A nation's destiny is the inevitable consequence it's peoples' values A nation's destiny is not the result of arbitrary fate but the inevitable consequence of the values to which its people subscribe. Numerous historical studies have shown that attitudes with regard to personal excellence, individual accomplishment, and self-control predict national periods of rise, ascendancy and decline. The people who flocked to America's shores between 1620 and 1900 weren't looking for a hand out. They didn't ask for assistance. All they wanted was liberty to do the best that they could with their lives. It was given to them, and they turned the United States into a land or promise. A people's values are evident in the literature they create. The most popular works of a hundred and fifty years ago were filled with stories of self-reliance, faith, honesty, perseverance, and victorious achievement. The modern media, by contrast, careen from one crisis to the next. The emphasis is on helplessness and victimization. Politicians expand their followings by offering to help the citizen with things that he ought to be dealing with himself. The old emphasis on self-reliance made America great. Will the modern emphasis on dependency destroy her? Read Personal Character and National Destiny. Contents Chapter One: The Achieving Society Introduction: McClelland's Prediction of the Japanese Miracle of the 70s The Need for Achievement The Achievement-Oriented Personality Achievement Orientation: the Source of Social and Economic Progress Childhood Experiences: The Source of Achievement Motivation The Values of An Achieving Society Conclusion: The Situation in Japan Chapter Two: The Cycles of History Introduction: The Nature of Historical Cycles Content Analysis and Historical Categories Looking for the Achievement Motive in History The Need for Achievement: Historical Examples Findings for Modern Societies The Need for Achievement in Ancient Greece Ancient Greece: Examples from the Literature The Death of Achievement Motivation England Conclusion: Changes in a Society's Values Predict Its Fate Chapter Three: The Appearance of Character Introduction: Religious Faith and Character The Rule of St. Benedict The Protestant Reformation The Appearance of Individualism The Protestant Ethic Work and the Quest for Perfection The Fleeting Moment Fidelity and Honesty and Family Attitudes Towards Money Personal Character and Economic Progress Personal Character and Political Freedom Chapter Four: The Literature of Hope Introduction: Personal Values and the Rise of America From Rags to Riches in Colonial America McGuffey's Reader The Philosophy of Achievement The Last Hurrah Chapter Five: The Age of Achievement Introduction: Achievement Motivation and Nineteenth Century Growth Andrew Carnegie Character and the Creation of an Industry The Mind of the Millionaire Carnegie the Philanthropist John D. Rockefeller A Study in Character Innovator and Philanthropist Personal Character and National Prosperity Chapter Six: Director's Law Introduction: The Attack on Character and Achievement The New Aspirations (the result of widespread prosperity) The New Villains (the myth of the Robber Barons) The New Model (the welfare state of Bismarck's Germany) The New Regulation (the anti-trust laws) Guilt by Association Labor Relations The New Class (government bureaucracy) Chapter Seven: The Literature of Despair Introduction: The death of Elbert Hubbard on the Lusitania marked the passing of faith in the achieving individual Elbert Hubbard Upton Sinclair (The Jungle) George Babbit (Sinclair Lewis) The New Priesthood Scientific Management Mary Parker Follett Elton Mayo John Dewey Conclusion: The Decline of Faith in the Individual Chapter Eight: The Great Descent Introduction: Early in the twentieth century politicians began to Portray themselves as the bringers of prosperity The Great Depression The Great Despair The New Orientation The Great Liar The Great Tyranny The Great War Conclusion: The Great Tragedy Chapter Nine: The Literature of Crisis Introduction: The US has become a crisis-oriented society Growing Up Absurd (the 1950s) The Greening of America (the 1960s and 70s) The Endless Crisis The New Crises The Politics of Crisis The Voice of Crisis (the modern media) Conclusion: Crisis and Character Chapter Ten: The Administrative Society Introduction: Americans' tendency to think of themselves as helpless children, the disappearance of character, and the decline of freedom The New Wealth The Welfare State The Redefinition of Property The New Morality The Bureaucratic Stranglehold The Dangerous Apathy The Disappearance of Character Destroying the Future Conclusion Conclusion: Character and the Future Introduction: Since I am going to make a prediction, I want to spell out the assumptions on which it is based My Assumptions The Individual and Society The Meaning of Character The Roles of Literature and Government The Age of Descent Attitudes Toward Achievement The Ruling Classes Beginning with the Children Greek Values at the Beginning of the End America: Renewal or Decline On the Verge of Decline The Hope for Renewal Notes Index
About the Author: HAROLD B. JONES, JR.. served as a pastor and chaplain before becoming a financial planner. In 1997, he received his Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Organizational Theory of Management. He has written widely on morality and business ethics.