John Quincy Adams and the public virtues of diplomacy

About this book

Although John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) was one of nineteenth-century America's most accomplished diplomats and statesmen, very little has been written on his diplomatic philosophy. This thought-provoking new study by Greg Russell brings together for the first time an investigation of Adams's literary, philosophical, and political careers. Studying Adams's statesmanship as an expression of distinct intellectual and diplomatic traditions, Russell offers a thorough review of Adams's grounding in classical and Christian traditions and demonstrates the role those traditions played in his understanding of American constitutionalism, statesmanship, and citizenship. Throughout his life Adams was drawn inexorably to the intersection of ethics and statesmanship. His defense of international law was inseparable from his Christian faith, with its emphasis on the pursuit of justice and established mutualities in the relations of nations. In his judgment, national self-restraint was crucial to national success and survival, and America's success in the world would be dependent upon the nation's own moral and spiritual stamina in self-government. Adams strengthened this connection through numerous orations and writings on the conflicting vitalities of human nature, the meaning of history, and the nature of virtue and happiness in politics and government. Russell concludes his unique study by addressing the issues that confront a democratic society today. Arguing that recent ideological and political upheavals world-wide challenge anew the national purpose and security of the United States, Russell maintains that Adams's career offers a remarkable example for today's world. Historians, political theorists, theologians, and foreign-policy commentators will find this book invaluable.