intricate ideas and perform nuanced historical and political analysis through prose that is both eloquent and approachable. This mastery of expression has played a significant role in his enduring popularity, drawing a broad audience to both his journalistic columns and his philosophical works. Ronald Steel, inWalter Lippmann and the American Century, extols Lippmann's writing as "superbly lucid." Similarly, Barry D. Riccio, in Walter Lippmann, lauds his choice of the vernacular over specialized jargon. D. Steven Blum, also in Walter Lippmann, highlights how Lippmann tackled perennial political and moral debates in a straightforward style that appealed to the educated layperson. Meanwhile, Hari N. Dam, in The Intellectual Odyssey of Walter Lippmann, acknowledges "the superb craftsmanship" of his writing, noting its classical virtues of balance, precision, purity, and clarity. David Elliot Weingast, in Walter Lippmann, describes his compelling style as "clear, logical, and inevitably persuasive." John Patrick Diggins, in a 1982 introduction to A Preface to Morals, concurs, calling Lippmann's writing "relaxed, lucid, crisp, and unencumbered by heavy philosophical jargon." Diggins further admires Lippmann's journalistic and literary prowess, which often achieved epigrammatic brilliance.

Epigraph

Each section of Lippmann's A Preface to Morals commences with a thoughtfully chosen epigraph that encapsulates the essence of the upcoming discourse. Part I, titled "The Dissolution of the Ancestral Order," begins with the evocative line "Whirl is King, having driven out Zeus," by the ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. Here, Zeus symbolizes the deity of an ancient belief system, now supplanted by the chaos of modernity—an embodiment of Lippmann's assertion that traditional religious faith has been eroded by the forces of modern culture, leaving a void.

Part II, "The Foundations of Humanism," introduces its theme with the biblical phrase "The stone which the builders rejected / That same is become the head of the corner," from Luke XX:17. Through this, Lippmann suggests that humanism should rise to become the cornerstone of a renewed moral structure in contemporary society. The third section, "The Genius of Modernity," opens with the poignant question, "Where is the way the light dwelleth?" from Job 38:19. Unlike its predecessors, this epigraph asks where the guiding "light" of moral authority exists if not within the confines of traditional religion.

Interestingly, while Lippmann argues against the sufficiency of traditional religious frameworks in the modern era, he invokes biblical sources for two of his epigraphs. This paradox highlights his recognition of religion's enduring role in addressing humanity's eternal concerns, even as he contends that religion alone can no longer meet these needs.

1890s: The Rise of the Progressive Movement

In the United States, the economy falters, spiraling into a depression that ignites a sweeping demand for change. This era witnesses the birth of the Progressive movement, a powerful force advocating for profound economic and social reforms.

1930s: From Collapse to War-Induced Recovery

Just as Lippmann unveils A Preface to Morals, the catastrophic stock market crash of 1929 sets the stage for the Great Depression in America. Yet, as Europe plunges into World War II, increased production lifts the nation out of its economic slump, rejuvenating American industry.

1990s: A Decade of Economic Flourish

The United States basks in a golden era of prosperity, marked by minimal unemployment and widespread wealth generation through stock market investments. Average Americans find themselves reaping the rewards of a booming economy.

1914–1918: The United States Joins the Great War

World War I erupts across Europe, drawing the United States into the conflict in 1917. American intervention proves pivotal for the Allied forces. The war's end leads to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, where Lippmann, disenchanted by the peace treaty's terms, resigns from President Wilson’s delegation.

1939–1945: The Second World War and Lippmann's Correspondence

As World War II unfolds, the attack on Pearl Harbor thrusts the United States into the fray in 1941. Lippmann takes on the role of a war correspondent, providing a firsthand account of the turmoil in Europe.

1990–1991: The Persian Gulf War

August 1990 sees Iraq, led by President Saddam Hussein, invading Kuwait, a nation rich in oil reserves. The United States, alongside a coalition of international forces, launches Operation Desert Storm on January 16, 1991. By February 28, 1991, Kuwait is liberated, marking the conflict's end.

1914: Founding of the New Republic

Lippmann emerges as one of the pioneering editors of New Republic, a weekly publication dedicated to championing the ideals of the Progressive movement.

1917–1919: Lippmann's Wartime Contributions

During World War I, Lippmann steps away from his editorial duties at New Republic to serve in government roles tied to the war effort.

1946: A Change in Editorial Leadership

Henry A. Wallace, former Vice President, takes the helm of New Republic as editor but soon faces resignation demands due to his leftist views.

1980s: New Republic Shifts Political Gears

Through the 1980s, New Republic evolves, shedding some of its liberal tenets to embrace a broader political spectrum.

1990s: Continuing Influence of New Republic

Even into the 1990s, New Republic maintains its stature as a leading voice in political discourse, shaping opinions and debates.

1919: Formation of the League of Nations

With the Treaty of Versailles, the League of Nations is born, aiming to ensure "collective security" worldwide. Despite the establishment of its headquarters in Geneva, the United States abstains from joining.

