The "better angels" of capitalism
Subtitle: rhetoric, narrative, and moral identity among men of the American upper class
By: Andrew Herman.
Series: Polemics
Publisher: Westview Press
Published: 1998
Place of publication: Boulder, CO
Language: eng
Number of pages: 287
Subjects: Upper class -- Moral and ethical aspects -- United States; Wealth -- Moral and ethical aspects -- United States; English language -- United States -- Rhetoric; Rich people -- United States -- Language; Philanthropists -- United States -- Language
Description: What does it mean to be a man of wealth and power? How is the "worth" of wealth translated into moral worth in the identity of wealthy men? How does this identity comprise a mythical place of masculine desire in the social imagination of the American dream? These are the central themes The "Better Angels" of Capitalism explores.

Beginning with a series of ethnographic interviews with a variety of wealthy American men, Andrew Herman roots his discussion in the concerns of interpretive sociology of class and culture.

However, he draws upon diverse perspectives within the humanities and social sciences, including history, political and social philosophy, feminist theory, rhetorical studies, cultural anthropology, and literary criticism, to present a coherent exploration of the sociopolitical implications of being wealthy in an economically unequal - and increasingly unstable - society.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.
Revision of the author's thesis (Ph. D.)--Indiana University, Center for the Study of Philanthropy.