Goodman succeeds in linking the varied intellectual debates that occupied his principle figures to their practical implications, both of their own times and of today. His readings as a result are fresh and convincing, though given the brevity of the book, no discussion is as intense as the topics deserve. His presentations relate his figures to concurrent developments in Europe, ... Read morebut they do not demand more than a casual knowledge of the history of philosophy. As an account of how five prominent thinkers in British North America and the United States responded to debates over slavery, the work illuminates the twists and turns involved when ideals and practical interests are in conflict. These strengths will make this a useful book for some courses, particularly if combined with primary readings.
Society for U.S. Intellectual History
This fine introduction to early American philosophy features Edwards prominently...[Goodman's] treatment of Edwards now joins the ranks of short surveys by philosophers and historians
John Smith, Morton White, Paul Conkin, William Clebsch, Bruce Kuklick, and others
who interpret him in light of later American philosophy. It deserves a wide reading.
Doug Sweeney, Jonathan Edwards Centre
...Goodman's book is required reading. There is much to admire about this relatively short (and therefore extremely ambitious) book: its historical detail, its ability to anticipate and foreshadow later philosophical developments, its attention to the nexus of the political and the philosophical, and a gracious manner of writing that invites the reader into a very accessible story about a strain of American thought
John Kaag, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews Online
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