Written at the end of the American Civil War, Brownson asks and answers some of the most basic questions about America and in the process produces a classic of political philosophy. For example: What is it that makes any nation sovereign? In America, which came first, the states or the union? (Brownson's answer: they were created at the same moment) What is the precise relationship between the states and the federal government? How important is our written constitution as opposed to the unwritten one that constitutes us as a people? As the make-up of the American people changes, should our constitution change as well? Brownson's answers are often unexpected but his arguments reveal such a profound insight into our country that they emerge as almost obvious and one wonders why we didn't see them ourselves.

An excellent book for anyone wanting an introduction to the thought of Orestes Brownson, be it his political philosophy or his theological insights. Not as comprehensive as other books, it ties in autobiographical elements well, and Butler is not afraid to bring in the thoughts of other political thinker (like Eric Voegelin) into the mix. Over all, a fine work.

This little book has the same problem as much of the materialcoming out of academia these days. All complexity and jargon, and noability to tell a story or relate the insights to the broader, contemporary flow of ideas at the time our subject lived. Where a simple word would suffice, Herrera uses arcane words that often leave you grabbing for a dictionary. More importantly, however, we get mostly opinions from the author, and after having slogged through 200 pages, know very little about Orestes Brownson, and his times. I learned more about Brownson's thinking from two short extracts of his writings from a primary source book on religion in America, then I did in this entire work. Instead of decent quotes from his writings, and other primary sources, we unfortunately are fed repetitive blather, and sketchy analysis about Orestes' often changed views, his contradictions (to wit the title), and the usual overly critical analysis from today's modern scholars. My copy of this rather expensive little book... is now being contributed to my local library. Otherwise, it would have ended up in the wastepaper basket. A much wiser investment would be to obtain a synopsis of Brownson's actual writings even if the cost was more than this overpraised book as contained in the other reviews.

Orestes Brownson was a writer, philosopher,and cultural critic. He was also an Catholic during a period in this country when it was not publically orthodox to be a Catholic. Never more than an intellectual gadfly to begin with, Brownson's intellectual star faded soon after his death and he entered a sort of intellectual purgatory, becoming the subject for obscure Ph.D theses and academic biographers in search of a subject no one else had tackled. Now Brownson is brought back to life in a rather charming portrait by, all of people, a fellow teaching alumni. Orestes Brownson had taught at Seton Hall University, in New Jersey, for a brief period of his life, as did his current biographer, Robert Herrera. Perhaps it's the Seton Hall connection that's responsible, but Herrera does a nice job of breathing life back into the old boy and letting us see him warts and all. Instead of conforming Brownson to his image, Herrera instread conforms to Brownson's image and what emerges is a full, rich portrait of both the man and his times, of the critic and the subject of his criticism. Another selling point for this book, besides its brevity (Why do academics feel they have to give us every nugget of their subject's life?), is its refusal to bend to the politically correct winds that currently constitue the Public Orthodoxy of our squalid intellectual times. If you love American intellectual history (and, no, that is not an oxymoron), you will love this charming little tome.

Orestes Brownson was one of the most original, and eccentric, American philosophers of the 19th century. It has been his unfortunate fate to slide into obscurity in the 20th century. Now he has been brought to vibrant life in sn excellent new study of his life and works by R.A. Herrera. The strength of this book lies in its interweaving of Brownson's life and thought, taking care not to tip the scales in favor of either. The importance of this method cannot be stressed enough because of the obscurity into which Brownson has fallen. Herrera is not out to rehabilitate Brownson; far from it. But he does provide an insightful new look at this iconoclastic thinker who was always swimming against the intellectual tides of his times. Highly recommended.