The Inertia of Sex
Henry Adams on Family and the Politics of Unconditional Love
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6080175 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Brian Duff (University of New England, Biddeford, ME, USA,), Brian R Duff (University of New England, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2010 |
| Volume | 35 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 286-307 |
| Publication date | 2010-07-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Family History (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0363-1990 • E-ISSN: 1552-5473 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0363199010370403 |
| PMID | 20715339 |
| OpenAlex | W1982526255 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 8 |
This article offers a reassessment of the contemporary relevance of the political thought of Henry Adams through a focus on his ideas about the relationship between family and politics. Adams’ ideas have been dismissed by contemporary thinkers, like Richard Rorty, who rely on similar ideas about the role family should play in politics. The article traces the role of ideas about family as a unifying theme in Adam’s history, fiction, and autobiography. It shows both why Adams believed familial sentiments, especially feminine and motherly love, were crucial to political unity, and why he thought these sentiments had become increasingly difficult to rely upon. In showing how Adams wrestled with the difficulties that emerge in putting familial sentiments to use for politics, the article suggests that Adams’ ideas offer useful lessons for contemporary thinkers interested in the relationship between family and politics
Biography · Epistemology · Family values · Political science · Politics · Sociology · American Constitutional Law and Politics · Gender Studies · Historical Studies on Reproduction, Gender, Health, and Societal Changes · Law · Philosophy · Religion, Gender, and Enlightenment
| Citations per year | 0.17 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2020 - 2020 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |