All things Quote by Dennis Prager
“I recall asking the late eminent liberal historian Arthur Schlesinger, in a public forum in Los Angeles in the late 1970s, if he would say that America was, all things considered, a better, i.e., more moral, society than Soviet society. He said he would not.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Public Forum, Los Angeles, late 1970s
The historian argues that America is not morally superior to the Soviet Union, challenging the notion of inherent national virtue.
In simple terms: America isn’t necessarily more moral than the Soviet Union.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions about national morality.
Themes
history
politics
ethics
comparative analysis
Mood
thoughtful
critical
reflective
Type
analytical
philosophical
historical
When to use this quote
- academic debates
- policy discussions
- media analysis
- public education
- international relations
Key Concepts
moral relativism
national identity
Cold War rhetoric
Questions to Reflect On
- What criteria define a “better” society?
- How do cultural biases shape moral judgments?
A Different Perspective
The claim may oversimplify complex moral landscapes and ignore differing values.
![“Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., in a mordant protest written soon after the [1952] election, found the intellectual "in a situation he has not known for a generation." After twenty years of Democratic rule, during which the intellectual had been in the main understood and respected, business had come…” quote by Richard Hofstadter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a5d/richard-hofstadter-12288_arthur_arthur-schlesinger-jr-in-a-mordant-prote_3026387.jpg)
![“If they [liberals] didn't believe we were mean spirited they couldn't stay liberal. They have to believe they mean better than us, but we don't have to believe that we mean better than them. We have to believe that we do better than them. We measure morality by what happens not what is intended.” quote by Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/95d/dennis-prager-631_believe_if-they-liberals-didn-t-believe-we-were_111894.jpg)
