Lexington Books
Pages: 160
Trim: 6¾ x 9¼
978-1-66694-682-6 • Hardback • July 2024 • $105.00 • (£81.00)
978-1-66694-683-3 • eBook • July 2024 • $45.00 • (£35.00)
John E. Hill is Professor Emeritus of Politics and History at Curry College.
Chapter 1. Too Individualistic: Lost on the Road to Happiness
Chapter 2. Adam Smith’s Sociability
Chapter 3. Christian Sociability
Chapter 4. John Adams, Factionalism, and the Common Good
Chapter 5. Benefits of Sociability
Chapter 6. Sociability and Happiness
“John Hill offers an important corrective to the misguided and superficial understanding of Adam Smith so prevalent today. Those who are concerned about preserving American democracy would be wise to pay attention to Smith’s conception of a flourishing human life as one that is neither individualistic nor communitarian but rather, as Hill so expertly argues, expresses individuality within communities.”
— Richard L. Kyte, Viterbo University
John E. Hill’s Adam Smith’s Sociability and the American Dream is wide-ranging, well-reasoned, impassioned, and ambitious in urging the necessity for a more communitarian spirit of American democracy. Hill’s persuasive case for the contemporary relevance of Smith’s often-ignored concept of sociability and John Adams’ hard-minded devotion to democracy deserves to be read and considered by anyone interested in the future of the United States.
— Edward Fitzgerald, Executive Director, Quincy Historical Society, Quincy, MA
“John Hill intricately weaves his comprehensive knowledge of Adam Smith’s sociable capitalism, John Adams’ views on the moral and social dimensions of democracy, and the Christian ethic of love and community into a vision for a more just American society. His work challenges prevailing notions of free markets and extreme individualism, offering a compelling argument for the essential role of individuals acting within communities in achieving true prosperity and happiness. It is an essential read for those committed to fostering an equitable society concerned with flourishing for all.”
— Christa Lee-Chuvala, Eastern University