Book Reviews and Notices : European Ideologies: A Survey of 20th Century Political Ideas. Edited by FELIKS GROSS. (New York: Philosophical Library. 1948. Pp. xv, 1075. $12.00.)

• Published date: 01 September 1949
• DOI: 10.1177/106591294900200324
• Author: Thomas P. Jenkin
• Date: 01 September 1949
• Subject Matter: Articles

442

While

recognizing

the

limitations

under

which

the

social

scientist

labors,

MacIver

calls

for

renewed

effort

not

merely

to

reveal

the

problems

of

social

well-being,

but

to

develop

the

skills

and

techniques

necessary

for

their

solution.

The

author,

pulling

no

punches,

gives

straightforward

suggestions

for

action,

not

only

to

those

individuals

sympathetic

to

the

elimination

of

discrimination,

but

also

to

those

groups

discriminated

against:

It

does

them

no

good

roundly

to

condemn

the

groups

which

discriminate

against

them

or

to

regard

themselves

as

angels

of

light

victimized

by

the

powers

of

darkness.

...

They

have

always

the

power

of

organization.

It

is

imperative

that

they

learn

how

to

use

it

aright.

And

they

must

use

it

[to]

make

their

full

entrance

into

the

life

of

the

community

an

easier

transition

and

a

more

obvious

contribution

to

the

welfare

of

the

whole.

(P. 78.)

The

bulk

of

the

book

deals

with

the

strategy

involved

in

combating

dis-

crimination

directed

on

three

fronts:

economic,

political,

and

educational.

The

author

emphasizes

that

there

is

no

one

direction

of

attack

on

dis-

crimination

that

should

be

given

pre-eminence;

all

fronts

are

strategically

important.

Chapter

VII

treats

the

role

government

can

play

in

the

achievement

of

better

and

fairer

relationships

between

groups.

For

many

well-mean- .

ing

but

misinformed

liberals,

here

is

a

valuable

discussion

and

evaluation

of

what

government

can

and

cannot

do

to

further

better

human

relations.

The

duty

of

government,

the

author

concludes,

should be

to

remove

the

barriers

to

opportunity

that

are

coercive,

and

not

the

imposition

of

coer-

cive

restraints

on

a

free

people.

The

book

is

written

in

a

clear,

direct

style.

The

evidence

and

con-

clusions

are

carefully

prepared

and

presented.

The

scientific

approach,

often

lacking

in

studies

of

this

kind,

adds

greatly

to

the

excellence

of

this

book

dealing

with

an

intricate

problem.

University

of

Utah.

REED

L.

FRISCHKNECHT.

European

Ideologies:

A

Survey

of

20th

Century

Political

Ideas.

Edited

by

FELIKS

GROSS.

(New

York:

Philosophical

Library.

1948.

Pp.

xv,

1075.

$12.00.)

This

book

is

the

product

of

twenty-four

authors.

Its

purpose,

as

announced

by

the

editor,

is

to

survey

aspects

of

European

ideology

not

ordinarily

treated

in

standard

studies

of

the

subject.

The

editor

also

specifies

that

&dquo;Every

author ...

represents

his

own

personal

point

of

view,

which

is

not

necessarily

shared

by

his

co-author

or

the

editor.&dquo;

The

result

of

these

editorial

policies

is

a

compilation

that

includes

some

interesting

and

meaningful

contributions,

but

it

is

also

a

compilation

that

is

remarkably

uneven.

Some

of

the

contributors

speak

as

protagonists