Innovative Persuasions: Aspects of John C. Calhoun's Political Thought

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"Zoltán Vajda's book conveys a vivid sense of John C. Calhoun's pohtical thought by placing it in die context of other great diinkcrs and intellectual traditions of the era. This includes the Founders, Locke, the Puritan traditions in America and die various interpretations of republicanism diat played a large role in early American pohtical development. By looking at Calhoun's rhetoric and ideas around die three themes of re-pubhcanism, Lockean hbcrahsm, and tlie American jeiemiad, Callioun stands out strongly as an important contributor to die evolution of pohtics in die USA and to the governmental controversies of the 19'*' centuiy. To me this was an unexpected and veiy enhghtening discovery because Calhoun is a historical figure who is often overlooked. I have no doubt tliat this subject would be of interest to otliers in my discipline.
m
The other big contribution of Innovative Persua-sions is to the analysis of rhetorical style in pohtical thought. I found this book to be... Tovább

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"Zoltán Vajda's book conveys a vivid sense of John C. Calhoun's pohtical thought by placing it in die context of other great diinkcrs and intellectual traditions of the era. This includes the Founders, Locke, the Puritan traditions in America and die various interpretations of republicanism diat played a large role in early American pohtical development. By looking at Calhoun's rhetoric and ideas around die three themes of re-pubhcanism, Lockean hbcrahsm, and tlie American jeiemiad, Callioun stands out strongly as an important contributor to die evolution of pohtics in die USA and to the governmental controversies of the 19'*' centuiy. To me this was an unexpected and veiy enhghtening discovery because Calhoun is a historical figure who is often overlooked. I have no doubt tliat this subject would be of interest to otliers in my discipline.
m
The other big contribution of Innovative Persua-sions is to the analysis of rhetorical style in pohtical thought. I found this book to be very enhghtening in using these techniques to identify layers of meaning in tlie pohtical thought of Calhoun. The author is able to clearly convey tlie special insights tliat tliis approach could offer by pointing out how Calhoun was a master of rhetorical construction. Despite the technical complexity of this analysis, Professor Vajda was able to clearly bring die reader along with him to conclusion in aU of the chapters. In particular, his exphcation of technical concepts, his clear and logical organisation of each of the chapters and the cai'eful prose tiiroughout accomphshes a veiy interesting way of understandhig pohtical discourse.
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I was pamcularly impressed widi the quahty of his writing. I could hardly beheve that this book was written by someone whose first language is not EngHsh. I have reviewed many articles and book length manuscripts for American academic journals and publishers. Ironically, in reading this book I have found in Hungary there is a Hungarian who actually writes better than many American academics!" Vissza