America Must 'Remythologize' its Founders, Says Philosopher Jacob Needleman at Samford Forum

Philosopher and bestselling author Jacob Needleman called for a deeper appreciation of the meaning of America in a public forum held recently at Samford University.  We must "remythologize" the nation's founders and history, he argued, for America is in danger of losing its soul by forgetting its larger purpose in the world.

"The founding fathers were moral figures in our history, and if you tear them down, then you must have something just as good to put in their place.” American democracy, he said, was never conceived primarily as an external form of government or an economic system, but was rooted in the world's need for a place where people are free to develop themselves according to their own consciences. "The world needs America," he asserted.

New York Times columnist David Brooks made a similar point this week in a commentary on the consequences of other nations achieving economic parity with the United States.  "In a world of relative equals, the U.S. will have to learn to define itself not by its rank, but by its values. It will be important to have the right story to tell, the right purpose and the right aura. It will be more important to know who you are."  He added, "Americans seem uncertain about how to answer that question."

The Samford forum, "Rediscovering the American Soul," was one of two appearances by Needleman in the Mann Center's ongoing series of A. Gerow Hodges Lectures in Ethics and Leadership.  During his visit he was interviewed by center Director John Knapp for the video series, "Conversations on Ethics and Leadership":
 

Nov. 15 Program: 'Rediscovering the American Soul' With Author, Philosopher Jacob Needleman

Bestselling author and philosopher Jacob Needleman will speak at Samford University in a two-day visit that begins Monday, Nov. 15, with a public program entitled, "Rediscovering the American Soul: A Conversation with Jacob Needleman."  This event will be in Bolding Studio at 6 p.m., preceded by a reception at 5 p.m. There is no charge to attend, but reservations are required and may be made using the link on the Mann Center's website.

In his book The American Soul, Needleman delves into the beliefs and values that have shaped our culture, moving beyond politics to find the metaphysical and psychological ideas that define America and can help unify us. "America, for all its flaws, is still a place where we can work together and search for truth," he has said. "We need to value this country for that much more than we do. America is the place where we can find our proper duty to ourselves, to God, and to the earth."

A professor at San Francisco State University, he also will speak at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 16, in Samford's Reid Chapel.  "Philosophy as a Spiritual Search" will be his topic for this presentation in the series of A. Gerow Hodges Lectures in Ethics and Leadership. (Convo credit will be awarded Samford students.)  His other books include What is God?; Why Can’t We Be Good?; Time and the Soul; Money and the Meaning of Life; The Wisdom of Love; The Heart of Philosophy; Lost Christianity; The Way of the Physician; A Sense of the Cosmos; and The New Religions, among others.