Probe the psychological and group dynamics underlying political beliefs.
Today the concepts of "left" and "right" are no longer adequate guides to the ideological landscape. Turncoats and True Believers describes nine ideological scripts: The Utopian, The Survivor, The Committed, The Hawk, The Dove, The Authoritarian, The Protestor, The Skeptic, and The Pragmatist. The psychology of each script is illustrated with intimate details from the fascinating lives of such as Bertrand Russell, Adolf Hitler, Winston Churchill, Auguste Comte, John Stuart Mill, Ayn Rand, Woodrow Wilson, Betty Friedan, Kate Millett, Mikhail Gorbachev, and others. Special attention is given to "turncoats" who have made dramatic changes in their beliefs over their lifetime.
Ted Goertzel is a professor of sociology at Rutgers University and the author of 300 Eminent Personalities.
428 pages
ISBN 0-87975-755-8
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