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Pursuit of Loneliness

America's Discontent and the Search for a New Democratic Ideal

Author: Philip Slater

A new Beacon Classics edition of Philip Slater’s groundbreaking indictment of American individualism

In this best-selling book originally published in 1970, renowned sociologist Philip Slater argues that the violence, competitiveness, inequality, and “addiction” to technology that mark modern American society have bred a national cult of individualism. One of the first American sociologists to draw a clear line between social ills and political failings, Slater investigates the panic and rage sparked by the rising counterculture of the 70s. He warns readers that their frustration and inability to accept alternative ways of life signal a dangerous reverence for self-sufficiency, isolationism, and careerism—creating hospitable conditions for tyranny. Far ahead of its time, The Pursuit of Loneliness is crucial reading for anyone seeking to understand the deeper social forces that delimit and diminish our ability to connect.