A Study Of Walter Lippmann's Political Rationalism

Walter Lippmann(1889-1974)was one of the most influential American journalists and political commentators of the last century,and his editorial was hailed as "a voice in the wilderness".In 1913,at the age of 24,he joined The New Republic.Until he died in 1985 at the age of 65,he had been writing for 61 years.He has worked for The New Republic,The World,The New York Herald Tribune,Newsweek and other newspapers.He has written tens of thousands of articles about current politics and published more than 30 well-known books covering news,diplomacy,philosophy and other aspects.In his columns,he has worked tirelessly to guide the American public in understanding and thinking about American society and international politics.The most distinctive part of lippmann's thoughts is his diplomatic thoughts.He almost directly participated in and indirectly influenced many events in the history of the United States and the world in the last century.His viewpoint of maintaining a balance between power and obligation of states also greatly enriched relevant theoretical research results.Starting from lippmann's life experience,this paper traces his growth,study,work and life along the time line,and explores the ideological root as well as external factors that influence lippmann's diplomatic viewpoint.What`s more,this paper analyzes his rich work and life experience,by pointing out the ideological core of his political rationalism,we can better grasp Lippmann's diplomatic thought.The first chapter mainly investigates the germination and formation of walter lippmann's political rationalism.By introducing her good family education,hard study in Saxophone School and four years of study at Harvard University,this paper explores the profound influence of Charles Copeland,William James,Owen Babbitt,George Santayana and Graham Wallas on lippmann's life.At the same time,through the analysis of his early career experience in the Boston Civilian Newspaper and as an assistant to Lincoln Steffens,this paper Outlines the ideological basis and practical experience of lippmann's political rationalism,and opens the prelude of his formal involvement in foreign affairs.The second chapter,based on lippmann's long-published political essays and several diplomatic works,combined with specific international situations and cases in different periods,discusses his insights into international relations and American policy in the 20 th century,in order to make an overall description and elaboration of the diversified political tendency in lippmann's complex life.The period spanned almost the entire 20 th century,and case studies covered nearly all major international events of the last century in world history,including Wilson and The Fourteen Points,the 1929 Economic Crisis and Roosevelt's New Deal,the Second World War,George Kennan's Containment Policy,Vietnam War,and so on.The third chapter analyzes the profound connotation and unique characteristics of lippmann's political rationalism.First,lippmann believes that the primary purpose of American foreign policy is to safeguard the vital national interests of the United States.Second,The essence of foreign policy is to maintain a relative balance between the purpose and power of a country and to retain sufficient power so that it can always leave room in international competition.It must ensure that the purpose and intention of a country's foreign policy are equal to the means of implementation,while the means of implementation are similar to the purpose and intention.It is important to ensure that commitments made by a country are linked to resources that are sufficient to support those commitments.Third,as a prerequisite for stabilizing postwar peace,lippmann advocates effective cooperation and military alliance among major powers after the Second World War II.The fourth chapter discusses the precious wealth and ideological value left by lippmann,analyzes the limited influence and infinite influence of his thought,and demonstrates the defects as well as deficiencies in his thought.His limited practical value is that it provided an important reference for the American government to formulate and implement domestic and foreign policies in the 20 th century,simultaneously it played an important ideological guiding role for the general public.Its infinite significance lies in its valuable legacy as a neglected strategic thinker.The theoretical defect lies in the irrational side of lippmann,such as his position on the jewish issue,and his contact with the top of the government.The conclusion part summarizes the foregoing content and objectively evaluates lippmann,which shows that lippmann is not only an outstanding journalist,but also an excellent strategic thinker.Although his theory has limitations,it can not erase his outstanding contributions to American history in the 20 th century.