Claire Rydell Arcenas – författare

America’s Philosopher examines how John Locke has been interpreted, reinterpreted, and misinterpreted over three centuries of American history.  The influence of polymath philosopher John Locke (1632–1704) can still be found in a dizzying range of fields, as his writings touch on issues of identity, republicanism, and the nature of knowledge itself. Claire Rydell Arcenas’s new book tells the story of Americans’ longstanding yet ever-mutable obsession with this English thinker’s ideas, a saga whose most recent manifestations have found the so-called Father of Liberalism held up as a right-wing icon.The first book to detail Locke’s trans-Atlantic influence from the eighteenth century until today, America’s Philosopher shows how and why interpretations of his ideas have captivated Americans in ways few other philosophers—from any nation—ever have. As Arcenas makes clear, each generation has essentially remade Locke in its own image, taking inspiration and transmuting his ideas to suit the needs of the particular historical moment. Drawing from a host of vernacular sources to illuminate Locke’s often contradictory impact on American daily and intellectual life from before the Revolutionary War to the present, Arcenas delivers a pathbreaking work in the history of ideas.

The Challenge of American Democracy presents a selection of edited primary source documents, discussion questions, and an interpretive framework to analyze and understand American democracy from the Revolution to the twenty-first century.Organized chronologically across three historical periods, the sourcebook uses a broad range of texts—including speeches, court decisions, petitions, letters, and the full text of the U.S. Constitution—to engage readers with debates on topics such as citizenship, constitutional design, voting rights, and civic participation. It characterizes democracy in the United States as government of, by, and for the people and uses these criteria to help readers think critically about the development of democracy over time. The workbook format encourages active learning through dedicated spaces for handwritten responses and reflections.This timely volume meets the need for educational resources to help students understand both the challenges and the opportunities that face American democracy today. It is perfect for introductory and intermediate college courses in history, political science, government, and civic education.