34 pages • 1 hour read
David BrooksThe Road to Character
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2015A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Immanuel Kant’s “Crooked Timber”
From Kant’s influential quotation—“Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made”—Brooks draws the core theme underlying his discussions of Adam I and Adam II. Human beings are inherently flawed creatures; we do not profit from the baseline assumption that we are infallible. The recognition of human nature as flawed, which was far more prevalent in earlier eras, is a reflex that we must develop before we can move forward and take corrective action.
Résumé Virtues/Adam I/Big Me
Brooks uses these terms almost interchangeably to express the simultaneously self-centered, outward-facing side of human nature. They represent the desire for personal advancement, indulgence, and recognition for what we consider our special qualities.
Eulogy Virtues/Adam II/Little Me
Brooks uses these terms almost interchangeably to express the selfless, introspective side of human nature. They represent our capacity for self-enrichment, which subsequently leads to the betterment of ourselves and our societies.
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By David Brooks
