Self-interest is an important human motive and this book explores its evolution in the United States and its consequences for politics, business, and personal relationships. In the postwar era American understandings of self-interest have moved away from Alexis de Tocqueville's concept of "self-interest well-understood" - in which people recognize that their interests are served by the success of the community of which they are part - towards "individualism" - by which he meant narrow framing that often leads people to pursue their interests at the expense of the community. The book documents this evolution through qualitative and quantitative content analysis of presidential speeches, television sitcoms and popular music, before exploring its negative consequences for democracy.

Autorentext

Richard Ned Lebow is Professor at King's College London, UK, and Bye-Fellow of Pembroke College, University of Cambridge, UK. He is a Fellow of the British Academy and author of 35 books and almost 300 peer reviewed articles and book chapters in a career spanning six decades.

Inhalt

1 Introduction.- 2 Self-Interest.- 3 Presidential Speeches.- 4 I Love Lucy to Modern Family.- 5 Rock to Rap.- 6 Self-Interest and Democracy.