated to learn and obey rules
  unqualified to change these

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Progressive Moral Authority

• Privileges reason and scientific process to solve
  problems
• May or may not believe that God exists
• Moral standards evolve over time- subject to
  revision
• Humans obligated to use reason to arrive at what
  is moral

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Orthodox Americas History/Purpose

• God guides America
• Constitution divinely inspired
• Government must be based on God
• America obligated to inspire liberty and
  righteousness across the globe

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Progressive Americas History/Purpose

• Americas origins from actions of people not God
• Government based on the Constitution
• Constitution is a living document that must be
  constantly reinterpreted to meet todays
  challenges
• America should not impose its ideology on others

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Orthodox Freedom / Economics

• Freedom defined as - society free to govern
  itself- contrasted with monarchies / communism-
  emphasizes unity- critical of diversity
• Economics - free enterprise connected to
  spiritual freedom

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Progressive Freedom / Economics

• Freedom defined as - individual social and
  political rights- emphasizes diversity -
  critical of unity
• Economics- concern over inequities in wealth /
  power- economics connected to issues of justice

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Orthodox Justice

• Defined in terms of Judeo-Christian standards of
  morality
• Governments obligation is to enforce these
  standards

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Progressive Justice

• Defined in terms of social justice
• Governments obligation is to
• - end oppression- promote equality

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Quote Page 129

• The reality of politics and public policy in a
  democracy is, for better or worse, compromise
  born out of public discussion and debate. But
  such discussion would seem unattainable when the
  moral language employed by opposing sides is so
  completely antithetical.

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Problem

• Alliances to either view represent two different
  cultural systems
• Concessions on public policy matters become
  increasingly difficult

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Possible Solutions From Epilogue

• Change the environment of public discourse
• Recognize inherent weaknesses / dangers of our
  own moral commitments- orthodox weaknesses-
  progressive weaknesses