1940s: From League to United Nations

During the chaos of World War II, the League of Nations loses its sway, ultimately disbanding in favor of the newly formed United Nations in 1946. This organization, including the United States, sets its headquarters in New York City.

1990s: New Challenges for the United Nations

The collapse of the Soviet Union and the conclusion of the Cold War usher in fresh obstacles for the United Nations, which now grapples with mediating international and ethnic conflicts on a global scale.

Sources

Adams, Larry L., Walter Lippmann, Twayne Publishers, 1977, pp. 9–10.

Blum, D. Steven, Walter Lippmann: Cosmopolitanism in the Century of Total War, Cornell University Press, 1984, pp. 9–11, 97.

Childs, Marquis, Introduction to Walter Lippmann and His Times, edited by Marquis Childs and James Reston, Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1959, p. 2.

Dam, Hari N., The Intellectual Odyssey of Walter Lippmann, Gordon Press, 1973, pp. 161–162.

Diggins, John Patrick, Introduction to A Preface to Morals, by Walter Lippmann, Transaction Publishers, 1982, pp. x–xi, xiv, xiv, xxxv–xxxvi, xli.

Kirkhorn, Michael, Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 29: American Newspaper Journalists, 1926–1950, edited by Perry J. Ashley, Gale Research, 1984, pp. 174–189.

Riccio, Barry D., Walter Lippmann: Odyssey of a Liberal, Transaction Publishers, 1994, p. xii.

Rossiter, Clinton, and James Lare, eds., The Essential Lippmann: A Political Philosophy for Liberal Democracy, Random House, 1963, pp. xi, xiii.

Steel, Ronald, Walter Lippmann and the American Century, Atlantic Monthly Press, 1980, pp. xiii–xvi, 263.

Weingast, David Elliott, Walter Lippmann: A Study in Personal Journalism, Rutgers University Press, 1949, pp. xiii, 125, 127, 130.

Further Reading

Adams, Larry L., ‘‘The New Morality,’’ in Walter Lippmann, Twayne Publishers, 1977, pp. 123–147. Adams discusses the philosophical, religious, and social underpinnings of Lippmann’s work.

Auchincloss, Louis, Woodrow Wilson, Viking Penguin, 2000. Woodrow Wilson is a biography of the progressive President Woodrow Wilson by whom Lippmann was recruited to develop international policy for peace in postwar Europe.

Cooper, John Milton Jr., Pivotal Decades: The United States, 1900–1920, W. W. Norton, 1990. Pivotal Decades is a history of the United States during the first decades of the twentieth century, the period during which Lippmann’s fundamental political philosophy was developed.

Diggins, John Patrick, ‘‘Introduction to the Transaction Edition: Walter Lippmann’s Quest for Authority,’’ in A Preface to Morals, by Walter Lippmann, Transaction Publishers, 1999, pp. ix–liii. Diggins describes Lippmann’s career as a writer and thinker, as well as factors that make his book an important contribution to American moral philosophy.

Diner, Steven J., A Very Different Age: Americans of the Progressive Era, Hill & Wang, 1998. A Very Different Age is a history of the United States during the Progressive era of the 1890s to 1920s.

Knock, Thomas J., To End All Wars: Woodrow Wilson and the Quest for New World Order, Oxford University Press, 1992. To End All Wars provides a historical discussion of the efforts of President Wilson to formulate a program for international peace in the wake of World War I.

Lamont, Corliss, The Philosophy of Humanism, Continuum Press, 1990. Philosophy of Humanism is an introduction to humanism, a moral philosophy that Lippmann advocates as the most appropriate replacement for religion in the age of modernity.

Reston, James, ‘‘Conclusion: The Mockingbird and Taxicab,’’ in Walter Lippmann and His Times, edited by Marquis Childs and James Reston, Harcourt Brace & Co., 1959, pp. 226–238. The book describes Lippmann’s daily life and work habits, in part derived from the conclusions he drew in A Preface to Morals.

Riccio, Barry Daniel, Walter Lippmann: Odyssey of a Liberal, Transaction Press, 1994. In Walter Lippmann, Riccio traces the development of Lippmann’s liberal, humanist political philosophy over half a century of publication.

Wilson, Edmund, ‘‘Walter Lippmann’s A Preface to Morals,’’ in From the Uncollected Edmund Wilson, edited by Janet Groth and David Castronovo, Ohio University Press, 1995, pp. 108–114. This early review of Lippmann’s book originally appeared in the New Republic in July of 1929.

Wolfe, Gregory, ed., The New Religious Humanists: A Reader, Free Press, 1997. The New Religious Humanists is an overview of philosophies of religious humanism in the late twentieth century.

Zieger, Robert H., America’s Great War: World War I and the American Experience, Rowman and Littlefield, 2000. America’s Great War provides a history of United States participation in World War I.