ebooks Abraham Lincoln; Philosopher Statesman by Joseph R. Fornieri in History

Review

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. A well-written; informative; and compelling work.By Veteran TeacherExcellent work from Dr. Fornieri that analyzes Lincoln's philosophical statesmanship in terms of the characteristics of wisdom; prudence; duty; magnanimity; rhetoric; and patriotism and that argues convincingly that through Lincoln's adherence to these characteristics; he stayed true to the spirit of both the Declaration of Independence Constitution and exemplified true statesmanship.For a relatively thin book; there is much to digest. The book at times takes effort to read...not because it is difficult or confusing; but because there is not a paragraph; not a sentence; that rightfully should be just skimmed over. Fornieri carefully defines his terms; lays out his arguments; and then very precisely; uses Lincoln's words and actions as well as specific references from ancient Greece; Thomas Aquinas; the Bible; the American Founders to support those arguments. This method; and the depth of Fornieri's writing; demand the full attention of the reader.By the end of the book; Fornieri has very effectively supported the argument that Lincoln has earned the title of "philosopher statesman" as well as the claim that Lincoln's political moral vision provided him with the statesmanship necessary to lead our nation during the Civil War; to end slavery; all while adhering to the principals of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution.As it says in the title of this review; this is a well-written; informative; and compelling work.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great things come in small packagesBy Dr. TomThe notion that great things come in small packages is never more true than with Joseph Fornieri’s excellent book Abraham Lincoln: Philosopher Statesman. Fornieri; whom I had the pleasure of meeting in a seminar conducted at the Ashbrook Center for Politics at Ashland University in Ohio; critically analyzes Lincoln’s philosophical statesmanship. Few would deny that Abraham Lincoln was a statesman; fewer still that he was a great leader; combining “greatness of thought; speech; and deed.” (p. 1). But philosopher? And precisely how Lincoln came by these abilities is a bit of a mystery. But not to Fornieri; who persuasively postulates that there are characteristics of great leaders and statesmanship that transcend space and time. These characteristics; argues Fornieri; can be found in the teachings of Aristotle; St. Thomas Aquinas; the Bible; and in the principles found in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Fornieri condenses them into six dimensions of political leadership: wisdom; prudence; duty; magnanimity; rhetoric; and patriotism. There is much to reflect upon in those six categories; and Lincoln is found wanting in none of them. Each word; sentence; paragraph; and page of this book must be read with care because Fornieri writes with precision and economy. This book takes intellectual effort to read and digest; but the reader is richly rewarded for taking the time to do so. There’s no evidence that Lincoln ever read Aristotle or Aquinas; but his honesty; honorable ambition; humility; and dedication to and sacrifice for the nation “as it ought to be” were perfectly consistent with their teachings; and why Lincoln was a philosopher statesman the likes of which is seldom seen in human history. Harry Jaffa; in A New Birth of Freedom and using classics in much the same manner; would certainly agree. Abraham Lincoln once wrote about his own education: defective. Having read and reflected upon Fornieri’s grasp of the classics and how eternal principles can be found in them which may have universal application; I can honestly say of my own classical education: defective. Like John McKee Barr’s Loathing Lincoln; Abraham Lincoln: Philosopher Statesman ranks in the top ten of the hundreds of books I’ve read about our 16th president. And that’s saying something.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in LincolnBy Passion for TruthI recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Lincoln; the Civil War and/or statesmanship in government. This is a very substantive and well written analysis of the key aspects of true statesmanship. We need to push our public officials to meet this standard. Others have gone into the details regarding the ideas of Aristotle and Aquinas which underlie the analysis; so I wont' here. But this is a book worth reading to understand quality leadership.