Morris Berman
Encyclopedia
Morris Berman was born in Rochester, New York
. He earned his BA in mathematics at Cornell University
in 1966 and his Ph.D. in the history of science
at The Johns Hopkins University in 1972. He is an academic and a humanist
cultural critic
who specializes in Western cultural
and intellectual
history
.
Despite his status as an academic, Berman's books are written for a general audience. They are concerned with the state of Western civilization
and with an ethical
, historically responsible, or enlightened approach to living within it. Emphasized in his work are the legacies of the European Enlightenment
and the historical place
of present-day American culture. His books include Dark Ages America: The Final Phase of Empire (Norton, 2006), The Twilight of American Culture (Norton, 2000), Wandering God: A Study in Nomadic Spirituality (State University of New York Press, 2000), Coming to Our Senses: Body and Spirit in the Hidden History of the West (1989), and The Reenchantment of the World (Cornell University Press, 1981).
Berman has been on the faculty of a number of universities in the U.S. and Canada, and presently teaches as a visiting scholar in the sociology department at The Catholic University of America
, in Washington, D.C.
. He currently resides in Mexico and writes for Parteaguas quarterly magazine, among other publications.
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
. He earned his BA in mathematics at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in 1966 and his Ph.D. in the history of science
History of science
The history of science is the study of the historical development of human understandings of the natural world and the domains of the social sciences....
at The Johns Hopkins University in 1972. He is an academic and a humanist
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
cultural critic
Cultural critic
A cultural critic is a critic of a given culture, usually as a whole and typically on a radical basis. There is significant overlap with social and cultural theory.-Terminology:...
who specializes in Western cultural
Cultural history
The term cultural history refers both to an academic discipline and to its subject matter.Cultural history, as a discipline, at least in its common definition since the 1970s, often combines the approaches of anthropology and history to look at popular cultural traditions and cultural...
and intellectual
Intellectual history
Note: this article concerns the discipline of intellectual history, and not its object, the whole span of human thought since the invention of writing. For clarifications about the latter topic, please consult the writings of the intellectual historians listed here and entries on individual...
history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
.
Despite his status as an academic, Berman's books are written for a general audience. They are concerned with the state of Western civilization
Western culture
Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...
and with an ethical
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
, historically responsible, or enlightened approach to living within it. Emphasized in his work are the legacies of the European Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
and the historical place
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
of present-day American culture. His books include Dark Ages America: The Final Phase of Empire (Norton, 2006), The Twilight of American Culture (Norton, 2000), Wandering God: A Study in Nomadic Spirituality (State University of New York Press, 2000), Coming to Our Senses: Body and Spirit in the Hidden History of the West (1989), and The Reenchantment of the World (Cornell University Press, 1981).
Berman has been on the faculty of a number of universities in the U.S. and Canada, and presently teaches as a visiting scholar in the sociology department at The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
, in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. He currently resides in Mexico and writes for Parteaguas quarterly magazine, among other publications.